Breakdown of Ona nigdy się nie poddaje, mimo że jest zmęczona.
być
to be
ona
she / it (f)
nie
no / not
zmęczony
tired
nigdy
never
mimo że
even though
poddawać się
to give up
Questions & Answers about Ona nigdy się nie poddaje, mimo że jest zmęczona.
Why do we use mimo że here instead of just mimo?
Mimo że means "even though" or "although" and is used to introduce a full clause with a subject and a verb (here: jest zmęczona). If you just use mimo (despite), it must be followed by a noun, not a verb. For example, you would say mimo zmęczenia (despite the tiredness).
Doesn't nigdy się nie poddaje literally mean "she never doesn't give up"?
Yes! Polish uses double negation. Whenever you use a negative word like nigdy (never), nikt (nobody), or nic (nothing), you must still put nie in front of the verb. So, "She never gives up" is always expressed as Ona nigdy się nie poddaje.
Why is się placed before nie poddaje instead of at the end of the clause?
The reflexive pronoun się is very flexible, but it tries to avoid being the very last word of a sentence or clause if possible. Putting it between nigdy and nie poddaje sounds much more natural to Polish ears than leaving it hanging right before the comma.
What is the infinitive form of the verb poddaje?
The infinitive is poddawać się (to give up). It's an imperfective verb. Notice how verbs ending in -awać often drop the -wa- and add a -j- in the present tense, giving us ona poddaje.
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