"Matěj is her young cousin."
Translation:Matěj je její mladý bratranec.
9 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
477
Should "Matěj je mladý bratranec její" have been marked correct? I figured this would mean the same thing.
477
Would you mind explaining why? For example, is it wrong to end a sentence with a possessive pronoun?
566
Here's a simplified grammar analysis that can perhaps shed some light.
Jsou ženy mých bratrů = [They] (subject, nominative) are the wives [of my brothers] (genitive phrase)
Matěj je její mladý bratranec. = [Matěj] (subject, nominative) is [her young cousin] (possessive pronoun + adjective + noun, nominative).
In the first example the genitive phrase must follow the noun (the possessor).
In the second, it is not a genitive construction, but a possessive pronoun that marks the possession. Possessive pronoun declines like an adjective (here, it is in the nominative case, being part of the predicative of the subject). Also, and more importantly, possessive pronouns, like adjectives, precede the noun they modify.
To make the second sentence follow the model of the first one, we could construct something like this:
*Matěj je mladý bratranec jí/ní.
BUT, I don't believe this is grammatical for any native speaker. (Therefore, I put the asterisk)
477
Thank you so much for this explanation. I've always seen that "word order doesn't matter" so it's good to know that in some cases (i.e., possessive preceding a noun and genitive phrase following the possessor), it does in fact matter. I'm sure there are other places too, so I'll be on the lookout. This clears things up a lot.