Breakdown of Studenci nie chcą iść na mecz, oni idą na siłownię.
nie
no / not
chcieć
to want
iść
to go
oni
they (masculine personal)
na
on, at / to (motion toward) / for (a meal) / for (waiting for)
student
student (m)
mecz
match
siłownia
gym
Questions & Answers about Studenci nie chcą iść na mecz, oni idą na siłownię.
Why doesn't the word mecz change its ending after na?
The preposition na followed by a destination requires the Accusative case. Mecz (match) is a masculine inanimate noun. For these nouns, the Accusative form is identical to their basic dictionary form, so the word stays exactly the same.
Why does siłownia change to siłownię?
Just like with the match, expressing a destination with na requires the Accusative case. Since siłownia (gym) is a feminine noun ending in -a, its ending changes to -ę in the Accusative, giving us na siłownię.
Why are there two different words for go (iść and idą) in this sentence?
Iść is the infinitive dictionary form, meaning to go. It is used in the first half because it directly follows another verb, chcą (they want). Idą is the conjugated form meaning they are going, used in the second half because it is the main action of that clause.
Why is the pronoun oni used if the verb idą already means they are going?
While subject pronouns are usually dropped in Polish, adding oni (they) here adds emphasis. It helps highlight the contrast between what the students do not want to do and where they are actually going.
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