Breakdown of Mój kot często łapie dwie myszy.
kot
cat
często
often
mój
my
dwie
two (f)
mysz
mouse
łapać
to catch
Questions & Answers about Mój kot często łapie dwie myszy.
Why do we use dwie instead of dwa for the number two?
In Polish, the number two changes depending on the gender of the noun. We use dwa for masculine and neuter nouns, but dwie for feminine nouns. Even though the word mysz (mouse) doesn't look like a typical feminine noun, it is one, so it has to take dwie.
Wait, is mysz feminine? It doesn't end in a vowel!
That is correct! While most feminine nouns end in an -a or -i, there is a small group of feminine words that end in a consonant. Mysz (mouse) and rzecz (thing) are common examples. You just have to memorize their gender.
What case is dwie myszy in this sentence?
It is in the Accusative case, because the mice are the direct object receiving the action of being caught. When using the numbers 2, 3, and 4 with feminine nouns, the Accusative form is exactly the same as the Nominative (subject) form. The noun itself takes its normal plural ending, which for mysz is myszy.
Why does the verb łapać (to catch) become łapie here?
The verb łapać belongs to a conjugation group where the stem changes slightly in the present tense. To make it sound right, the p gets softened by adding an i, making the he/she/it form łapie. You will see this same pattern in words like kąpać (to bathe), which becomes kąpie.
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