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Questions & Answers about Park jest po lewej stronie.
Why do we use the word po here? Doesn't it usually mean 'after'?
Yes, po often means 'after' (like in po południu, meaning 'in the afternoon'), but it is also used for locations. When talking about sides, like 'on the left' or 'on the right', Polish uses po instead of na (on).
Why are we saying po lewej stronie instead of just po lewej?
When giving directions, Polish usually includes the word strona (side), so you are literally saying 'on the left side'. However, in casual speech, you will sometimes hear people drop it and just say po lewej as a shortcut.
Why do the words lewa and strona change to lewej stronie?
The preposition po requires the words following it to use the Locative case here. For the feminine noun strona (side), the ending changes to -ie, making it stronie. The adjective lewa (left) must match, so its ending changes to -ej.
Why does the word park not have a special ending?
Because park is the subject of the sentence (the thing that 'is' on the left). The subject always stays in its basic dictionary form, which is called the Nominative case.