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Posts by mafketis  

Joined: 31 Mar 2008 / Male ♂
Warnings: 2 - AO
Last Post: 29 Mar 2024
Threads: Total: 36 / In This Archive: 1
Posts: Total: 10,699 / In This Archive: 501
From: tez nie
Speaks Polish?: tak
Interests: tez nie

Displayed posts: 502 / page 15 of 17
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mafketis   
24 Aug 2009
Language / Polish vs. Romanian [21]

How is the case system compeltely different from Latin? Are there cases other than the typical nom, gen, dat, accus, instr, etc. or are the endings simply diffrerent?

I'll just mention a quick thing or two.

Nouns have (in practical terms) just two cases (nominative-accusative and genetive-date, theoretically there's a vocative but it seems to be used even less than in Polish). And the case is indicated by the article not the noun form itself. For example:

băiat - boy (dictionary form)

un băiat (a boy nominative/accusative)

unui băiat (a boy genetive/dative)

băiatul (the boy, nominative/accusative) - masculine article -ul (the final -l is often dropped in pronunciation)

băiatului (the boy, genetive/dative) - masculine article -ului

Adjectives agree in number and gender but not in case (though sometimes an adjective will the case-bearing article instead of the noun).

There are also free standing articles that can help indicate case too but they're a little hard to explain here.

Here's a wiki link though the writing could be (a lot) clearer.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_grammar
mafketis   
26 Aug 2009
Life / Polish Birthday Party [10]

traditionally AFAICT birthday parties as such did not exist (don't feel bad for Polish kids, they have plenty other occasions to get gifts).

Even namedays seems more for adults than kids (and the adult whose name day it was held a party or two which they paid for and usually didn't receive any more than symbolic gifts).

I wouldn't sweat it for a one year old, you have a few years to find some traditional Polish games and foods or whatever to integrate into her birthday parties).
mafketis   
26 Aug 2009
Life / Polish Birthday Party [10]

I'll also add that it used to common practice for the person whose name day it was to bring cakes (not a cake, but various kinds of Danish and cookies and other sweet baked goods) to work for co-workers (rather than the other way around).
mafketis   
28 Aug 2009
Language / What is the name for "I would", is it conditional mood or something else? [12]

It is the conditional.

One easy thing about Polish is that there's only one conditional (which also does duty as a subjunctive and some other stuff)

Also, Polish doesn't really distinguish between

"I would (and still might)" and "I would have (but now it's impossible)"

If I won the lottery I'd buy a new house. (and I might win the lottery in the future)

Gdybym wygrał w lotto, kupiłbym nowy dom.

If I had won the lottery, I've have bought a new house. (but it's too late, I didn't win)

Gdybym wygrał w lotto, kupiłbym nowy dom.

Nice to find something easy!
mafketis   
29 Aug 2009
Language / What is the name for "I would", is it conditional mood or something else? [12]

I find it's better to think of perfective and imperfective verbs as separate verbs. The traditional practice of pairing up verbs in 'aspect pairs' creates more problems for learners than it solves. I only began making real progress when I gave up that whole idea.
mafketis   
3 Sep 2009
Language / What is this type of word called and others like it? uwydatniając [14]

I am guessing, maybe rzeczowniki czasownikowe ???

Pretty sure it's rzeczowniki odczasownikowe (the od- = from)

hanks Pio - I have yet to tackle this frightening creature:) I must learn it soon!

Very easy, only made from imperfective verbs and the process is easy.

present tense third person plural + c

mają = they have

mając = (while) having (while X-ing is not the only way to translate them but it's an easy way to distinguish them from other -ing forms in English).

mówią = they're speaking

mówiąc = while speaking

The single form is for all persons and numbers but the subject must be the same as another verb in the sentence.

Napisałem list słuchając muyki. or Sluchając muzyki napisałem list.

I wrote a letter while listening to music. or While listening to music I wrote a letter.

It's also possible with an infinitive as the other verb.

Also the negative form is equivalent to the English 'without X-ing'.

Jak znaleźć utwór nie znając autora ani tytułu.

How to find a song without knowing who wrote it or what it's called.

They're really not nearly as tough as they may seem at first.
mafketis   
6 Sep 2009
Life / HOW WIDESRPEAD IS RECREATIONAL DRUG USE IN POLAND? [30]

Polish drug use tends to differ a lot from use in the US.

