Breakdown of Czy pan mówi po angielsku?
pan
sir / Mr.
czy
[question particle]
mówić
to speak
po angielsku
in English
Questions & Answers about Czy pan mówi po angielsku?
What is the word Czy doing at the beginning of the sentence?
Czy is a special word used to start yes/no questions in Polish. It doesn't translate directly to English words like "do" or "are," but rather acts as a clear signal to the listener that a question is being asked.
Why does this sentence use pan instead of ty for "you"?
In Polish, pan is the polite, formal way to say "you" when speaking to a man. You use this with strangers, people older than you, or in professional settings. If you were asking a male friend or family member, you would use the informal ty.
If pan means "you" here, why does the verb mówi look like the "he/she" form?
When you use formal pronouns like pan (sir) or pani (ma'am), Polish grammar requires you to use the third-person verb form. Instead of using the "you" form (mówisz), you use the "he/she" form (mówi). Literally, the grammar works as if you are asking "Does the gentleman speak English?"
Why is it po angielsku instead of just angielski?
When you talk about speaking, understanding, or reading a language, Polish uses the word po combined with a special adverb form ending in -sku. You can think of po angielsku as meaning "in the English way."