Questions & Answers about Ci księża studiowali religię.
Why does księża end in -a? Doesn't that usually mean a word is feminine?
Księża is the plural of ksiądz (priest). This is a highly irregular plural that ends in -a but remains fully masculine personal (virile). The words around it, like ci and studiowali, use standard masculine personal endings. Another common word that does this is brat (brother), which becomes bracia.
Why do we use ci instead of te for "these"?
Because księża refers to a group of men, we must use the masculine personal plural form for "these", which is ci. Even though księża looks feminine because of the -a ending, its grammar is strictly masculine personal. If the noun were non-masculine, we would use te.
How does the verb studiowali match the masculine personal subject?
In the past tense plural, verbs take the -li ending for groups that include at least one man. Since księża is a masculine personal noun, the verb must be studiowali. If the subject were feminine, neuter, or a non-personal masculine noun, the verb would end in -ły, like studiowały.
Why is the word for religion spelled religię here?
Religię is the direct object of the verb studiowali (studied), which means it must be in the accusative case. For feminine nouns ending in -a like the basic form religia, the accusative ending changes the final letter to -ę.
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