Breakdown of Czy politycy są zawsze inteligentni?
być
to be
czy
[question particle]
zawsze
always
polityk
politician
Questions & Answers about Czy politycy są zawsze inteligentni?
Why do we use inteligentni instead of inteligentne?
Because the noun politycy (politicians) is a virile (male-personal) noun. In Polish, if a plural group includes at least one man, we use the virile form for both the noun and its describing adjective. If we were describing a non-virile noun, like a group of only women or objects, we would use inteligentne.
How exactly does the adjective inteligentny change to match politycy?
To match a virile plural noun, adjectives ending in -y typically change to -i. This also causes the consonant right before it to soften. Here, the -ny at the end of inteligentny changes to -ni, giving us inteligentni.
How did the singular word for politician become politycy?
The singular form is polityk. When forming the virile (male-personal) plural for nouns ending in -k, the -k changes to -cy. This is a common spelling change you will see for professions and types of people, turning polityk into politycy.
Do I always have to use czy to ask a question like this?