Notariusz spisał testament.

Breakdown of Notariusz spisał testament.

spisać
to draw up
testament
the will
notariusz
the notary

Questions & Answers about Notariusz spisał testament.

Why does the sentence use spisał instead of the standard word for writing, napisał?
While napisać is the general perfective verb for to write, using the prefix s- to make spisać changes the meaning slightly. Spisać specifically means to draw up a formal document, compile a list, or record something officially. This makes it the perfect verb for a notary creating a legal document like a will.
Since testament is the direct object receiving the action, why doesn't its ending change?
The word testament is indeed in the accusative case here, which is used for direct objects. However, because it is a masculine inanimate noun (an object, not a person or an animal), its accusative form looks exactly the same as its basic nominative form.
If I wanted to emphasize that the notary was drawing up the will over a period of time, how would the verb change?
You would need to use the imperfective equivalent of this verb, which is spisywał. The sentence currently uses the perfective verb spisał to show that drawing up the will is a completely finished action.
Can I change the word order to Testament spisał notariusz?
Yes, Polish word order is flexible. Changing the order to Testament spisał notariusz still means the notary drew up the will, but it shifts the emphasis. Placing the subject at the end stresses who drew it up, answering a question like Who drew up the will? rather than just stating what the notary did.

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