Breakdown of Chcieliśmy podpłynąć do wyspy, ale woda była zimna.
być
to be
chcieć
to want
ale
but
woda
water
zimny
cold
do
to
wyspa
island
podpłynąć
to swim up / to sail up
Questions & Answers about Chcieliśmy podpłynąć do wyspy, ale woda była zimna.
What does the prefix pod- add to the verb płynąć in this sentence?
The prefix pod- adds the meaning of approaching or getting close to a target. While płynąć just means to swim or sail, podpłynąć means to swim right up to something. It also makes the verb perfective, showing the intention to complete the action of reaching the destination.
Does podpłynąć always have to be followed by do?
Yes, when you want to mention the specific thing you are approaching. Even though the prefix pod- already implies going "up to" something, Polish requires the preposition do plus the Genitive case to connect the verb to the destination, which in this case is wyspy (the island).
Why is the noun wyspa (island) written as wyspy here?
Because it follows the preposition do, which always requires the Genitive case. For feminine nouns ending in -a like wyspa, the Genitive ending is -y, making it do wyspy.
How do we know who exactly wanted to swim based on the word chcieliśmy?
The ending -liśmy tells us this is the "we" form in the past tense, but it specifically uses the masculine personal form. This means the group of people wanting to swim included at least one man. If the group was entirely female, the verb would be chciałyśmy.
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