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Posts by Bondi  

Joined: 11 Sep 2007 / Male ♂
Last Post: 13 Nov 2011
Threads: Total: 4 / In This Archive: 4
Posts: Total: 142 / In This Archive: 93
From: lost in the world
Speaks Polish?: tylko troche

Displayed posts: 97 / page 2 of 4
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Bondi   
15 Jun 2009
News / The Polish-Hungarian friendship is as well as poisoned [45]

The Polish-Hungarian friendship is as well as poisoned by Hebrews in Warsaw
(in Kuruc.Info 14/Jun/2009)

Among the foreign language transmissions of the national Polish Radio (Polskie Radio), probably the most interesting and the most mysterious in its aim is the transmission in Hebrew language that broadcasts from satellite as well as on the Internet and on the FM wave since July 2007. The Hebrew broadcast has a well-maintained home-page as well. By studying the editors of the broadcast, it emerges that most of the 12 co-workers arrived straight from Israel to the studio in Warsaw.

It is baffling for us that Poland, or more exactly the Polish Jewry that allegedly shrunk to 4 or 5 thousand in their numbers from the 3 million before the WWII (and 99 percent of them do not even understand the Hebrew), why have a need for a radio broadcast in Hebrew. And why have a need for a clearly anti-Hungarian propaganda? We do hope that the Polish government, being friendly to the Hungarian people, and the authorities of Poland do not know about the officially funded Hebrew company's extremely anti-Hungarian pursuits.

The Hebrew section of the national Polish Radio—just as some Jewish journalists of the press in Hungary—are using misinformation and concealment in their process of trying to poison the historically renowned Polish-Hungarian friendship. Because the broadcast, naming themselves "Kol Polin" in Hebrew (i.e. "The Voice of Poland"), can be regarded as the official commitment of Warsaw in both Poland and Hungary.

On 10/Jun/2009, the homepage of the Hebrew broadcast of the Polish Radio published a news commentary—titled "Black Hungary", formulated in more-or-less truncated sentences with no signature of an author—that comments on the results of the European Elections in Hungary in an obscure, agitated manner.

We would like to know what Poland think about this anti-Hungarian incitement!

Below please find the English translation:

Black Hungary
(a news commentary of the Hebrew section of the Polish Radio)

In Germany, the browns used to fight the reds. Nazis dressed in brown, Communists dressed in red. And, as you know it, the browns won. The Hungarian equivalents of the German Nazis dressed in black at the same time, and these days they are returning triumphantly. Hungary and Austria were the central part of a once unified empire. But these two countries have one more common characteristic. The two peoples were enthusiastic friends of the Nazis, but they have not admitted their shameful past, contrary to Germans. Instead, Austrians and Hungarians tell the world they were victims of the Nazi occupation.

In Hungary, the neo-Nazi party will become the second largest one in the Parliament. Hungary have the biggest population of Jews in Central-Europe. But the No. 1. targets of the Hungarian neo-Nazis are not Jews but Gypsies. Probably because the population of the latter are much more bigger and they are more obvious to the eye. Hungarian neo-Nazis are not like the Western-European right-wing parties. For instance, Greert Wilders fights against the immigration of Muslims into Holland but he is not at all anti-Semitic and he has no territorial demands against the neighbouring countries. Because these were the two important components of the Nazi movement in Germany, and the little countries copying them and similar to them, namely Slovakia, Hungary and Croatia.

The Hungarian neo-Nazis are demanding the territorial autonomy of the Hungarian minority in Rumania and Slovakia. They want to remove the Gypsies who, according to general opinion, are not foreigners immigrated in recent times. And they do not only talk. They also kill Gypsies. Gypsies are migrants with no country. But their territorial demands against Rumania and Slovakia can risk the political stability of the whole region. Problem is that the far-right has no idea for a solution to the economic crisis. Far-right can only deepen it.

Bondi   
26 Apr 2009
Work / Learning Polish in Lublin [6]

sunbreak,

There was a similar topic: https://polishforums.com/archives/2005-2009/work/language-courses-universities-23109/

Last year, I spent a fortnight at K.U.L. I compiled a summary: greenvault.tvn.hu/lublin/

(The links might not work, I haven't checked them ever since.)

I already spent 6 weeks in Krakow at the Jagiellonian University's program but my impression of that program was not good - the teachers were ok but the dorm living situation was intolerable.

