Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Polish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Usta są ładne.
Why do we use są (are) here instead of jest (is)? Doesn't usta end in -a like a singular feminine word?
It looks like a singular feminine word, but usta is actually plural! It translates to 'lips' or 'mouth'. Because it is plural, we have to use the plural verb są (are) instead of the singular jest (is).
Why does the adjective end in -e (ładne)?
Adjectives have to match the noun they describe. Because usta is plural and is not a group of men (it falls into the 'non-masculine' plural category), the adjective takes the plural -e ending, changing from the basic dictionary form ładny to ładne.
Does usta translate to 'lips' or 'mouth'?
It can mean both! Polish often uses this single plural word to refer to the whole mouth or the lips. If you specifically need to talk about just one physical lip, you would use a completely different word: warga.
Why is there no word for 'the' in this sentence?
Polish does not have definite articles like 'the' or indefinite articles like 'a' or 'an'. Usta są ładne can translate to 'The lips are nice' or 'Lips are nice' depending on what makes sense in the English conversation.