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Negation in Polish sentences [12]
Welcome to the double/triple/quadriple negation.
In Polish it's possible to negate a few elements of a sentence and it's still negation, just as Catsoldier says.
Just treat any number of negations as if it were a single one.
It's not maths and two minuses don't change into a plus (in English they do).
1. Nic nie wiem, on o tym nigdy nic nie mowi. (this sentence is very confusing to me!)
I know nothing, he never says anything about it.
See, in English it's possible to say:
I know nothing
or I don't know anything.
It's either-or.
In Polish it's both:
I don't know nothing.
The same with the second part of this sentence:
He never says anything about it, or: He doesn't ever say anything about it, or: He says nothing about it.
If you combine the three, you'll get: He never doesn't say nothing about it. That's exactly the Polish sentence (three negative elements).
2. On nigdy na nic nie ma czasu. (He never has time for anything. Is this correct?)3. Komu Staszek o tym mówił? (Who did Staszek speak to about it. correct?)4. Temu dziecku nikt nigdy niczym nie pomoga. (No one ever helps that child with anything. Correct?)
all correct
5. O czym dziadek dzieciom opowiadał? (Did the grandfather tell the child something? Is this correct?)
What did the grandfather tell the kids about?
6. Ta nauczycielka nie uczy żadnego z naszych dzieci.
This teacher doesn't teach any of our children.
7. Ktoś mi coś mówił o tych dzieciach. (Someone told me something about those kids. correct?)
yes
8. Może one wiedzą o kimś, kto wraca do Krakowa.
Maybe they know something about somebody who's coming/going back to Kraków (the meaning is more like: Maybe they heard of somebody who's coming/going back to Kraków).