Breakdown of To nie jest żadne ryzyko.
to
this
być
to be
nie
no / not
żaden
no / none / any (not a single one)
Questions & Answers about To nie jest żadne ryzyko.
Why do we use żadne here instead of żaden or żadna?
Żadne is the neuter form of the word for 'no' or 'not any.' It has to match the gender of the noun it describes. Since ryzyko ends in '-o', it is a neuter noun, so we use żadne.
The sentence translates to 'This is no risk,' but it uses both nie and żadne. Is this a double negative?
Yes! Unlike English, Polish requires double negation. Whenever you use a negative word like żadne (no / not any), you must also negate the verb with nie. Literally, you are saying 'This not is no risk.'
Doesn't the verb jest (is) usually force the following noun into the Instrumental case? Why is ryzyko in the basic Nominative case?
You are right that sentences with a regular subject use the Instrumental case, like On jest lekarzem (He is a doctor). However, when you use the pronoun to (this/it) as the subject, the noun that follows always stays in the basic dictionary form (Nominative case).
Could I say this without the verb, like To żadne ryzyko?
Yes, that is very common in everyday Polish! When you use the 'To + noun' shortcut and drop the verb jest, you also drop the nie that was attached to it. So To żadne ryzyko is perfectly correct and sounds very natural.