Breakdown of Gdy rozmawiamy z gospodarzem, taktowny komplement jest zawsze stosowny.
być
to be
zawsze
always
rozmawiać
to talk
z
with
gdy
when (conjunction, = kiedy, more written)
gospodarz
host
komplement
compliment
taktowny
tactful
stosowny
appropriate (fitting, proper for a situation)
Questions & Answers about Gdy rozmawiamy z gospodarzem, taktowny komplement jest zawsze stosowny.
This lesson is about wypada and nie wypada. Why doesn't this sentence use wypada, and how could we rewrite it so it does?
This sentence uses the adjective stosowny (appropriate) to express the same ethical obligation. Wypada is an impersonal verb meaning "it is proper to do something," and it requires an infinitive verb. To use the lesson's grammar here, you would change the structure, for example: Gdy rozmawiamy z gospodarzem, zawsze wypada powiedzieć taktowny komplement (When we talk with the host, it is always appropriate to say a tactful compliment).
Is gospodarz specifically a party host, or can it mean other things?
Gospodarz is a versatile word. In this context, it means the host of a social gathering or the head of the house you are visiting. However, it can also refer to a farmer, a property manager, or a TV show host. It takes the Instrumental case (gospodarzem) here because it follows the preposition z (with).
Why is taktowny komplement in the Nominative case? Does it not interact with the first half of the sentence?
The comma separates two clauses with their own grammatical environments. In the first clause, rozmawiać z forces the Instrumental case (z gospodarzem). In the second clause, taktowny komplement is the grammatical subject of the verb jest (is), so it stays in the basic Nominative case.
Could I use kiedy instead of gdy at the beginning of the sentence?
Yes, gdy and kiedy are completely interchangeable here. Gdy is slightly more elegant and often preferred in writing or formal speech, while kiedy is very common in everyday casual conversation.
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