I didn't pay attention, I'm quite symbiotic in a sense, but I think the uni dorm would be just the same in Lublin for you - shared rooms, full of noisy youngsters. Just as esek said. :) But you can choose the uni's hotel (for a small additional cost), which is much nicer and is located at the uni's site.
Bondi   
20 Apr 2009
Language / Iterative and semelfactive verbs [37]

This is really not that difficult, guys. The only problem that it's pretty 'untranslatable' to English. :)

The conjugation seems pretty much regular, even when it's irregular for the frequentative ("iterative") aspect. And the semelfactive ("punctive") aspect is only a sub-aspect of the perfective, so you'll learn that verb anyway...

If you think these are exceptionally difficult, just imagine how hard it is to learn the plethora of English tenses + their continuous + their perfect + their aspects. You don't wanna know.

You remind me of a colleague who was learning Turkish and ran across one word with umpteen different uses for English one entry, with the offhanded sigh of the true Brit, "Oh, goshhh, there's that word again!"

I bet that "one entry" for the English was "get" or "have"... =)
Bondi   
20 Mar 2009
Language / Do Polish Movies Help learn the language? [60]

Seksmisja [Sex Mission] is hilarious.

It's not hilarious. It's a classic! We have everything dubbed, but I just had to watch it in original Polish.

Another Polish classic is Nić smiesznego [Nothing Funny]. It is a must see of Eastern-Central-European film-making, just as the Czech Dědictví aneb kurvahošigutntag (The Inheritance or Fuckoffguysgoodday), the Hungarian Sose halunk meg (We Never Die) or the proto-Yugoslavian Crna maèka, beli maèor (Black Cat, White Cat).

Can anybody recommend some Polish movies which I can download and then find English subtitles? I like action and mafia movies but I think childrens movies would also be good for me.

I recommend Job, czyli ostatnia szara komórka. But, to tell the truth, it's not a Polish film. Actually, it's a MONGOL film. :D

It's one of the stupidest films I've seen recently. The language is simple, there are tons of puns, humours through situations and such. Most people don't like its... hm, simplicity, but it is simply hilarious a reserve for a language-learner. Lubisz to, suko!

If you like Mafia movies, Sara or Kiler could be for you. They are more like mafia-movie comedies, but that don't matter, mate! :)
Bondi   
11 Mar 2009
Language / Two questions for people who learn polish [57]

Therefore, the bulk of the population will continue to be left to ill-equipt, Polish native speaking instructors, often with heavy accents, and less than fluent working knowledge (...)

I disagree. In Central-Eastern-Europe, the problem is still in their methods. Language teaching is still based on the old academic path of “read the text + listen to it [as an option] + learn the vocabulary + regurgitate everything word by word”. The whole learning process is boring and repelling, even for the “linguistically talented” one.

What they fail to understand is that these days it is very easy to make contact with the real language (i.e. outside the textbooks).

You do not necessarily need a native tutor. When you need clear explanations in your own language (i.e. when you have to understand complex grammatical structures), a native English (or Polish, in this case) teacher is not much of use IMHO. You can “pick up” words and phrases from natives, but can never pick up grammar without making an effort.

Accent is somewhere half-way between. It requires effort, and a good teacher should always begin the process by explaining basic phonetics. Of course, there is no such thing as a ‘proper’ pronounciation -- what I mean is that you have to be aware of the characteristics of the language. In Polish, for instance, you have to be aware of the difference between soft and hard consonants etc. (There’s a similar thing with the diphtongs + the triphtong in English). Then you can conform to a native dialect or accent (of your native teacher, or wherever you go/live in the world).

@nessaxoxo84:
if I’m not mistaken, you’re American. For a better understanding of Polish, I suggest you’d do plenty of “listening & reading”. Reading comes in the picture when you have to ‘develop’ your vocabulary -- and you want to do it on your own. There is a sticky topic here somewhere with links to online resources (i.e. stuff to listen to). Plus, most of the Polish movies’ DVDs have English subs these days.
Bondi   
4 Mar 2009
Language / What do you find difficult about learning Polish? [98]

First time I saw the city of 'Szeged', thinking Polish 'SZ', having come almost straight from years of Polish study, I pronounced it 'Sheged' to a Hungarian and they almost doubled over with laughter.

:D

It's not pronounced sheged? It's like the Hungarians were speaking in code when I was there.

