Language / The Dative Case [62]


Yes. Today, you can find "ku" only in old literature (XIX century or older) and e.g. in Bible. Nobody would ever say it when talking to you today.

But Michal's right that it has the same roots as Russian 'k'.

Language / Genitive case ("nie ma nic" vs "nie ma niczego") [71]


Shoudl be:
Nie, nie ma go.


Should be:
Nie, nie ma ich.

Language / Polish Onomateopia [26]

Szeleścić :-)

Food / Sausage Maker needed for recipe [12]

Only juniper :-) The best myśliwska kiełbasa (hunter's sausage) is only smoked using juniper.

Food / Questions on Polish food: Oscypek and Zurek. Also zeberka. [18]

Have you ever had zured served in a loaf of bread?
Delicious :-)

Language / Rok vs. Lat [30]

'Lata' is just plural of 'rok'.

Here are all the cases:

Singular:

M. rok
D. roku
C. rokowi
B. rok
N. rokiem
Mc. roku
W. roku!

Plural:

M. lata
D. lat
C. latom
B. lata
N. latami
Mc. latach
W. lata!

You just need to know the 1, 2-4, 5.. rule to use the proper case, and that's it.

And regarding the years-summers thing, it's common not only in Polish that names of seasons or other events used as measures of time (especially in older writings).

e.g.
moons-months (in (old) Polish Księżyc (moon) sometimes is called miesiąc (month)), Sundays-weeks (niedziele-tygodnie)
Springs-years (wiosny-lata (oh, this one really looks strange :-|) )

Some example, just a short love story ;-) (really old-fashioned)

Było jej sidemnaście wiosen. (she was 17)
Spotkali się w świetle miesiąca. (they met in moonlight)
W cztery niedziele byli już po słowie. (in 4 weeks the were already engaged)

If anyone still interested, in the past the plural of 'rok' used to be regular: roki

M. roki
D. roków
C. rokom
B. roki
N. rokami
Mc. rokach
W. roki!

but this form is not used any more in contemporary Polish (however, still perfectly understandable and correct from grammatical point of view).

Cinek

Language / Rok vs. Lat [30]


Right, I forgot that one, but I know it as instrumantalis (narzędnik), not genetivus (dopełniacz) e.g.

Przed dwoma laty - 2 years ago

in fact, this form is much more often used than 'latami'. But in colloquial language most people would say just: 'dwa lata temu'

Cinek

Language / Rok vs. Lat [30]


Hmm, so going that way you say that there's no plural for 'czlowiek' too, or there's no past or future form for 'jestem' ???

'Lata' IS plural form of 'rok', but it is just IRREGULARITY, which means that some gramatical forms of words may be more different than just different ending.

The word 'lata' may mean 'summers' or 'years', depending on the context, and that doesn't mean that 'years' and 'summers' are the same thing in Polish (but it'd be nice if summer was all year long :-) )

btw. don't learn too much from TV, they really do big mistakes.

Nie ogladaj telewizji, bo bedziesz miala w glowie glizdy, to cite famous Kabaret TEY ;-)

Cinek

Language / Plural forms 2-4 and =>5 [30]


'palców' is just Genetiv for 'palce'.

The general rule for numbers in Polish say:

1 : use singular nominative
2 - 4 : use plural nominative
5 - ... (with some exceptions) use plural genetive

and the exceptions (main) to the third rule are:
22-24, 32-34, 42-44 etc. where the 2-nd rule may apply (depending on the gender).

Cinek

Language / The difference between i and a ? [15]

No. The only rule I know for that says that i is used to enumerate sililarities and a is used to enumerate differences.

Easy example:

Jabłko jest czerwone i pomidor jest czerwony.
Apple is red and tomato is red too.

Jabłko jest czerwone a śliwka jest niebieska.
Apple is red but plum is blue.

more difficult example:

Wczoraj posprzątaliśmy mieszkanie i poszliśmy na spacer.
Yesterday we cleaned up the flat and went for a walk.(similarity: both we did yesterday)

Wczoraj posprzątaliśmy mieszkanie a potem poszliśmy na spacer.
Yesterday we cleaned up the flat and then we went for a walk (difference: first cleanup then a walk - not both in the same time)

most difficult examle:

dialogue:
team: idziemy na piwko
we're going to have some beer

someone: i ja! (or ja też!)
me too!

similarity: I also want to get drunk with you today

another dialogue:

team: idziemy na piwko
we're going to have some beer

soemone: a ja?!
what about me?!

difference: you're going to go without me = you forgot about me! = you go , I don't

I hope this helps you a bit.

