Question 1

Why do both mała and stara end in -a?

Accepted Answer

Because they are describing książka (book), which is a feminine noun. In the basic dictionary form (the Nominative case), feminine adjectives almost always end in -a to match the noun they describe.

Question 2

Does ta also change to match the noun?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Ta means "this" for feminine nouns. If the noun were masculine, you would use ten, and if it were neuter, you would use to. Because książka is feminine, everything pointing to it or describing it must also be in the feminine form.

Question 3

Does the adjective stara have to match the noun even when it comes after the verb jest?

Accepted Answer

Yes, adjectives in Polish must agree with the noun they describe regardless of where they sit in the sentence. Since it describes the feminine noun książka, it stays in the feminine form stara rather than the masculine stary.

Question 4

What is the purpose of the word czy at the beginning?

Accepted Answer

Czy is a question marker used to form yes/no questions. It doesn't translate directly to a single English word here, but it signals that you are asking a question. If you drop it, the sentence becomes a statement: Ta mała książka jest stara (This small book is old).

Czy ta mała książka jest stara?

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