Questions & Answers about On ma nowe auto.
Why does the word for new end in -e here (nowe)?
In Polish, adjectives change their endings to match the gender of the noun they describe. The noun auto is neuter, so the adjective takes the neuter ending -e, making it nowe.
Is ma a regular verb?
It comes from the verb mieć (to have), which is irregular and a very important verb to memorize early on. For he, she, or it, the correct present tense form is ma.
Since the verb is 'to have', shouldn't the noun auto change its ending for the accusative case?
The verb mieć does trigger the accusative case for the object being had. However, for neuter nouns like auto, the accusative form is exactly the same as the basic dictionary form. It is in the accusative case here, but the spelling stays exactly the same!
Could I just say Ma nowe auto without the word on?
Yes, you can often drop pronouns in Polish because the verb tells you who is acting. But since ma can mean he has, she has, or it has, keeping on makes it completely clear that you mean 'he'.
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