Word
Ona ma długą szyję.
Meaning
She has a long neck.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Ona ma długą szyję.
Why do długą and szyję have different endings if they are both in the feminine accusative form?
In the accusative case (used for direct objects), feminine nouns ending in -a change their ending to -ę, so szyja becomes szyję. However, feminine adjectives take the ending -ą, which is why długa becomes długą.
Why is the accusative case used here instead of the basic dictionary form?
We use the accusative case because długą szyję is the direct object of the verb ma (has). In Polish, the thing that is being had, seen, or read usually takes the accusative case in an affirmative sentence.
What happens to this sentence if I want to say "She doesn't have a long neck"?
If you make the sentence negative (Ona nie ma...), the case of the object changes from accusative to genitive. The sentence becomes Ona nie ma długiej szyi. This is a strict rule in Polish: when you negate a verb that normally takes the accusative, the object switches to the genitive case!
Is it necessary to include ona (she), or can I just say Ma długą szyję?
You can absolutely just drop it and say Ma długą szyję. Since the verb ma already means "he, she, or it has", the pronoun ona is optional. Polish speakers usually leave pronouns out unless they are needed for emphasis or clarity.