Breakdown of Ta stara maszyna działa dzisiaj wolniej.
ten
this (m)
stary
old
dzisiaj
today
wolno
slowly
maszyna
machine
działać
to function
Questions & Answers about Ta stara maszyna działa dzisiaj wolniej.
How do we get wolniej from the basic Polish word for 'slowly'?
The basic adverb for 'slowly' is wolno. To make it comparative ('slower' or 'more slowly'), we drop the -o and add the ending -iej, giving us wolniej. This is the standard way to form comparatives for most regular adverbs in Polish.
The English translation says the machine is 'running', but isn't the Polish verb for run biec?
Yes, biec means 'to run' on foot using your legs. But for machines, computers, or engines, Polish uses the verb działać, which literally means 'to work', 'to function', or 'to operate'. So maszyna działa means the machine is working or running.
Could I use dziś instead of dzisiaj in this sentence?
Absolutely! Dziś and dzisiaj both mean 'today' and are completely interchangeable. Dzisiaj is just slightly longer and can sound a bit more rhythmic depending on the sentence, but the meaning is exactly the same.
Just as a quick refresher, why do we use Ta instead of To for the word 'this'?
Maszyna (machine) is a feminine noun because it ends in -a. Therefore, the word for 'this' must also be in its feminine form, which is ta. You would use to for neuter nouns (like to biurko - this desk) or when making a general 'this is' statement (like To jest maszyna - This is a machine).
Learn Ta stara maszyna działa dzisiaj wolniej and more in Polish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free