Questions & Answers about Jakie jest to okno? — Duże.
Why do we use jakie here instead of jaki or jaka?
Okno (window) is a neuter noun because it ends in -o. In Polish, adjectives and question words must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because the noun is neuter, we use the neuter question word jakie instead of the masculine jaki or feminine jaka.
The English translation says 'What is this window like?'. Doesn't jakie just mean 'which'?
It can mean 'which' when you are picking from a group. However, when you use jaki/jaka/jakie with the verb to be (jest), it is the standard Polish way to ask someone to describe an object. It translates best to 'What kind of window is this?' or 'What is this window like?'.
Why does the word for big, duże, end in -e?
Just like the question word, the adjective must match the noun's gender. The dictionary form of the word 'big' is duży (masculine). To make it match the neuter noun okno, we use the neuter ending -e, making it duże.
Could I say Jakie to okno jest? with the verb at the end?
Yes, Polish word order is very flexible. However, putting the verb jest right after the question word is the most natural and common way to ask this type of question in spoken Polish.