"I am looking for a small bag."

Translation: Szukam małej torebki.

[Tobias_Tretter]

Why is

szukam małą torebkę

not correct?

[alik1989]

The verb szukać requires the genitive case, hence małej torebki.

[Tobias_Tretter]

Thanks!

[stephenpeckhover]

I can't find "torbie" or "torebkę" here: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/torba#Polish

What case are they in? Is there a more reliable source for declining Polish words?

[ngfio]

"Torbie" is dative or locative and it is in the declension table on https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/torba#Polish.

"Torebkę" is accusative (to find it in the wiktionary you have to look under "torebka" (that's the nominative), https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/torebka).

[stephenpeckhover]

Ow, Polish hurts! Thank-you for you help.

[PSilvi83]

Isn't "torebka" already a small "torba"? Why do you have to make this bag small twice?

[Jellei]

That is a good point... I'd personally consider "torba" a big "torebka", though ;) That is probably rather subjective. Both words are definitely very common. I can just say that the sentence sounds natural to me, and I don't think "torebka" itself would suggest to me that's it's small. "duża torebka" would also sound natural for a "big bag".

[one_half_3544]

"szukam małego worka"?

[Jellei]

Yeah, a possible understanding of 'bag', added. I assume you know what exactly is "worek"? I think it would often be translated as 'sack'.

[one_half_3544]

Yes - there are pictures https://pl.wiktionary.org/wiki/worek here. Well, yes, sack might be more appropriate in certain cases..

[tczek]

Can we use torby as genitive of torba?

[Jellei]

Yes, "małej torby" also works.

[BKunze2]

What is the difference between "małej torebki" and "małej torby"? Thanks

[Jellei]

If we look at those words 'literally', then "torebka" should already be a small bag. But in fact I'd say that they're mostly interchangeable, and "torebka" seems more common to me.