Breakdown of Ten mężczyzna jest ślepy i głuchy.
być
to be
i
and
ten
this (m)
mężczyzna
man
ślepy
blind
głuchy
deaf
Questions & Answers about Ten mężczyzna jest ślepy i głuchy.
We learned to use the Instrumental case after jest, so why aren't ślepy and głuchy in the Instrumental?
When you use być (to be) with just an adjective describing the subject, the adjective stays in the Nominative case. You only use the Instrumental case if there is a noun following the verb, like in On jest ślepym mężczyzną (He is a blind man).
The word mężczyzna ends in -a like a feminine noun. Why do we use the masculine forms Ten, ślepy, and głuchy?
Even though mężczyzna (man) ends in -a, its meaning is obviously masculine. In Polish, pronouns and adjectives always match the actual gender of the person, which is why we use masculine forms here. The noun itself just borrows feminine endings for its singular cases (like the Accusative mężczyznę).
Since our current lesson is about body parts like oczy and uszy, how would I use those words to say he is blind in one eye or deaf in one ear?
In Polish, you use the preposition na plus the Accusative case to specify the body part. For example, you would say On jest ślepy na jedno oko (He is blind in one eye) or głuchy na lewe ucho (deaf in the left ear).
Are ślepy and głuchy the standard, polite words to call someone who cannot see or hear?
They are widely understood but can sound blunt or medical. In modern Polish, it is more polite to use niewidomy (literally: non-seeing) for a blind person and niesłyszący (non-hearing) for a deaf person. Ślepy and głuchy are often used more for animals or in idioms.
Learn Ten mężczyzna jest ślepy i głuchy 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