"Wielu z nas jest starych."
Translation:A lot of us are old.
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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
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]
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.
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.'
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.
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".
1143
But isn't that when you use an adjective without a noun after the verb być, it's in Nominative?
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.
more literally "a lot out of us", I think... anyway, without it it wouldn't really make sense.
Why is it not "jesteśmy" here? Because of "nas" us/we is in first person pl. not third person sing.
The subject of the sentence is in fact "wielu", and as other quantifiers like that it is grammatically singular.
