Breakdown of Zostawiłem portfel w domu i jestem bez pieniędzy.
być
to be
i
and
dom
house
w
in / on (a day)
pieniądze
money
portfel
wallet
zostawić
to leave behind (perfective)
bez
without
Questions & Answers about Zostawiłem portfel w domu i jestem bez pieniędzy.
Why is it bez pieniędzy instead of bez pieniądze?
The preposition bez (without) always requires the noun following it to be in the Genitive case. The Polish word for money, pieniądze, is always plural. Its Genitive plural form is the slightly irregular-looking pieniędzy.
How do we know the speaker of this sentence is male?
Since portfel is the direct object being left behind, why doesn't its ending change?
It is actually in the Accusative case here because it is the direct object. However, portfel (wallet) is an inanimate masculine noun, meaning it is an object, not a living being. For inanimate masculine nouns, the Accusative form looks exactly the same as the basic dictionary form.
Why do we say w domu instead of using the typical Locative ending like w domie?
The preposition w (in/at) does require the Locative case here, but the word dom (house/home) is a common exception. Instead of the regular -ie ending for masculine nouns, it takes an -u ending, making the correct form w domu.
Learn Zostawiłem portfel w domu i jestem bez pieniędzy 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