# modified accusative objects of different genders



## elroy

_Studiuje język i literaturę hiszpańską._

In this sentence, the adjective refers to both nouns.  I notice that it is feminine, in agreement with the second noun.

What is the rule behind this?  Does the adjective always agree with the nearer noun?

I would appreciate it if you could provide more examples.

Bardzo dziękuję.


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## iwi

Yes, that's it. 
if you are not sure, you can always say:
_Studiuje język hiszpański i literaturę hiszpańską

_but the version you wrote is more common


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## Thomas1

It even sounds better to these ears. Yours is somewhat cluttered.


_Lubię pisarzy i literaturę hiszpańską._
_Marek jest zafascynowany kuchnią i językiem włoskim._
_Uwilebiam francuski śpiew i wino._
_Niemiecki przemysł motoryzacyjny oraz dokładność są dobrze znane na całym świecie._

Tom


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## vodevilja

The adjective agrees with the last noun, and your version is quite common when the adjective relates to both nouns, but using it this way may sometimes lead to ambiguity. Ok, in your sentence it's rather obvious that he studies not just "a language" (it wouldn't really have much sense), so everyone will understand the adjective also describes this first noun. Buuut... the sentence Thomas gave - "_Uwielbiam francuski śpiew i wino" - _can mean that the person loves precisely French wine as well as that she loves wine in general. But there's no real way to avoid that kind of confusion...


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## dn88

I think it's sometimes much safer to use an adjective at the very end of a sentence just to avoid any ambiguity.

"_Uwielbiam francuski śpiew i wino" _- not clear, "wino" in general?
"_Uwielbiam śpiew i wino francuskie" _- "śpiew" in general?_
"Uwielbiam język i literaturę angielską" _- very clear, the adjective refers to both_
"Uwielbiam angielski język i literaturę" _- also quite clear ("język" and "literatura" are somehow related to each other)

I may be wrong but I suspect it has something to do with the usual position of an adjective (either before or after a noun). I think _"język i literatura angielska"_ sounds better than _"angielski język i literatura"_ just because the preffered versions are respectively (with their google matches):

"język angielski" (noun+adjective) - 1,555,000
"literatura angielska" (noun+adjective) - 1,450,000

and not:

"angielski język" (adjective+noun) - 114,000
"angielska literatura" (adjective+noun) - 11,600

Well, now I'm confused myself...


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## vodevilja

dn88 said:


> _"Uwielbiam angielski język i literaturę" _- also quite clear ("język" and "literatura" are somehow related to each other)



"Quite". In this situation, it may be understood as litterature in general - it's better to say "język i literaturę angielską", no confusion possible.



> I may be wrong but I suspect it has something to do with the usual position of an adjective (either before or after a noun). I think _"język i literatura angielska"_ sounds better than _"angielski język i literatura"_ just because the preffered versions are respectively (with their google matches):
> 
> "język angielski" (noun+adjective) - 1,555,000
> "literatura angielska" (noun+adjective) - 1,450,000
> 
> and not:
> 
> "angielski język" (adjective+noun) - 114,000
> "angielska literatura" (adjective+noun) - 11,600



The position of the adjective depends of it's nature. You'll rather say "język angielski", but you'll definitely say "czerwony samochód" (red car). Of course, you may (nearly always) change the position as you like - but in a situation of ambiguity, it's best to put the adjective near the less "obvious" noun.


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## Thomas1

vodevilja said:


> "Quite". In this situation, it may be understood as litterature in general - it's better to say "język i literaturę angielską", no confusion possible. [...]


No confusion since all the other meanings of _język_ rather don't fit in here.
Have a look at this;
_Lubię historię i literaturę angielską._
can be confusing, and when you add something more it grews even more troublesome:
_Lubię historię i wczesnormantyczną literaturę angielską._
How can one be sure that one is not interested in history in general?
I wonder if there's a way to bypass the ambiguity that would work in each case.


Tom


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## vodevilja

I don't get it - do you agree with me or not? The other meanings of _język_ have nothing to do here. If you say "lubię angielski język i literaturę", it may be understood as "lubię angielski język + lubię literaturę". The version I gave is clear. But in the cases you gave lower, indeed, you can never be sure unless it is stressed (by the context or the intonation). Bypasses exist, but they're complex.


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## Thomas1

vodevilja said:


> I don't get it - do you agree with me or not? The other meanings of _język_ have nothing to do here. If you say "lubię angielski język i literaturę", it may be understood as "lubię angielski język + lubię literaturę". The version I gave is clear. But in the cases you gave lower, indeed, you can never be sure unless it is stressed (by the context or the intonation). Bypasses exist, but they're complex.


Agree with you on what?
Unless _język_ has some knid of a hidden implication, which is rather unlikely but not impossible.
I know there are but I doubt there's one that would work in each situation, so each one has to be examined on a case basis.


Tom


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## vodevilja

What hidden implication?...


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## Thomas1

Well, they are totally contingent upon the author, if you desguise it with any other signification you are aware of (and, I think I should add, it's bilaterally understood) then it is possible, but my comment about sparing odds of it is to be taken with great cuation.


Tom


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