Breakdown of Kelner zawsze przynosi nam wodę.
zawsze
always
woda
water
kelner
waiter
nam
us (dative)
przynosić
to bring (imperfective)
Questions & Answers about Kelner zawsze przynosi nam wodę.
Why is the verb przynosi used here instead of przyniesie or niesie?
Because of the word zawsze (always), this is a repeated, habitual action. That means we need the imperfective verb przynosić (he brings = przynosi). If it were a one-time completed action, we would use the perfective przynieść (he will bring = przyniesie). If he were just walking with the water right now, we would use the unidirectional niesie (he is carrying).
Why is "us" translated as nam instead of nas?
Nam is the dative case form of my (we). In Polish, verbs involving giving, showing, or bringing (like przynosić) use the dative case for the recipient - the person you are bringing something to. If you used the accusative nas, it would mean the waiter is bringing us (as in, carrying us in his arms)!
Why does woda change to wodę?
Woda (water) is the direct object here - it is the thing being brought. That means it takes the accusative case. For feminine nouns ending in -a, the accusative ending is -ę.
Is the word order strict? Could I say "Kelner zawsze przynosi wodę nam"?
You can, but it changes the focus. Polish uses the end of the sentence for emphasis. If you put nam at the very end, it sounds like "The waiter always brings water to US (and not to anyone else)." The current word order is the neutral way to state the fact.
Learn Kelner zawsze przynosi nam wodę 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