Breakdown of Jej młodsza siostra ma czterdzieści lat.
mieć
to have
siostra
sister
rok
year
jej
her (possessive)
młodszy
younger
czterdzieści
forty
Questions & Answers about Jej młodsza siostra ma czterdzieści lat.
Why does the sentence use ma instead of a word for "is"?
In Polish, we do not say someone is a certain age. Instead, we use the verb mieć (to have). So literally, this sentence translates to "Her younger sister has forty years."
Why do we use lat here for "years" instead of lata?
In Polish, the word for "years" changes based on the number. You use lata for numbers ending in 2, 3, or 4 (like 22, 33, 44, but not 12, 13, 14). However, for 5 and above, and for all numbers ending in 0 like czterdzieści (40), you must use the special plural form lat.
młodsza means "younger", but what is the standard word for "young"?
Will Jej (her) change its ending if it describes a masculine word instead of a feminine one?
No, it stays exactly the same! While Polish adjectives change endings to match the gender of the noun, the possessive words jej (her) and jego (his) are frozen and never change, no matter what object or person they describe.
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