Breakdown of Musisz czekać, aż urzędnik sprawdzi kopię paszportu.
paszport
passport
musieć
to have to
czekać
to wait
sprawdzić
to check
aż
until (to the point that) / so that
urzędnik
clerk
kopia
copy
Questions & Answers about Musisz czekać, aż urzędnik sprawdzi kopię paszportu.
Why does the Polish sentence use sprawdzi when the English translation uses the present tense "checks"?
After the conjunction aż (meaning "until"), Polish focuses on the exact moment an action is completed. Because of this, we use the perfective verb sprawdzić. Even though English uses the present tense here, perfective verbs in Polish only have past and future forms, so sprawdzi is technically the future tense.
Why is there an imperfective verb (czekać) before aż, but a perfective verb (sprawdzi) after it?
This is the classic pattern for sentences using aż (until). The first action (czekać - to wait) is a continuous, ongoing process, so it uses an imperfective verb. The second action (sprawdzi - checks) is the single, completing event that ends the waiting, so it requires a perfective verb.
Why is there a comma before aż?
In Polish punctuation, you almost always place a comma before conjunctions that introduce a new clause, such as aż, że, or bo. Unlike in English, this rule is very strict and helps visually separate the two halves of the sentence.
Why are the endings for kopię paszportu different from their dictionary forms?
The base word is kopia (copy). In our sentence, the clerk is checking "the copy", making it the direct object. Therefore, kopia changes to the accusative form kopię. The word paszportu is in the genitive case because it shows possession or connection, translating to "of the passport".
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