- Forum >
- Topic: Polish >
- "Ona potrzebuje mężczyzny."
36 Comments
You are right! Good to know the difference between needs and wants.
Nie potrzebuje mężczyzny (aby żyć) - She does not need a man (to live)
This is some information that 4d1n gave me:
In Polish we have 7 cases. I'll try to explain them using word "kot" (a cat).
"Mianownik" (Nominative) - Main case, used when we are naming something. "Jego kot jest czarny" - His cat is black. "Koty liżą masło" - Cats lick butter.
"Dopełniacz" (Genitive) - Case with really wide usage. 1) Describing possesion, 2) Using negations, 3) With some verbs. "To zabawka jej kota" - This is her cat's toy. "To nie jest wina kotów" - That's not cats fault.
"Celownik" (Dative) - Case used when describing aim of the activity, or for indirect objects. "Daję jeść kotu" - I'm feeding a cat. "Pomagamy kotom" - We are helping cats.
"Biernik" (Accusative) - Case used for direct objects. "Znalazłem kota" - I found a cat. "Widzę koty" - I see cats.
"Narzędnik" (Instrumental) - If something is an instrument of an activity, way which led for result, you should use that case. "Idę z kotem do weterynarza" - I'm going to the vet with my cat. "Psy nie lubią się z kotami" - Dogs and cats don't like each other.
"Miejscownik" (Locative) - Always with preposition. Used for describing location of an action, or when you are thinking about something. "Myślę o kocie" - I'm thinking about a cat. "Anioły żyją w kotach" - Angels are living in cats.
"Wołacz" (Vocative) - Very rare case. Used only for calling something. "O kocie, czemu to zrobiłeś" - Oh cat, why have you done that. "O wielkie koty" - Oh grand cats.
Ah, so in this case it's cause potrzebować is one of those special verbs that turns the objective into a genitive, right?
Yes! I think it is because to need is a subtle suggestion of possession, or requiring possession. At least that's what helps me remember!
Is it another one of those interpretations of 'negation' where she DOESN'T HAVE a man, so therefore she NEEDS one.?
I can feel a punchline coming my way ... ;)
list of some of the more common verbs that take the genitive case:
bać się - to be afraid
brakować/ braknąć - to be missing, to be insufficient
chcieć - to want
dokonywać/ dokonać - to achieve
domagać się - to demand
dotyczyć - to apply to
dotykać/ dotknąć - to be touching/ to touch
doznawać/ doznać - to experience, to feel
lękać się, obawiać się - to be afraid
oczekiwać - to wait for
odmawiać/ odmówić - to refuse
pilnować - to guard
potrzebować - to need
pragnąć - to desire
próbować/ spróbować - to be trying/ to try
słuchać - to listen
spodziewać się - to expect
szukać/ poszukać - to look for
uczyć się/ nauczyć się - to study/to learn
udzielać/ udzielić - to grant
unikać/ uniknąć - to avoid
używać/ użyć - to be using/ to use
wymagać - to demand
wstydzić się - to be embarrassed
wystarczać/ wystarczyć - to be sufficient
zabraniać/ zabronić, zakazywać/ zakazać - to forbid
zapominać/ zapomnieć - to forget
zazdrościć - to envy
żałować - to regret
życzyć - to wish
Nope, nothing to do with negation this time.
There are various times (9) when the genitive is used (quoting from a grammar book, referenced below)
-
To express almost all senses of "of", including possession.
-
For the object of certain prepositions, including do to, bez without, dla for, z from, out of, od from, and u at a person’s place.
-
For the object of negated transitive verbs.
-
For the complement of the negative existential constructions nie ma there isn’t, nie było there wasn’t, and nie bdzie there won’t be.
-
For the object of certain verbs, for example, "szuka" look for
-
For nouns in quantities of five or more (gen.pl.)."
...and three more !!
Swan, Oscar (2008-10-12). Polish Verbs & Essentials of Grammar, Second Edition
You were asking about situation #3, this is in fact situation #5, where "potrebować" happens to be one of those verbs. There are lists of these verbs on the internet, somebody even put one up in the comments for a previous question in this exercise. Hope that helped and sorry, no punchline lol
In a way yes, many of those verbs that @connor.raff listed are "negative".
brakować- lack, to be missing
chcieć- want
domagać się-demand
nienawidzić- hate
szukać- to look for
zazdrościć- to envy
żałować- to regret
życzyć- to wish
I think this might well be the reason potrzebować requires genitive. Of course, one would have to ask someone knowledgeable in Polish etymology and philology but it seems quite likely since even weakly implied negativity in verbs sometimes can yield genitive objects.
Im just learning, but i think of it as they 'have/possess a need for X', so it is possesive and therefore requires the genitive case.
What is the plural of 'men' in genitive?
Whats the plural of men normally? Mężczyczni?
So, what's "You know I'm not that kind of girl?" or "Walk with me". Probably half a course in one Eurythmics song there
"You know I'm not that kind of girl?" - more or less literally "Wiesz, że nie jestem taką dziewczyną?", but I'd use "Wiesz, że nie jestem taka?" on its own.
"Walk with me" - "Chodź ze mną"
I'm surprised by the lack of feminist butthurt, but then again, they're too busy learning Swedish or Esperanto.
Why would they learn Swedish? For the 12 people in Sweden that don't speak english?
No need for such comments on this site. There's Facebook, Twitter, etc for your political views.
I might get in trouble for this, but I think it needs to be said. This is not the only "political" comment replying to this thread, but it is the only one receiving a chastisement. Fyi, that is also a "political" statement. How about we just pass this particular question/lesson by, or laugh at it, and continue learning languages? If someone says something you don't like, ignore it.
