subtelnemu

Subtelnemu is a form of the Polish adjective subtelny, meaning subtle or delicate. It is the dative singular form used before masculine personal nouns or neuter nouns in the dative case. In practice, phrases such as subtelnemu człowiekowi or subtelnemu podejściu illustrate how the form appears in sentences to indicate direction or indirect object.

Etymology and meaning: Subtelny derives from Proto-Slavic roots associated with fineness and delicacy, with its current Polish sense of refinement and nuance reinforced through centuries of linguistic development. The dative form subtelnemu reflects standard Polish adjective declension, aligning with the gender and case of the noun it modifies.

Usage: The form subtelnemu is most commonly encountered in descriptive writing, formal speech, or any context requiring a nuanced attribute attached to a masculine personal noun or a neuter noun in the dative. It appears in constructions that express to whom something is given, directed at, or attributed in a subtle or delicate sense. For feminine nouns, the corresponding dative form is subtelnej, not subtelnemu.

Grammatical note: Subtelnemu is part of the broader system of Polish adjective inflection, where endings change to reflect gender, number, and case. The masculine personal and neuter dative singular share the ending -emu, while feminine forms take -ej. Beyond the dative, related forms include subtelny (nominative masculine), subtelna (nominative feminine), and subtelne (nominative neuter).

See also: Polish grammar, adjective declension, gender agreement, numerical and case concord.

References: Polish language reference grammars and dictionaries describe subtelny and its inflected forms, including subtelnemu as the dative singular masculine/neuter form.