Question 1

Exactly how many is kilkanaście?

Accepted Answer

Kilkanaście refers to an unspecified number between 11 and 19. It is formed by combining kilka (a few) with -naście (the suffix used for "teen" numbers). Because English doesn't have an exact equivalent, it is usually translated as "a dozen or so" or "between ten and twenty".

Question 2

Why is the word for "views" (wyświetleń) in the Genitive case here? Doesn't the verb mieć (to have) take the Accusative case?

Accepted Answer

You are right that ma requires the Accusative case! However, the direct object here is actually the numeral kilkanaście (which looks the same in both the Nominative and Accusative). In Polish, indefinite numerals like kilka, kilkanaście, and kilkadziesiąt force the noun that belongs to them into the Genitive plural. Literally, the sentence says the post has "a dozen-or-so of views".

Question 3

What is the dictionary form of wyświetleń and how do we form this plural ending?

Accepted Answer

The dictionary (Nominative singular) form is wyświetlenie (a view or a display), which is a neuter noun. A helpful rule to remember for B1 is that neuter nouns ending in -enie form their Genitive plural by dropping that ending and replacing it with -eń.

Question 4

Since post is an English loanword, does it follow normal Polish grammar rules?

Accepted Answer

Yes! When talking about the internet, post is treated as a standard, inanimate masculine noun. Here, ten post is the subject of the sentence, so it is in the Nominative case. If you wanted to say "I am reading a post", it would be Czytam post (Accusative), and "I don't see this post" would be Nie widzę tego posta (Genitive).

Dlaczego ten post ma tylko kilkanaście wyświetleń?

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