Questions & Answers about Nie, on nie czyta.
Why are there two nie words in this sentence?
The first nie means "No" to answer a question, and the second nie means "not" to make the verb negative. Polish uses the exact same word for both!
How does this sentence relate to the formal pan and pani we are learning?
The verb form czyta is the 3rd person singular. This is the exact same verb form you use for formal address! If you want to say "No, you are not reading" to a man formally, you just swap on for pan to make Nie, pan nie czyta.
Why is the translation "is not reading" instead of "does not read"?
Polish only has one present tense. The word czyta means both "reads" and "is reading". The translation depends on the context, so on nie czyta can mean "he does not read" or "he is not reading".
Can I drop the word on and just say Nie, nie czyta?
Yes, you can! Polish often drops the subject pronoun. However, because czyta is the 3rd person form, nie czyta by itself could mean "he is not reading", "she is not reading", or even "you (formal) are not reading". You would only drop on if it is already perfectly clear from the conversation who you are talking about.
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