Breakdown of Czy politycy są zawsze inteligentni?
być
to be
czy
[question particle]
zawsze
always
polityk
politician
inteligentny
intelligent
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?
No, but it is the standard and clearest way to ask a yes/no question in Polish. In casual speech, you can leave out czy and just say Politycy są zawsze inteligentni? while making your voice go up at the end, just like in casual English.
Learn Czy politycy są zawsze inteligentni and more in Polish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free