"Wielu z nas jest starych."

Translation: A lot of us are old.

[anothernobody]

Why is "jest" being used here? Wouldn't są be possible?

[immery]

Wielu is a quantifier / numeral

I'd say you have to learn that after wielu/wiele you use Biernik plural noun/adjective and singular 3rd person neutral verb.

You may find some rules for them here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_grammar#Numbers_and_quantifiers

http://www.placedauphine.net/random/PolishGrammar.pdf page 47

[nespera]

That URL ends with "Random Polish Grammar". Feels like that sometimes...

[ivo_d_a]

But "połowa ludzi jest stara". Because połowa is not a numeral but a noun?

[Okcydent]

Yes, połowa is a noun.

[systhink]

RE: immery's quantifier, this will take people to the direct page: http://www.placedauphine.net/random/PolishGrammar.pdf#page=47

Deep link syntax for PDFs is {url}#page=[page-number]

[Shathu_Entayla]

Really... this is hell of awesome! Take a lingot.

[Shathu_Entayla]

Why is that "z" there?

[Jellei]

more literally "a lot out of us", I think... anyway, without it it wouldn't really make sense.

[Shathu_Entayla]

So... could we say that "Wielu = a lot"; "z = out of"; "nas = us"?

[Jellei]

Yes.

[DevilInThe]

Why is "wielu" genetive here?

[Jellei]

It's not actually, it just looks like Genitive. It's the 'masculine personal' form of Nominative. It shows that there is some man among 'us'. Alternatively, it can be "Wiele z nas jest starych", which would mean that 'we' are only women.

[DevilInThe]

Great answer, thank you!

[Martin95000]

I keep seeing these expressions in which you call old people 'starzy (old)'. In polish it's rude. Instead, you use a comparative term 'starszy' (older).
So, politely, you would say, 'Wielu z nas jest starszych.'

[Jellei]

I wouldn't say that it's rude... it's just a statement of a fact. It's a very basic adjective. "old" seems to be similar in English, with "elderly" being an equivalent of "starszy".

But sure, why not, we can accept "starszych". Added now.

[magklappar]

Why is it not "jesteśmy" here? Because of "nas" us/we is in first person pl. not third person sing.

[Jellei]

The subject of the sentence is in fact "wielu", and as other quantifiers like that it is grammatically singular.

[Keegan317005]

Consider accepting "Lots of us are old"

[Jellei]

Considered. Added :)

[RobertEddy]

That's right, we have time for these courses.

[eannaoc]

Can 'dużo' be used here?

[Jellei]

Yes, added now.

[jumbo420]

Why not "starzy"?

[Jellei]

With most numerals and (I believe) all quantifiers (like "wielu"), the subject (here: wielu z nas) actually takes Genitive. The Genitive of "starzy" is "starych".

[jumbo420]

But isn't that when you use an adjective without a noun after the verb być, it's in Nominative?

[Jellei]

Normally yes, but this sentence is a bit more... complicated? advanced? because it's subject is a quantifier :|

On the other hand, if it was "old doctors", then it would be "Wielu z nas jest starymi lekarzami" - Instrumental, as expected.

[Arnoldpitt]

What case is starych? is it instrumental?

[alik1989]

https://forum.duolingo.com/comment/12753443?comment_id=36277678