Breakdown of Na koncercie było dwustu ludzi.
być
to be
ludzie
people
na
on, at / to (motion toward) / for (a meal) / for (waiting for)
koncert
concert
Questions & Answers about Na koncercie było dwustu ludzi.
Why is the verb było (singular) when "two hundred people" is clearly plural?
In Polish, when a masculine personal number (like dwustu) or any number five and above acts as the subject, it behaves grammatically like a singular quantity. This requires the past tense verb to be in the third-person neuter singular form. Therefore, we must use było instead of the plural byli.
Why do we use the number form dwustu instead of dwieście?
Dwieście is used for feminine, neuter, and non-masculine personal nouns (like animals or objects). Because ludzie (people) is a group that includes men, it falls under the masculine personal category. This requires the special masculine personal form of the number, which is dwustu.
Why is the noun ludzi instead of ludzie?
Ludzi is the genitive plural form. Whenever you use a masculine personal number like dwustu in the subject position, it forces the noun that follows into the genitive plural case. The grammar literally translates to something like "There was two hundred of people."
How would this sentence change if I used the word osoba (person) instead of ludzie?
Because osoba is a feminine noun, you would drop the masculine personal grammar entirely. You would use the standard number form dwieście, followed by the genitive plural osób. The verb stays neuter singular because the number is over four: Na koncercie było dwieście osób. Native speakers very often prefer this phrasing when talking about mixed crowds.