Breakdown of Dzięki nauce wiemy, jak zapobiegać chorobom.
wiedzieć
to know
jak
how
choroba
illness
zapobiegać
to prevent
dzięki
thanks to (+ Dative)
nauka
science
Questions & Answers about Dzięki nauce wiemy, jak zapobiegać chorobom.
Why do we say dzięki nauce instead of dzięki nauka?
The preposition dzięki (thanks to) always requires the Dative case. Because of this, the basic feminine noun nauka (science) must change to its Dative form, nauce.
Where does the 'c' in nauce come from if the dictionary word is nauka?
In the Dative and Locative cases, feminine nouns ending in -ka change their ending to -ce. The 'k' softens into a 'c' sound, which is why nauka becomes nauce.
Why is chorobom in the Dative case here? Is it also because of dzięki?
No, chorobom is in the Dative case because of the verb zapobiegać (to prevent). In Polish, this verb directly takes the Dative, so you always prevent 'to' something. Here, chorobom is the Dative plural form of choroba (disease).
Why does the sentence use wiemy instead of znamy for 'we know'?
You use the verb wiedzieć (here as wiemy) when you know a fact or how to do something, which is usually followed by question words like jak (how) or dlaczego (why). You would use znać if you were talking about being familiar with a specific person, place, or object.
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