Breakdown of Czy ona ma nowe nazwisko?
ona
she / it (f)
czy
[question particle]
mieć
to have
nowy
new
nazwisko
last name
Questions & Answers about Czy ona ma nowe nazwisko?
How does the noun nazwisko relate to the verb nazywać się from this lesson?
Nazwisko means last name or surname. It comes from the same root as the reflexive verb nazywać się (to be called). While you use the verb with the particle się to say what you call yourself, nazwisko is the noun specifically for your family name.
Why is the word for new spelled nowe here instead of nowy?
Polish adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because nazwisko ends in an -o, it is a neuter noun. Therefore, we use the neuter adjective form nowe instead of the masculine form nowy.
The verb ma (has) usually makes the following noun change its ending. Why didn't nowe nazwisko change?
You are right that the verb mieć (to have) requires the object to be in the Accusative case. While feminine and masculine nouns often change their endings in this case, neuter words like nowe nazwisko are an exception. Their Accusative form looks exactly the same as their basic dictionary form.
What exactly does czy mean at the start of this sentence?
Learn Czy ona ma nowe nazwisko and more in Polish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free