Questions & Answers about Czy masz rodzeństwo?
Why is rodzeństwo singular when we say "siblings" in English?
In Polish, rodzeństwo is a collective noun. It's grammatically singular and neuter (notice the -o ending), acting a bit like the English word "family" or "luggage". Even though it refers to multiple people, the word itself is treated as singular.
What case is rodzeństwo in this sentence? I thought the verb mieć (to have) requires the Accusative case.
It is in the Accusative case! The verb mieć (and its forms like masz) always takes the Accusative. However, rodzeństwo is a neuter noun. For neuter nouns, the Accusative form is exactly the same as the Nominative (dictionary) form, so it doesn't look like it changed.
If I want to answer "No, I don't have siblings", does the word rodzeństwo change?
Yes, it does. When you make a sentence negative in Polish, the direct object changes from the Accusative case to the Genitive case. To say "I don't have siblings", you would say Nie mam rodzeństwa.
Is rodzeństwo related to other Polish words I might know?
Yes, it shares the root rodz- with many family-related words. You can also see this root in rodzina (family), rodzice (parents), and even urodziny (birthday).
Learn Czy masz rodzeństwo 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