Cinek

Language / Polish speech synthesiser software [19]


Yes, Ivona pronounces it very well.

Cinek

Language / verbal nouns in -nie [7]


I don't agree. Even though it's hard to find a context when such sentence could be used, it is still correct from gramatical point of view.

However I'd say it as Ewcinka wrote:

On się zajmuje martwieniem się.

Cinek

Language / pedestrian crossing and traffic lights - motion/na + Locative case? [7]


There is a clear difference here. 'W polu' has more general meaning and 'na polu' is more specific. It can be explained better with an example:

Rolnik pracuje w polu (no matter what 'pole' that is)
Rolnik jest na polu (on some specific 'pole')

But in other contexts it may be different e.g.:
w polu elektrycznym = in electric field
w polu karnym = in penalty area (in soccer)
w polu widzenia = in field of vision

but:

na polu walki = in battlefield
na polu minowym = in minefiled

Cinek

Language / Need a Polish company name (related to metal) [7]


metal

Language / sobie sobie sobie sobie sobie [29]


Exactly. Siebie and sobie (and sobą too) are different cases of the same word. They are used when the subjects do action on themselves.
Here's the declension:

M. (none, because object is never in nominative in Polish)
D. siebie (or się)
C. sobie
B. siebie (or się)
N. (z, ze) sobą
Mc. (o, na, w...) sobie
W. (none, as for nominative)

examples:

D.
Wysłał list do siebie.
He sent a letter to himself.

C.
Obciął sobie palec.
He cut his finger off.

B.

Rozpoznał siebie w lustrze.
He recognised himself in the mirror.

N.

Rozmawiał sam ze sobą.
He talked to himself.

Mc.

Opowiedział o sobie.
The told about himself.

EDIT:

In D and B siebie is used when emphasized. Otherwise się is more natural.
But if a preposition is put before D then it must be siebie (not się) - as in the example above.

Cinek

Language / SLANG FOR INEBRIATION IN POLISH? [32]

No. It means the same as pojebany (crazy, mental).

Language / Formal "you" and Informal "you" : which is which? [46]


Not true. Plural was also used this way a few years ago, aspecially when word like "towarzysz" or "obywatel" were in common use during comunism. Sentences like:

Co u was słychać towarzyszu?
or
Zatrzymajcie się obywatelu!. Poproszę wasz dowód osobisty.

are very common in movies from that time. Just watch any commedy by Stanisław Bareja from that time, you'll hear many examples.

Also, my grandmother also used plural when addressing her mother (I heard it many times when I was a small boy), so it was in use in everyday language of ordinary people not so ago.

Cinek

Language / Formal "you" and Informal "you" : which is which? [46]


Ojcu, Ojciec = Father

I think it's also in English that people refer priests as 'fathers' (even though catholic priests usualy are not fathers ;-) ) In polish you could just also use 'ksiądz' (= priest) instead of Pan or Ty when addressing a priest.

So the alternative versions would be:

Pamiętam o Ojcu - to a priest (not sure if this can be used for any priest, I've no experience in that area)

Pamietam o Księdzu - to a priest (should be generally ok)
Pamiętam o Panu - formal, to any (male) person but a priest, mum, dad, aunt, uncle, grandma, and many others who you shoudl address using words of the relationship between you and them.

Pamiętam o Tobie - informal, to any close person

Cinek

Language / Hussar-the word, is it originally Polish? [10]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Hussars

Language / Example sentences for different cases. [42]


Don't try to count them, just try to distinguish one from the other: -y is a typical ending of masculine adjectives in Polish, so it follows adjective's declension pattern even though it is a noun.

It works the same way for many others. e.g.:

woźny, oddźwierny, koniuszy, leśniczy, etc.

