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'?