Questions & Answers about Jestem smutny, bo mój pies jest chory.
Does the word bo change the word order of the sentence?
No, it doesn't! In Polish, you just connect two normal sentences together. Jestem smutny (I am sad) + bo (because) + mój pies jest chory (my dog is sick). The word order in both parts stays exactly the same as if they were standalone sentences.
Why is there a comma before bo?
In Polish, you must put a comma before subordinating words like bo (because) and że (that). This is a strict punctuation rule, unlike in English where 'because' usually doesn't need a comma before it.
If a woman is speaking, would she still say Jestem smutny?
No, she would say Jestem smutna. Smutny is the masculine form. Because adjectives describe the noun or pronoun they are attached to (in this case, the speaker), a female speaker must use the feminine ending -a.
Why does the sentence use mój and chory instead of moja and chora?
Because the word for dog, pies, is a masculine noun. The word for 'my' (mój) and the adjective 'sick' (chory) both have to match the masculine gender of pies. If your pet was a turtle (żółw - masculine), it would be the same, but for a feminine pet like a parrot (papuga), you would say moja papuga jest chora.
Why doesn't the sentence start with Ja (I)?
In Polish, the verb jestem already means 'I am'. Because the verb itself tells you exactly who is doing the action, the pronoun ja is usually dropped. You would only add it if you wanted to emphasize that I (and not someone else) am sad.
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