Breakdown of To czerwone znamię jest dziedziczne.
to
this
być
to be
czerwony
red
znamię
birthmark
dziedziczny
hereditary
Questions & Answers about To czerwone znamię jest dziedziczne.
Znamię is a neuter noun. How does it change in other cases since it ends in -ę?
Just like imię or zwierzę, znamię belongs to a special group of neuter nouns ending in -ę. In most other cases, its stem expands. In the singular, it adds -eni- (genitive: znamienia). In the plural, it adds -mion- (nominative plural: znamiona). Here, it is the subject of the sentence, so it stays in its basic nominative form: znamię.
Why do the describing words end in both -o (to) and -e (czerwone, dziedziczne)?
They are all in the neuter nominative singular to agree with znamię, but they belong to different word classes. To is a demonstrative pronoun (the neuter form of ten). Czerwone and dziedziczne are regular adjectives, and the standard ending for neuter nominative adjectives is -e.
Doesn't the verb jest require the instrumental case? Why is dziedziczne in the nominative?
The verb być (to be) takes the instrumental case when you are connecting the subject to a noun (for example, To znamię jest problemem - This birthmark is a problem). However, when the complement is just an adjective on its own, like dziedziczne (hereditary) in this sentence, the adjective must stay in the nominative case.
Is the word znamię related to znak (sign)?
Yes, they share the same root, along with the verb znać (to know). A znamię is literally a mark by which someone or something is known. While it commonly translates to a physical "birthmark" or "mole" in medical contexts, it can also mean a "stigma" or "distinctive mark" in broader contexts.
Learn To czerwone znamię jest dziedziczne and more in Polish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free