Questions & Answers about Dzisiaj jest dobra pogoda, nie ma wiatru.
Why is the word for wind wiatru instead of wiatr?
Because of the phrase nie ma (there is no). In Polish, when you state that something exists, you use the basic dictionary form. But when you express a lack or absence of something using nie ma, the noun that follows must be in the Genitive case. So, the basic word wiatr becomes wiatru.
Wiatr is a masculine noun. Why does it take the -u ending in the Genitive instead of -a?
For masculine inanimate nouns (objects and concepts), the Genitive ending can be either -u or -a, and you often have to memorize which one a word uses. However, a helpful pattern is that words for weather, elements, and materials (like wiatr for wind, deszcz for rain, or śnieg for snow) almost always take the -u ending.
Can I translate "there is no wind" literally as tam nie jest wiatr?
No, that wouldn't sound natural in Polish. To say "there is" or "there is no", you don't use a literal translation of the word "there". You simply use jest (for "there is") or nie ma (for "there is no"). Just remember that nie ma always forces the noun that follows into the Genitive case!
Why is it dobra pogoda in the first part of the sentence? Shouldn't that be in the Genitive case too?