Questions & Answers about Pies śpi w pokoju.
Why does the word for room change from pokój to pokoju?
We use the Locative case here because we are expressing a location after the preposition w (in). When the noun pokój (room) is put into the Locative case, it becomes pokoju.
Why does the ó in pokój change to an o in pokoju?
This is a very common spelling change in Polish! The letter ó often changes to a regular o when you add grammatical endings to a word. You will see this happen a lot with other nouns too, like stół (table) becoming na stole (on the table).
I thought masculine nouns usually take an -e ending in the Locative case. Why does this one end in -u?
Good memory! Most masculine nouns do take the -e ending. However, if a masculine noun ends in a soft consonant like -j (as in pokój), it takes the -u ending instead. Nouns ending in -k, -g, and -ch also take -u.
Is śpi the dictionary form of the verb 'to sleep'?
No, the dictionary form (infinitive) is spać. It is an irregular verb, which is why the base changes slightly from sp- to śpi- for the he/she/it form.
Does śpi mean 'sleeps' or 'is sleeping'?
It translates to both! Polish does not have a separate continuous tense like English does. Depending on the context, Pies śpi can mean 'The dog sleeps' as a general fact, or 'The dog is sleeping' right now.
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