"Do you know those students?"

Translation: Znasz tamtych studentów?

[elbose86]

Could anyone tell me the difference between the two correct solutions and why different declensions are used when the only other difference appears to be the addition of 'czy' to the first:

1. Czy znasz tamte studentki?
2. Znasz tamtych studentów?

Bardzo dziękuję!

[tadjanow]

1. Refers to a group of female students while 2. to a group with at least 1 male student.

The inclusion of 'czy' in the beginning of the sentence is optional in both cases.

[elbose86]

Ah, thanks - that makes a lot of sense!

[esposch]

What does the -ów signify?

[immery]

it is plural masculine genitive ending , and for masculine personal nouns plural accusative=plural genitive.
(Not all plural masculine nouns have this ending in genitive)

In this sentence you need accusative after "znać", you take a look at declension table and pick studentów

You can refer to female only students then you use studentki

[pie3636]

But why is it the genitive here?

[immery]

As I said above, you need accusative after znać. It is accusative here.

Student is a masculine personal noun, so in both singular and plural it has accusative=genitive.

[pie3636]

My bad. Thanks for clarifying.

[gbaldacci1309]

So masculine personal plural is the same in accusative as it is in genitive. What happens with feminine plural and neuter plural in accusative?

[Jellei]

There is no 'feminine plural' and 'neuter plural'. They both are under 'not masculine-personal plural'. Together with most of the masculine nouns as well, like 'dog' or 'house' or 'mug'.

And they have Accusative = Nominative.

[Jacob.q.toone]

Here we are with the tamtych vs. tych. I'm feeling pretty good about both of them. Can someone give me a shout out and tell me what is going on?

[Jellei]

this/that/that = ten/ten/tamten (and forms. so here: tych/tych/tamtych). It's a different perception of what's 'close'. That's why we accept (at least try to) 'tych' for 'those', but if the Polish had 'tamtych', it could only be 'those'.

[Jacob.q.toone]

I could see that going from Polish to English. But if it was "Znasz tych studentów" in Polish, you would still just translate if from tych = those/these. Because it is a mater of being in Plural and also the verb governance of znać.

[Yola448704]

Do you know those students? - (Czy) Znasz / (Czy) Znacie tych/tamtych
studentów/uczniów?/(Czy) Znasz/Znacie te/tamte studentki/uczennice?