mężczyzny vs mężczyznę? language help please!

hi there! i'm learning polish and i'm really struggling with knowing when to use mężczyznę, and when mężczyzny - which one is the accusative (biernik) and which is something else, and what is that? thanks in advance for any answers

@maja2202, I'll give you some examples that should help you understand when to use those:

mężczyznę:

I've met (who)? a man. (Poznałam mężczyznę.)

He hit (who)? that man. (On uderzył tamtego mężczyznę.)

The boy saw (who)? a man running down the stairs. (Chłopiec zobaczył mężczyznę zbiegającego po schodach.)

---

mężczyzny:

This man's (whose?) wife was very rude. (Żona tego mężczyzny była bardzo niegrzeczna.)

The man's (whose?) hand slowly dropped to the ground. (Ręka mężczyzny powoli osunęła się na ziemię.)

The man's (whose?) height was impressive. (Wzrost mężczyzny robił wrażenie.)

mężczyznę - biernik (who?)
mężczyzny - dopełniacz (whose?)

One more example of use for mężczyzny (it's still dopełniacz):

- Where did you get it from?
- I got it (from who?) this man.

- Skąd to masz?
- Dostałam to (od kogo?) od tego mężczyzny.

And here you have all the przypadki:

@Paulina
"Używam mężczyzny" or "używam mężczyznę".
Which is correct?👠

It doesn`t matter as long as you are happy with him.

If singular noun in its non-suffixed form or "dictionary form" ends with "-a" (including Masculine singular nouns ending with "-a", such as "Mężczyzna"), then Accusatively ends with "-ę" instead of "-a", and Genitively ends with either "-i(-i)" or "-y" instead of "-a".

Most prepositions use Genitive ending, prepositions such as "Bez(-e)" = "Without", "Dla" = "For", "Od(-e)" = "From"/"Since", "Zamiast" = "Instead of" etc.

Sometimes preposition "O" uses Accusative, other times Locative, depending on preceding infinitive/verb.
eg. "(Za-)Pytać o mężczyznę/mężczyzn" = "To ask about man/men" and "(Po-)Prosić o mężczyznę/mężczyzn" = "To ask for man/men"

(But "Mówić o mężczyźnie/mężczyznach" = "To talk about man/men")

Whenever direct object of infinitive/verb is affirmatively Accusative, then will be negatively Genitive, regardless of verb tense or nouns' gender/singular/plural.

Whenever direct object of infinitive/verb is affirmatively Genitive/Dative/Instrumental, then will remain in same Genitive/Dative/Instrumental form. regardless of affirmative/negative. (Locative is only after prepositions, not after infinitives/verbs)

eg. "(Po-)Lubić/(Po-)Kochać mężczyznę/mężczyzn" = "To like/love man/men", but "Nie (po-)lubić/(po-)kochać mężczyzny/mężczyzn" = "To not like man/men"

eg. "(Nie) Potrzebować/Uży(-wa-)ć mężczyzny/mężczyzn" = "To (not) need/use man/men"

eg. "(Nie) (Po-)Dziękować/Po(-magać or -móc) mężczyźnie/mężczyznom" = "To (not) thank/help man/men"

eg. "(Nie) By(-wa-)ć mężczyzną/mężczyznami" = "To (not) be man/men"

IME there are some verbs which are supposed to have objects in the genetive case (dopełniacz - kogo czego) but which, in common, informal everyday usage often appear with the accusative (biernik, kogo co) instead...

potrzebować and używać are among those (though I've even heard szukać with the accusative a time or three).

So 'używam mężczyzny' is more 'correct' but not necessarily more common in everyday speech.