Breakdown of Moja siostra ma długie włosy.
mieć
to have
siostra
sister
mój
my
długi
long
włosy
hair (plural noun)
Questions & Answers about Moja siostra ma długie włosy.
Why is the plural word włosy used here when we just say "hair" in English?
In Polish, the hair on your head is treated as a plural noun, włosy (literally "hairs"). If you use the singular form włos, it means just one single isolated strand of hair.
Doesn't the verb mieć (to have) require the accusative case? Why do długie włosy look like the basic dictionary form?
You are exactly right that the verb ma triggers the accusative case! However, włosy is a plural "non-masculine personal" noun (it does not describe a group of men). For these types of plural nouns, the accusative case is completely identical to the nominative case, so the spelling of the phrase doesn't change.
Why does the adjective długie end in -e?
The adjective must match the plural noun włosy. In the plural, adjectives take the -e ending for "non-masculine personal" nouns, which is the grammatical gender used for all objects, animals, and groups of women.
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