Breakdown of Brudna szmata leży na kafelkach w przedpokoju.
w
in / on (a day)
na
on, at / to (motion toward) / for (a meal) / for (waiting for)
leżeć
to lie
brudny
dirty
przedpokój
the hallway
kafelek
the tile
szmata
the rag
Questions & Answers about Brudna szmata leży na kafelkach w przedpokoju.
Since this lesson is about dopiero co, how would I change this sentence to say "A dirty rag was JUST lying on the tiles..."?
Why is it na kafelkach instead of just na kafelki?
The preposition na takes the locative case here because it describes a static location (where something is lying), not motion towards a place. The locative plural ending for almost all nouns in Polish is -ach, so the nominative plural kafelki (tiles) becomes kafelkach.
Why does przedpokój change to przedpokoju, and where did the ó go?
The preposition w (in) also requires the locative case. Masculine nouns ending in a soft consonant like -j take the -u ending in the locative. When you add this ending, the ó shifts back to an o. You already know this pattern from its root word: pokój (room) becomes w pokoju.
Could I just use the verb jest (is) instead of leży (lies)?
Yes, saying Brudna szmata jest na kafelkach is grammatically correct. However, Polish speakers heavily prefer using positional verbs like leżeć (to lie) or stać (to stand) to describe exactly how an object is situated in space. Since a rag is flat and formless, it naturally leży.
Is the word szmata considered rude or offensive?
When talking about cleaning, szmata is the completely standard, neutral word for a rag, floor cloth, or duster. However, you should be careful with it: if used to describe a person, it is a highly offensive insult.
Learn Brudna szmata leży na kafelkach w przedpokoju and more in Polish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free