Breakdown of Mój kolega jest z Niemiec.
być
to be
mój
my
kolega
the colleague (m) / the friend (m)
z
from (+ Genitive)
Niemcy
Germany
Questions & Answers about Mój kolega jest z Niemiec.
Why does kolega end in -a? Shouldn't words ending in -a be feminine?
Most Polish nouns ending in -a are indeed feminine, but kolega is an exception! It refers to a male, so it is treated grammatically as a masculine noun. That is why it takes the masculine word for 'my', which is mój (and not the feminine moja).
Does kolega mean 'colleague' or 'friend'?
It can mean both! In Polish, kolega (for a male) or koleżanka (for a female) is the most common word for a regular friend, buddy, classmate, or coworker. The word przyjaciel also translates to 'friend', but it is reserved for a very close, best friend.
Why is the word for Germany Niemiec here instead of Niemcy?
The preposition z (when meaning 'from') requires the following noun to change its ending into the Genitive case. The Polish word for Germany, Niemcy, is grammatically a plural word. The Genitive plural form of Niemcy happens to be Niemiec.
Wait, doesn't Niemiec also mean 'a German man'?
Yes, it does! Niemiec is the basic dictionary word for a male from Germany. By pure coincidence, it is spelled exactly the same as the 'from' form of the country itself. You just have to tell them apart by context. Here, z Niemiec clearly means 'from Germany'.
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