Breakdown of Brat jest wysoki, a siostra niska.
być
to be
brat
brother
wysoki
tall / high (of a fee/price)
a
and / whereas (contrast)
Questions & Answers about Brat jest wysoki, a siostra niska.
Why use 'a' here instead of 'i' or 'ale'?
The word a is the perfect choice when comparing two things to highlight a difference. It translates well to 'while' or 'whereas'. Use i when adding similar things together, and ale for a stronger 'but' that introduces a surprise or contradiction.
Where is the verb in the second half of the sentence? Shouldn't it be 'a siostra jest niska'?
You can say a siostra jest niska, but Polish often drops the verb in the second half of a sentence if it is the exact same verb used in the first half. It makes the sentence flow better and avoids repeating jest.
Why does 'wysoki' end in an 'i' but 'niska' ends in an 'a'?
Adjectives have to match the gender of the noun they describe. Brat (brother) is a masculine noun, so it gets the masculine adjective wysoki. Siostra (sister) is feminine, so it gets the feminine adjective ending -a, making it niska.
Why are there no words for 'the' before brat and siostra?
Polish does not have articles like 'a' or 'the'. You simply say brat or siostra and the context tells us whether it means a general brother or a specific one. Here, because we are comparing specific people, it translates naturally into English with 'the'.