Breakdown of Jest dziewiąta, a on śpi.
być
to be
on
he / it (m)
spać
to sleep
a
and / whereas (contrast)
dziewiąty
ninth
Questions & Answers about Jest dziewiąta, a on śpi.
Why does it say dziewiąta instead of the regular number dziewięć?
In Polish, when telling time, you use ordinal numbers (first, second, third) in their feminine form. So dziewiąta literally means "the ninth". It is feminine because it secretly describes the feminine noun godzina (hour), which is usually left out. You are essentially saying "It is the ninth (hour)".
Where is the word for "it" in Jest dziewiąta?
In English, you have to say "It is" when talking about time or weather. In Polish, you just use the verb jest (is) all by itself. There is no need to add a pronoun to say "it".
Why is the word for "and" a here, rather than the usual i?
While i simply connects two similar things, a is used to show a slight contrast or a switch in focus (often translating closer to "whereas" or "while"). Here, it highlights the contrast between the time (it is already 9 o'clock) and the unexpected fact that he is still in bed.
How do you know śpi means "is sleeping" and not just "sleeps"?
Polish does not have a separate continuous tense like English does with "is sleeping". A single present tense verb like śpi can mean both "he sleeps" (as a general habit) and "he is sleeping" (right now). You can tell which one it means based on the context of the sentence.
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