Breakdown of Czy można tu spać? — Nie, nie można.
tu
here
czy
[question particle]
nie
no / not
spać
to sleep
można
one can, it is possible / allowed (+ infinitive)
Questions & Answers about Czy można tu spać? — Nie, nie można.
Why is czy at the start of the sentence if the English translation starts with "Can"?
Who exactly is the subject of można here?
There isn't a specific person! Można is an impersonal word that means "one can," "it is possible," or "it is allowed." Because it doesn't refer to a specific person like "I" or "you", it never changes its ending. You use it when talking about general rules or possibilities.
Why is the verb spać (to sleep) in its dictionary form?
Whenever you use można to say what is allowed or possible, the action verb that follows must be in its infinitive (dictionary) form. The phrase można tu spać translates literally to "it is allowed to sleep here".
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