Szeged is the name of the city, but segged is your arse. :D

This made my day. :)
Bondi   
1 Mar 2009
Language / The difference between i and a ? [15]

Bwah, I’m glad my mother tongue is not English... :)
I would also say that i is about similarities, a is about differences.

i = and
a = and, in a sense of and then; or in a sense of but

For example:
Mój brat XY ma 20 lat i studiuje ekonomię na uniwersytecie w XYZ, a moja siostra Z ma 25 lat i pracuje w biurze w XYZ.

– Here, a have this "and then" meaning.

most difficult example:

dialogue:
team: idziemy na piwko

I would call that the most simple example! :)
Bondi   
16 Jan 2009
Language / SAY TELL TALK SPEAK - HARD 4 POLES [22]

to speak ~ przemawiać
to talk ~ rozmawiać
to say ~ mówić
to tell ~ opowiadać

This is only a rough approximation of mine. One simply has to learn the nuances in English expressions, as you've already explained above.

I think this situation is far more worse 'vice versa', i.e. for an English speaker to learn Polish, because of the co-verbs and the imperfect/perfect distinction: prze-, roz-, poroz-, wymawiać; opowiadać - opowiedzieć etc. :)
Bondi   
5 Jan 2009
Language / SZCZ and ŚĆ HARD TO EXPLAIN [19]

I don't think anyone can hear any real difference between a soft and a hard consonant other than natives in a Slavonic language...

See also the problem in English with "a" and "e" (i.e. the classic example of "my dad's dad" vs "my dad's dead").

But the thing is that with an effort, you can always learn the correct pronounciation. And as your vocabulary grows, you will automatically recognize more and more words and "hear" the correct sounds.

Cz → like in 'China', can be transcribed [czajna]
Ć → like in 'chill', can be transcribed [ćyl]
Now, Sz → like in 'shark', can be transcribed [sza(r)k]
And, Ś → like 'attention', can be transcribed [-śyn]

What do you think? ^^

In my case, they are China [czajna], chill [czil], shark [sza(r)k] and attention [-sz(ö)n]... Well, a Polish speaker may occasionally judge them as "ś", "ć" etc., but they are quite accidental as there is no such distinction in my language. And there's no such soft/hard distinction in English, either, so that transcription above is quite pointless.
Bondi   
2 Jan 2009
Language / Usage of the word "Na" [17]

cjjc: do widzenia
"do" means "until" in this context. ie. until seeing (you again)

I'd say it's "to": (look forward) to seeing (each other again)
See also: na zdrowie - to (your/our) health
Bondi   
22 Dec 2008
Language / SARKOZY -- SARKOZY'EGO or SARKOZEGO? [14]

it's rather pronounced as [Nodżi]

You're always better off pronouncing the Hungarian letter “a” as a Polish “a” - not “o”. Using Polish ortography, Nagy could be Nadj or Nadż for a Polish speaker.

(It means duży or wielky, btw.)
Bondi   
15 Dec 2008
Language / SARKOZY -- SARKOZY'EGO or SARKOZEGO? [14]

Russian do use G instead of H: gamburger, Gitler... (In Slavonic languages, a first G/H is always funny. For example, Czech and Slovakian tend to stick to H instead of G: hranica etc.)

Sarkozy is Sárközy, originally, but that won't change the proper Polish inflection: Sárközy'ego. (The y is pronounced as i. It was just an old convention to use y for an ending in noble names.)

Nagy is of a different matter: gy is a consonant (just like sz or rz in Polish), so following the rule quoted by Krzysztof:

In male names ending with a consonant there's no problem, Stan - Stana - Stanem etc., unless the finale consonant and the preceding "e" are silent (like in a French name: Jacques - Jacques'a - Jacques'iem etc.)

Therefore there's no need for an apostrophe there: Nagya, Nagyem, Nagyego etc. But I think they would still use it in newspapers as the average reader could get confused. :)
Bondi   
15 Dec 2008
Language / Rosetta Stone program - couple of clarifications requested [15]

The only serious drawback of this kind of immersion is that when you are in civilisation, you need to write and read. Just see how many people can speak and understand English, but can’t read it. And lots of them think they can speak it, but they know no grammar, thus speak and articulate in a horrible way.

Everyone has to take the time to sit down and learn grammar -- unless you are alright with some Pidgin Polish... :)
Bondi   
4 Dec 2008
Language / WHY "HIGH FEE" for HIFI in Polish? [12]

English abbreviations and words are always problematic when they make their way into other languages. There are no rules for them.