As and exercise you can try write all przypadki of them ;-)

Cinek

Work / Would it be hard to work in Poland if I don't speak Polish? [17]


Try one of the telecom or computer equipment manufactures that have their divisions in Poland (like Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia-Siemens, Intel etc.). Their staff usually speaks English well so you at least shoudn't have problems communicating in work ;-) But be prepared that they pay less than e.g. in US (this is why they moved their business here), and if you really want to keep friendly and close relationship with co-workers you should learn Polish quickly, because not many people would like speak only English when drinking beer after work ;-)

Cinek

Language / Parę - two or a few? [26]


Zeszły means last in contexts like 'last month', last Monday' etc.
Przeszły means 'soemathing that was in the past and does not exist any longer', however it's hardly ever used today (except the name of past tense 'czas przeszły').

It's also a form of 'przejść' (i.e. 3rd p pl. non-masc. past tense).

Cinek

Language / WHY NA WĘGRZECH ET AL? [6]


Actually, we say 'w Słowacji' more often than 'na Słowacji', at least where I live (Bydgoszcz).
Regarding Węgry, it may be because it was a part of Cesarstwo Austro-Węgierskie.
From what I remember, 'w Litwie' was also used by Sienkiewicz and in other XIX cent. literature.
So those rules are not so strict.

Cinek

Language / Diminutive first names [18]

I'd say that diminutives sound natural with some names and don't with others.
Eg.
Tomek, Wojtek, Kuba, Witek, Zosia, Kasia, Ola can usually be used for everyone who you just got to know, while using diminutives for:

Marcin, Mariusz, Robert, Jacek, Marta, £ukasz etc. usually will require a little closer relationship.

It may also depend on your and the other person's age.

(Mar)Cinek

Language / I'm learning Polish using the Michel Thomas Method [9]


I think it's not a good mesurement. Children learn in totally different way than adults. e.g. 2 yo kid understands almost everything his mother is saying to him while may not be able to say a word himself. On the other hand, adults usually start with translating from their mother tongue and it takes some time to switch to thinking in a new language.

If you have already learned some grammar and vocabulary you're gonna have a good oportunity to practice it 'in the filed' and you may do really big progress.

But if you're completely blank, being here may not help you at all unless you take lessons to help you to start with the basics, or have someone to talk and explain everything (like mother to her child).

Cinek

Language / Actual vs Frequentative verbs: mieć and miewać [4]


'Mieć' can be translated as 'to have' or 'to have had' and naturally connects with word like teraz (now), zawsze (always), od wczoraj (since yesterday), od dwóch dni (for two days). It implies that something happens continuously (no matter if only now or a whole year).

e.g.
Mam ból głowy (I have a headache).
Od tygodnia mam nową prace. (I have had a new job for a week).

'Miewać' can be also translated as 'to have' but it connects with words like 'od czasu do czasu' (from time to time), czasami (sometimes), w deszczowe dni (on rainy days).

It implies that something happens only ocasionally (not necesserilly now, but it has happened already and is expected to happen again).
e.g.
Czasami miewam trudne zadania do wykonania (I have hard tasks to do sometimes).
W deszczowe dni miewam bóle głowy (On rainy days I happen to have headache).

Hope it helps you a little.

Cinek

Language / VERB GENDER OF ABBREVIATIONS PZPR, PiS, PZU, PKO &C. [4]

What Pio wrote it right, but in coloquial language we tend to use the gender according to how the abbreviations sound (not to what they actually mean). So it is common to hear phrases like: PiS był, PZPR był, PKO było, PZU było, NATO było etc.

Cinek

Language / WACEK, BAŚKA, OTHERS? [6]


I've never heard Baśka as a name of a body part. It must be of regional or even more limited use.

Cinek

Language / What is this type of word called and others like it? uwydatniając [14]


What is strange (at least for me), Poles tend to avoid using participles in coloquial language. Very often we use descriptive (and more verbose) expressions instead.

E.g

Idąc do domu spotkałem kolegę.
in typical coloquial lagnuage would be:
Gdy szedłem do domu, spotkałem kumpla.

It's even more visible with using past adverbial participle (imiesłów przysłówkowy uprzedni)
e.g.
Przyszedłszy do domu zjadłem obiad.
often expressed as:
Jak przyszedłem do domu, to zjadłem obiad.

However, using participles (properly) in official language is elegnat and usually confirms higher education of the speaker.
Using them (too much) in coloquial speaking may be taken as weird or even snobbish.

Cinek