Questions & Answers about Marek pyta, gdzie jest nasz wydział.
Why is there a comma before gdzie?
In Polish, you must always put a comma before a subordinate clause. Since gdzie (where) is introducing an indirect question here, a comma is required right before it. This is a strict punctuation rule in Polish, unlike in English where we just write 'asks where'.
Is the word order after gdzie the same as it would be in a direct question?
Yes! If Marek just walked up and asked the question directly, he would say: Gdzie jest nasz wydział? (Where is our faculty?). Unlike English, which changes the word order in indirect questions (from 'Where is it?' to 'He asks where it is'), Polish usually just plugs the exact direct question right in after the comma.
Why are nasz and wydział in the Nominative (dictionary) case?
They are the subject of the second half of the sentence. The sentence is split into two clauses: 'Marek is asking' and 'where our faculty is'. In that second part, nasz wydział is the thing doing the 'being' (with the verb jest), so it stays in the Nominative case.
What kind of 'faculty' or department does wydział refer to?
Wydział is mainly used for a university faculty or department (like the Faculty of Arts). It can mean both the organizational group itself and the physical building where those classes take place, which is why Marek is asking where it is!