Breakdown of Projektantom zależy na tym, żeby nowa kolekcja była idealna.
to
this
być
to be
nowy
new
żeby
so that, in order to
idealny
ideal
zależeć na
to care about
projektant
the designer (m)
kolekcja
the collection
Questions & Answers about Projektantom zależy na tym, żeby nowa kolekcja była idealna.
Why do we need na tym before żeby? Can't we just say zależy na żeby?
In Polish, you cannot attach a preposition like na directly to a conjunction like żeby or że. Because the fixed phrase is zależeć na (to care about / to be important to), we have to insert the pronoun to (it/this) in the locative case (tym) to act as a bridge. Literally, it is like saying 'The designers care about this: that the collection is perfect.'
How do I know whether to use żeby or że after na tym in this sentence?
It depends on the meaning of the main verb. The verb zależeć expresses a desire, intention, or goal. Verbs of wanting, needing, or wishing trigger żeby. If the main verb simply stated a fact or observation (for example, if they merely knew that the collection was perfect), you would use że instead.
Why is the verb była in the past tense when the English translation says 'is perfect'?
Whenever a clause starts with żeby and introduces a new subject (here, nowa kolekcja), the verb inside that clause must take the past tense form. Even though była looks like the past tense, the combination of żeby + past tense creates a hypothetical or desired outcome, which we often translate using the present tense in English.
Why is projektantom in the dative case here?
The verb zależeć (to matter, to be important) uses an impersonal structure here, requiring the person who cares to be in the dative case. The grammatical formula is zależeć komuś (dative) na czymś (locative). You can think of it literally as 'It matters to the designers.'
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