Breakdown of Bywalcy mówią, że atmosfera tutaj bywa okropna.
mówić
to speak
że
that
okropny
terrible
tutaj
here
Questions & Answers about Bywalcy mówią, że atmosfera tutaj bywa okropna.
How does bywa change the meaning here compared to just using jest?
While jest simply means is, bywa is the frequentative form of być. It translates to tends to be or is sometimes. It tells us that the atmosphere isn't always awful, but it regularly gets that way from time to time.
Is the noun bywalcy related to the verb bywać?
Yes! A bywalec (singular) is a regular or a frequent visitor. It is derived directly from bywać (to visit repeatedly). Because it refers to a mixed or male group of people, it takes the masculine personal plural ending to become bywalcy.
Why is okropna in the nominative case? Doesn't the verb to be usually take the instrumental case?
The verb być and its frequentative form bywać take the instrumental case when linking a subject to a noun (like saying he is a regular). But when you are only describing the subject with an adjective, the adjective stays in the nominative case. Here, okropna simply matches the nominative feminine subject atmosfera.
Why do we use że here instead of another word for that?
In English, the word that does double duty. When that connects two clauses like regulars say and the atmosphere is awful, it acts as a conjunction. In Polish, the conjunction that is always że. You must always include it, whereas in English you can often skip it.