Breakdown of To jest smaczne jabłko. Jem je na śniadanie.
to
this
być
to be
smaczny
tasty
jeść
to eat
jabłko
apple
śniadanie
breakfast
na
on, at / to (motion toward) / for (a meal) / for (waiting for)
je
them / it (neuter)
Questions & Answers about To jest smaczne jabłko. Jem je na śniadanie.
Why is the word for "it" je in this sentence instead of go or ją?
Pronouns must match the gender of the noun they replace. Jabłko (apple) is a neuter noun because it ends in -o. The accusative (direct object) pronoun for neuter nouns is je. If you were eating a masculine object you would use go, and for a feminine object you would use ją.
Could I say Jem to na śniadanie?
You could, but it changes the meaning slightly. Jem je means "I am eating it" (referring specifically back to the apple). Jem to means "I am eating this." While to works as a generic pointing word, je is the grammatically correct pronoun to replace a neuter direct object.
Why does smaczne end in -e?
In Polish, adjectives change their endings to match the gender of the noun they describe. Since jabłko is a neuter noun, the adjective takes the neuter ending -e to become smaczne. For comparison, a masculine object would use smaczny and a feminine one would use smaczna.
Why do we use the preposition na for "for" in na śniadanie?
In English you eat something "for" breakfast, but in Polish you eat it "on" breakfast (na śniadanie). You will always use the preposition na followed by the accusative case when talking about what you are having for specific meals (for example, na obiad means "for dinner").
Why is there no word for "I" before Jem?
In Polish, the verb ending usually tells you who is doing the action. The verb jem specifically means "I eat" or "I am eating", so adding the word ja (I) is unnecessary. You would only add it if you wanted to emphasize that you are the one eating it, as opposed to someone else.
Learn To jest smaczne jabłko. Jem je na śniadanie 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