Questions & Answers about Jadę z Niemiec do Polski.
Why does the sentence use jadę instead of idę for 'I am travelling'?
In Polish, you must choose your verb of motion based on how you travel. You use idę when you are walking on foot. Because travelling from Germany to Poland requires a vehicle (like a car, bus, or train), you must use jadę.
Why is Germany translated as Niemiec here? Isn't the word for Germany Niemcy?
The word for Germany, Niemcy, is a special noun in Polish because it is always plural. When you say 'from' a place, the word z requires the Genitive case. The Genitive plural form of Niemcy is Niemiec, which drops the final letter.
Why does Poland change from Polska to Polski?
The preposition do (meaning 'to') also forces the noun into the Genitive case. For most feminine nouns ending in -a, like Polska, the ending changes to -i or -y. That is why it becomes do Polski.
Do z and do always pair up like this?
Yes, when talking about travelling from one country, city, or building to another, z (from) and do (to) are the standard pair to use. As a helpful rule for beginners, remember that both of these prepositions always require the following noun to be in the Genitive case.