Word
Do miasta jest osiem kilometrów.
Meaning
It is eight kilometers to the city.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Questions & Answers about Do miasta jest osiem kilometrów.
Why is the word for kilometers kilometrów here?
Because of the number osiem (eight). In Polish, numbers 5 and higher require the noun that follows them to be in the Genitive plural. The base word is kilometr, and its Genitive plural is kilometrów.
Why does the sentence use the singular verb jest (is) for eight kilometers instead of the plural są (are)?
When a subject includes a number from 5 upwards, Polish treats the whole phrase as a single quantity or block. Because of this, the verb must be in the third-person singular (jest).
Why does the word miasto change to miasta?
The preposition do (meaning to or towards) always takes the Genitive case. For a neuter noun like miasto, the Genitive ending is -a, making it miasta.
How do you say the 'It' in 'It is eight kilometers'?
You don't! Polish drops dummy pronouns like 'it' in sentences about distance, weather, or time. The verb jest is enough on its own.