Breakdown of Oni są już na samym wierzchołku.
być
to be
oni
they (masculine personal)
na
on, at / to (motion toward) / for (a meal) / for (waiting for)
już
already / anymore (with negation)
Questions & Answers about Oni są już na samym wierzchołku.
Why does samym mean "very" here instead of "alone"?
When placed directly before a noun, sam (and its declined forms) acts as an intensifier meaning "the very" or "exactly." If it meant "alone" or "by themselves," it would modify the subject rather than the location (e.g., Oni są tam sami). Here, it just emphasizes the absolute highest point of the peak.
Why is the form samym used here instead of samemu?
The word sam declines exactly like a regular adjective. Because it describes wierzchołku, which is masculine and in the locative case (due to the preposition na indicating location), it takes the masculine singular locative adjective ending -ym. The form samemu is dative, which learners often mix up with the locative.
Where did the "e" go in wierzchołku? The dictionary form is wierzchołek.
This is a classic example of the "fleeting e" (ruchome e). The e in the final syllable of wierzchołek drops out when case endings are added. Also, because the remaining stem ends in the velar consonant k, it takes the locative ending -u (wierzchołku) rather than -e, which prevents a complicated consonant mutation.
Could I use the word "szczyt" here instead of "wierzchołek"?