3. Do you Brits have crêpes for breakfast as a rule?

?? Never heard that word... no idea how to pronounce it. If it is "pancake", then having pancake for breakfast is a US thing, while pancake is a dessert after a main course in Europe. English or Continental breakfast doesn't include pancakes.
Bondi   
26 Nov 2008
Language / The best way for me to learn Polish [89]

the thing that helped me most was watching Teletubbies in Danish

That made my day. FOTCH
(falling off the chair laughing)
Bondi   
24 Nov 2008
Language / WHY IS @ CALLED MAŁPA IN POLISH? [13]

As usual, Polish, German, Swedish etc. win out on descriptive directness!

Quite right that is! Here's one more:
Hungarian: kukac - literally: worm
Bondi   
20 Nov 2008
News / Polish-Hungarian friendship - reality till today or just a phantasmagoria [144]

Bwaah... Newspapers and the official media are no good. To get a picture of the real situation it’s better to read blogs and unofficial news sites, watch a few deep-buried TV programmes and listen to online radio stations and podcasts...

Does the present administration in fact wish a continued dialogue with the Tusk/Kaczyński government?

To tell the truth, I don’t really know about any initiatives other than introducing the Day of Polish-Hungarian friendship. IMHO, to strengthen the relationships with Poland, our government should first stand up for Hungary and the Hungarian people, but they clearly do not even have an attempt at that.
Bondi   
19 Nov 2008
News / Polish-Hungarian friendship - reality till today or just a phantasmagoria [144]

Hmm... I'm Hungarian and I think some chauvinistic minds need to spend some time abroad. Don't be offended, I offered that to my fellow Hungarians as well! Simply for the reason because today the Carpathian Basin is a nuthouse. You need to get out of there and have a "bird eye view". Most of our "problems" are artificial. They incite hatred among the native nations, and wait for them to cut each others throat. Today we have an insane anti-Magyar puppet-government in Hungary, while there are chauvinistic governments in Slovakia, Romania and Serbia. But if you get out for a while, you will appreciate things we have in common. We lived together in peace up until WWI. Or at least only the Osman-Turkish Occupation could break up Central-Eastern Europe before.

We need nationalism, we need to conserve our values that make up as nations. But that shouldn't draw chauvinism, we shouldn't jump at each other just because we speak a different language. I bet most of us from Eastern Europe have someone in their family tree who came from a neighbouring nation.
Bondi   
11 Nov 2008
Language / What do you find difficult about learning Polish? [98]

First and foremost difficult: grammatical genders for everything, just to multiply the headache with the cases.

Next: the different meanings and nuances in "prefix + case" combinations. I.e. na+Acc., na+Loc. etc. - same prefix + different case = different meaning. And I can't translate (=understand) them all the time in the same way, just have to learn them by heart. The same goes to "when to use na? when to use do?" dilemma and such. (Which is worse than the English "at/in/to?" dilemma, because of the different cases you have to apply.)

Pronounciation: to get used to all those soft consonants (ć, dź, ś, ź). For my ears, they sound like you have a lisp. O_o Not that I can really hear any faint difference in natives' speech, but the way I have to pronounce them with the tip of my tongue. ('Cause them buggers can of course hear the difference in my speech!)

Hmm, the struggles of a beginner, I suppose...
At least I have no problem understanding and using dokonany/niedokonany! :)
Bondi   
8 Nov 2008
Language / Writing Polish in longhand (cursive) [17]

My grandmother used to write in cursive. After WWII, the Communist régime had done away with the former education system, along with the cursive handwriting, and replaced it.

Someone has posted another topic and attached some photoes of an old letter (sh*t quality, though):
Bondi   
22 Oct 2008
Language / What is the most annoying thing about NATIVE Polish speakers? [12]

Basic Polish is a tricky thing. You can say a few comprehensible sentences, but what do you do when someone proficient in the language gives you an answer? ;)

I understand it. Well, most of it... or some of it... :) Every language is difficult in the beginning, I suppose.

They speak too fast!

NativeEnglishspeakerstendtodothataswell..... Everyone's first experience in the UK (or Ireland or US). You just have to get used to the spoken language in real life.
Bondi   
18 Oct 2008
Language / What is the most annoying thing about NATIVE Polish speakers? [12]

...Following the huge success of the “co-topic”. :)

This one could be about native Polish speakers in Poland or abroad.

The thing I found annoying during my stay in Poland as a tourist & language learner: when Polish tourists turned to me for help and my basic Polish was obvious, they immediately backed out.

They did not mean to be rude, though. I’d probably do the same at home if I didn’t speak English... In Eastern-Europe, non-native speakers still seem strange and “confronted” with English or German first.