Breakdown of Nie wolno zabijać ludzi.
ludzie
people
nie wolno
it is not allowed (+ infinitive)
zabijać
to kill (imperfective; perfective zabić)
Questions & Answers about Nie wolno zabijać ludzi.
Why isn't there a verb like jest (is) next to nie wolno?
The word wolno is a special type of word that acts like a verb all on its own in the present tense. It means 'it is allowed', so you do not need to add jest. To say 'it is not allowed', you just put nie in front of it.
Why do we use the imperfective verb zabijać here instead of a perfective one?
When you state a general rule or strict prohibition with nie wolno, you almost always use the imperfective form of the verb. This emphasizes that the action is generally forbidden at all times, rather than referring to a specific, single event.
Is ludzi in the genitive case here because the sentence is negative?
It looks like it, but no! The word nie negates wolno, not the verb zabijać. The verb zabijać still takes a direct object in the accusative case. However, because 'people' is a masculine personal noun, its accusative plural form is identical to its genitive plural form, which is ludzi.
What is the singular form of ludzi?
The Polish word for 'people' has a completely different root for its singular form. While the basic plural is ludzie (with the form ludzi used here), the singular word for 'a person' or 'a human' is człowiek.
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