Breakdown of Złodziej próbował zakryć twarz, zanim uciekł z banku.
bank
bank
z
from (+ Genitive)
twarz
face
próbować
to try
Questions & Answers about Złodziej próbował zakryć twarz, zanim uciekł z banku.
How does the prefix za- change the meaning of kryć to form zakryć in this sentence?
The base verb kryć means to hide or conceal. Adding the prefix za- brings in the semantic idea of enclosure or blocking. In zakryć twarz, the thief is placing a physical barrier over his face to block it from being seen, which perfectly illustrates how za- creates verbs about closing, covering, or barricading.
Since próbował is imperfective, why is it followed by the perfective infinitive zakryć?
The verb próbować (to try) focuses on the ongoing effort, which is why it is imperfective here. However, what the thief was trying to achieve was a single, completed result: successfully covering his face. Therefore, the goal action is expressed with the perfective infinitive zakryć.
What case is twarz in this sentence, and why doesn't its ending change?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of zakryć. The noun twarz is a feminine noun that ends in a consonant. For this specific group of feminine nouns, the accusative form is identical to the nominative form, which is why it does not get a typical feminine ending like -ę.
Why do we use zanim instead of przed to say 'before' here?