Breakdown of Nie je się zbyt dużo cukru.
nie
no / not
się
oneself
jeść
to eat
dużo
a lot / much
cukier
sugar
zbyt
too / excessively
Questions & Answers about Nie je się zbyt dużo cukru.
How does je się mean "one eats"? I thought się meant "oneself".
While się is often used for reflexive verbs (doing something to oneself), here it creates an impersonal sentence. By combining a 3rd-person singular verb (je) with się, it translates to "one eats", "people eat", or the general "you eat".
Why is sugar in the genitive case (cukru) instead of the accusative (cukier)?
The word dużo (much) always forces the noun that follows it into the genitive case. Additionally, the verb is negated (nie je), which also requires the genitive for its direct objects. Because of both rules, cukru is the required form here.
Could I put się right after Nie, like Nie się je...?
No, się generally shouldn't directly follow nie if it can be avoided. Placing it after the verb (Nie je się) is the standard and most natural word order for this short phrase.
Can I use za dużo instead of zbyt dużo?
Yes, you can! Za dużo and zbyt dużo both mean "too much" and are interchangeable. Zbyt sounds just a tiny bit more formal or written, while za is extremely common in everyday conversational Polish.
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