# Moimi modelami będą Patrycja i Dawid



## gvergara

Hi,

I am wondering why a sentence like _Moją ulubioną potrawą jest pasta _is natural, but not its "inverse" version _Pastą jest moja ulubiona potrawa_ (see this thread). I have just come across the sentence _Moimi modelami będą Patrycja i Dawid_, and immediately asked myself why the (native) speaker did not say _Moje modele będą Patrycją i Dawidem, _or _Patricją _i_ Dawidem będą moje modele_.

Is it because due to their nature only the noun phrases _pasta _and _Patrycja and Dawid _can be the subjects about which information is/can be given or are the people or things that are/can be identified/described, whereas _my favourite dish _and _my models _can only be considered as descriptions of the (actual) subjects? I mean, in _Moją ulubioną potrawą jest pasta _and _Moimi modelami będą Patrycja i Dawid _the noun phrases_ pasta _and _Patrycja i Dawid _are described as (being) something, something is being said about them (_my favourite dish _and_ my models_, respectively). I hope that my question does not sound too confusing, but since nouns do not have cases in Spanish, I have always thought that in sentences using the copula to be/ser/być either "half" can be the subject.

Thanks in advance,

G.


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## zaffy

gvergara said:


> immediately asked myself why the (native) speaker did not say _Moje modele będą Patrycją i Dawidem, _or _Patricją _i_ Dawidem będą moje modele_.


Patrycja i Dawid będą *kim/czym*? Not *kto/co*? Or kogo/co?


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## elroy

Pasta is well-known to everyone.  You are reporting something about pasta by telling us it’s your favorite dish.  You may not have a favorite dish, so you can’t assume people know that exists.  That’s why I don’t think it works for “my favorite dish” to be the subject.

Similarly, one would say “Piotr jest Polakiem” or “Polakiem jest Piotr” (“The one who is Polish is Piotr”), but not “Polak jest Piotrem” or “Piotrem jest Polak.”


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## zaffy

elroy said:


> “Polakiem jest Piotr”


It works only in a specific context, like saying who plays a given role in a theatre performance.


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## Henares

gvergara said:


> _Moje modele będą Patrycją i Dawidem, _or _Patricją _i_ Dawidem będą moje modele_.


It sounds as if you had two models of something (not fashion models; for example a plastic aircraft) and you were giving them names . Even in that situation, the latter sentence wouldn’t sound good. Even if some word order is grammatically correct, it doesn’t mean that’s frequently used - it could be used in poetry, lyrics or comedy films.


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## Drakonica

Your explanation seems to be close to the truth.

One element of the set of Germans belongs to the (one element) set of directors of our school.
- Niemiec jest dyrektorem szkoły.
One element of the  (one element) set of directors of our school belongs to the set of Germans
- Dyrektor szkoły jest Niemcem.

---------
Unique unit "Hans"  belongs to the set of directors of our school.
- Hans jest dyrektorem szkoły.

Every element of the set of dogs belongs to the set of animals.
- Pies jest zwierzęciem.

Unique unit "Azor"  belongs to the set of animals.
- Azor jest zwierzęciem.


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## Henares

Drakonica said:


> Your explanation seems to be close to the truth.
> 
> One element of the set of Germans belongs to the (one element) set of directors of our school.
> - Niemiec jest dyrektorem szkoły.
> One element of the  (one element) set of directors of our school belongs to the set of Germans
> - Dyrektor szkoły jest Niemcem.
> 
> ---------
> Unique unit "Hans"  belongs to the set of directors of our school.
> - Hans jest dyrektorem szkoły.
> 
> Every element of the set of dogs belongs to the set of animals.
> - Pies jest zwierzęciem.
> 
> Unique unit "Azor"  belongs to the set of directors of dogs.
> - Azor jest zwierzęciem.


I agree.
1.
_By analogy: Moje modele będą Patrycją i Dawidem. _

My models will belong to the set of Patrycjas and Dawids. It only make sense if you name something.

_2. Moją ulubioną potrawą jest pasta _is natural, but not its "inverse" version _Pastą jest moja ulubiona potrawa

it’ not inversed. It’s a different case.  Moja ulubiona potrawa jest pastą.

My favourite dish belongs to the set of pastas. That’s not true because your favourite dish IS pasta, not belongs to the set of pastas_


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## Panceltic

In my opinion, t’s simply the case of the subject being in the nominative case, whereas the attribute of _być_ is in the instrumental case. The thing you are describing is in the nominative, and _what they are_ is in the instrumental. Because the word order in Polish is relatively free, either element can be at the start of the sentence.


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