Breakdown of Ona zna język rosyjski.
ona
she / it (f)
znać
to know (someone or something)
język
language
rosyjski
Russian
Questions & Answers about Ona zna język rosyjski.
Why is zna used here instead of wie or umie?
In Polish, there are three common verbs for "to know". Znać (used here as zna) means to be familiar with a person, place, or noun like a language. Wiedzieć is for knowing facts, and umieć is for knowing how to do a skill. Since a language is something you are familiar with, we use zna.
Why does the adjective rosyjski come after the noun język instead of before it?
In Polish, adjectives usually go before the noun. However, when an adjective classifies a noun into an official type or category (like specifying which language it is), it goes after the noun. That is why it is język rosyjski.
What case is język rosyjski in this sentence?
It is in the accusative case, because it is the direct object of the sentence (the thing being known). For masculine inanimate nouns like język, the accusative case looks exactly identical to the basic dictionary form, so the ending does not change here.
Can I just say Ona zna rosyjski without the word język?
Yes! In everyday speech, Polish speakers very often drop the word język (language) and just say Ona zna rosyjski. The adjective rosyjski just acts as a noun representing the language.
Learn Ona zna język rosyjski 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