Breakdown of Nie sposób odkodować tej wiadomości w jedną noc.
nie
no / not
ten
this (m)
w
in / on (a day)
jeden
one
noc
night
wiadomość
message / news
nie sposób
it is impossible (nie sposób)
odkodować
to decode
Questions & Answers about Nie sposób odkodować tej wiadomości w jedną noc.
How exactly does nie sposób work in this sentence?
Nie sposób is a fixed impersonal expression meaning 'there is no way' or 'it is impossible.' It acts similarly to a modal verb and is followed directly by an infinitive, which here is odkodować. It never changes form for person, gender, or number.
The verb odkodować usually takes the accusative case. Why is it tej wiadomości in the genitive here?
This is the genitive of negation in action! Even though the verb odkodować itself isn't negated, the negative word nie in the main expression (nie sposób) reaches across to the infinitive. This forces the direct object to switch from the accusative (tę wiadomość) to the genitive (tej wiadomości).
Why is w jedną noc in the accusative case rather than the locative?
When you use the preposition w to express how much time it takes to complete an action (meaning 'in' or 'within' a certain timeframe), it always takes the accusative case. The locative with w is only used for fixed points in time, like specific months or years.
Could I use the imperfective verb odkodowywać instead of odkodować with this structure?
You can use imperfective verbs with nie sposób, but it wouldn't make sense in this specific sentence. Because you are talking about the impossibility of successfully completing a specific task within a set time limit (w jedną noc), the perfective aspect (odkodować) is required to emphasize reaching the final result.
Learn Nie sposób odkodować tej wiadomości w jedną noc 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