"My siblings are eating dinner."
Translation:Moje rodzeństwo je kolację.
21 Comments
Because in Polish, "siblings" works like a mass noun, it's singular and neuter.
How many native speakers would get this wrong? And would anyone care if a native pole treated "rodzeństwo" as a plural?
Native speakers can make many mistakes, but I really can't imagine this one. "rodzeństwo" ends with -o, it is obvious (to us) that it is neuter singular.
Could you explain this (or link to an explanation) a little more in depth? I realize that the word used is singular. As a non-native speaker, I am not yet familiar with how to know when neuter words should be kept singular even when referring to multiple people/objects. For example, I don't think you would say "Moje dziecko je śniadanie," when you actually mean that your five children are sitting together eating breakfast. (Or maybe you would say that?) So, that is why we are confused about this one. :-) For English-speakers, a sibling may be eating breakfast or many siblings may be eating breakfast. Is there a way to know when this distinction is not necessary beyond the fact that the dictionary form of the word is neuter singular? I hope my question makes sense. :-/
Is 'rodzenstwo' singular neutral' hence use of word 'moje' (excuse mis-use of accents)?
Isn't it strange that Odmiana.net ( http://odmiana.net/odmiana-przez-przypadki-rzeczownika-rodze%C5%84stwo ) considers the declinations as "liczba mnoga"? I mean it takes singular verbs and even the endings are singular (-em and not -ami in Narzednik, etc.).
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"My siblings are eating dinner." <--- If siblings is singular, there should be an "is" instead of "are". But we have the "are"... So it has to be plural!? Nothing else makes sence to me. In my opinion we have to translate what is given. And this is plural... ---> "jedzą"
"rodzeństwo", although it's a singular noun, almost always refers to more than one person, i.e. "siblings".
It could potentially mean just one "sibling", but that seems rare, it's a lot easier to say "brat" or "siostra" then. So it's most common when you have siblings of both genders.
Would you rather have "The siblings is eating"? I don't understand your problem.
Siblings (plural) = rodzeństwo (singular).
"My siblings are eating dinner" should be translated as "Moje rodzeństwo jedzą kolacja"
Haven't I just told you that rodzeństwo is grammatically singular?
Rodzeństwo can refer to just one sibling or to more than one (more commonly). But it's still treated as singular.
The plural rodzeństwa is only used when referring to different groups of unrelated siblings (which is quite rare).
