Breakdown of Perfumiarz powiedział, iż ta nuta jest zbyt słaba.
być
to be
ten
this (m)
powiedzieć
to say (perfective)
słaby
weak
Questions & Answers about Perfumiarz powiedział, iż ta nuta jest zbyt słaba.
Why use iż here instead of the usual że?
iż is a direct synonym for że (meaning "that"), but it belongs to a higher, more formal register. You will see it mostly in literature, journalism, or official writing. A writer might also use it to avoid repeating że too many times in a long paragraph. In everyday conversation, a Polish speaker would almost certainly just say ...powiedział, że...
Since the perfumer "said" it in the past, shouldn't we translate "is too weak" using the past tense była?
No, because Polish does not use "backshifting" in reported speech like English does. You report exactly what the person said, using the tense they originally used. Since the perfumer's original thought was "This note is too weak", Polish keeps the present tense verb jest, even though the reporting verb (powiedział) is in the past tense.
Does nuta mean a musical note, or something else here?
Just like in English, nuta primarily means a musical note, but it is also the exact word used in perfumery for a "fragrance note" (such as top notes, heart notes, or base notes). In the context of a perfumiarz (perfumer), they are evaluating a specific scent component.
Is the comma before iż mandatory?
Yes. The punctuation rule for iż is exactly the same as for że: you must always place a comma before it when it introduces a subordinate clause.