Breakdown of Nie mogli nosić tych cegieł, dlatego kupili taczkę.
nie
no / not
ten
this (m)
móc
to be able to
kupić
to buy (perfective)
dlatego
therefore
nosić
to carry (habitually / multidirectional)
cegła
brick
taczka
wheelbarrow
Questions & Answers about Nie mogli nosić tych cegieł, dlatego kupili taczkę.
Why is nosić used here instead of nieść?
Nosić is the multidirectional verb for carrying. It is used here because moving a pile of bricks implies multiple trips back and forth, or a general inability to do the heavy work, rather than a single, continuous one-way trip (which would use nieść).
Why is it tych cegieł instead of te cegły?
Because of the negation! The direct object of a negated verb in Polish takes the Genitive case instead of the Accusative. Since the first part of the sentence says Nie mogli nosić (They could not carry), the bricks must be in the Genitive plural.
Wait, if the sentence is negative, why is taczkę in the Accusative case instead of the Genitive?
Negation only affects the specific clause it belongs to. Nie applies to mogli nosić, making the bricks Genitive. However, kupili (they bought) is in a new, positive clause, so its direct object (taczkę) stays in the standard Accusative case.
Why does cegieł have an 'e' in it if the basic word is cegła?
When forming the Genitive plural, feminine words ending in a consonant + a drop the a. If this leaves a tricky consonant cluster at the end, Polish often inserts a 'mobile e' to make it easier to say. Here, it also adds an i to soften the g, giving us cegieł instead of cegł.
Could I use mogły instead of mogli?
You would use mogły if the group of people you are talking about consisted entirely of women, children, or animals. Mogli is the masculine personal form, used when there is at least one man in the group.
Learn Nie mogli nosić tych cegieł, dlatego kupili taczkę 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