Two big differences:

1. more directly tied to problematic family relationships (this is the dark side of strong family ties, people expect too much from family members leading to mutual disappointment and resentment and parents often have trouble communicating with their kids in anything but orders and commands)

2. using uppers to study for exams like matura (and university finals) the Polish tradition is to goof off for most of the year and then cram like crazy for a week or two at the end, and amphetamines make that easier
mafketis   
6 Sep 2009
Life / HOW WIDESRPEAD IS RECREATIONAL DRUG USE IN POLAND? [30]

most people in Poland do drugs during relaxation time (pot) or parties (pheta, coke, xtc), without any family reasons.

Actually I was referring to problem users (addicts) rather than occasional recreational users there, I could have been clearer.
mafketis   
6 Sep 2009
News / 14 year old rape victim from Warsaw denied abortion! [348]

In case of rape, I'm absolutely in favor of abortion.

Encouraging the woman to have the baby is rewarding the rapist by allowing him to pass on his genetic material to the next generation.
mafketis   
6 Sep 2009
News / 14 year old rape victim from Warsaw denied abortion! [348]

lesser, you're dodging the question.

Again, my primary concerns are minimalizing the traumatic effects of rape on the woman and minimalizing the reproductive success of rapists.

If that means terminating (killing) a non-sentient non-viable fetus, then so be it.
mafketis   
7 Sep 2009
Language / Praca vs robota [16]

I would call 'praca' and 'robota' rough synonyms.

That is, they have the same basic meaning and are sometimes interchangeable but often they aren't.

IME 'robota' maybe implies more physical and/or unskilled labor while office or skilled labor would more be 'praca'.

Also, robota can refer to a particular task in a way that praca can't.

If you're asking if someone is employed, you always use 'praca'. On the other hand, robota can refer to a temporary or one time job.

In the context of Londonczycy, robota makes sense because most Polish people think of their jobs there as more temporary rather than permanent.
mafketis   
7 Sep 2009
Language / Praca vs robota [16]

Of course they overlap and a lot of times you can use both, but I note that:

ciężki dzień w pracy : 53,500 google hits

ciężki dzień w robocie : 1100 hits

or

znaleźć robotę : 1200

znaleźć pracę : 205,000

Also go to google images and look at what kind of pictures show up for

robotnik (almost all shovels and hardhats)

pracownik (more people at desks)
mafketis   
7 Sep 2009
Language / Kids languages for mixed couples ? [26]

The generally accepted best way:

each parent speaks to the child primarily in their own language (and has the child respond in that language)

what's the distribution of three languages in this case? (that matters in terms of answers)

try to expose the child to monolinguals in both (or all three) languages so they have to respond in the various languages

yes, there is sometimes a delay in the onset of speaking with bilingual children, but they catch up (in both languages) quickly

Also, realize that the language of the playground trumps whatever mom and dad speak (and the language of school) and children will usually end up preferring to speak the language of the children they play with.
mafketis   
8 Sep 2009
Language / Does "hej" mean hello? [13]

What does the word hej in the song hej sokoły or in hej bistra woda mean?

bystra

as for hej, it's more a way of calling to someone to get their attention more than a greeting.

In modern Polish 'halo' (hallo?) works the same way, getting the attention of someone whose name you don't know.

hej is actually used more as a goodbye but usually not on its own. Often Polish people will string together three or more expressions when saying goodbye "na razie, cześć, pa, hej"
mafketis   
10 Sep 2009
News / 14 year old rape victim from Warsaw denied abortion! [348]

This is common knowledge that sooner or later most of women must deal with post-abortion trauma.(for example a women who made abortion possible in the US or some other who ran abortion "clinic" herself) They need to be helped by professional psychologists (in opposition to greedy ones paid by abortion lobby) who would explain them that what was tragic is past. Help them to see distinction between innocent baby and rapist. This is the only way to solve this problem.

Yes, some women regret having abortions. For many the regret is transitory but for a tragic percentage (not the majority from any research I know of) it becomes a serious problem and the need counselling to work through it. But it's their problem, not yours, not mine. I believe in choice and I realize that means some women will make the wrong choice. Freedom isn't necessarily easy or hazard free.

A non-sentient non-viable fetus is not a baby and does not have the moral status of a baby and I know of no philosophical or ethical system that really thinks it is.

My own rubicon in terms of abortion is viability (roughly: the ability of the fetus to survive on its own without extraordinary medical intervention).

So, if for whatever reason a woman doesn't get an abotion by the time of viability (let's be conservative and say 20 weeks) then I don't think she should be allowed an abortion barring extreme extenuating circumstances (like the pregnancy being a physical danger to her health in which case I know of no one who thinks she should be compelled to carry to term).
mafketis   
10 Sep 2009
News / KRAUTS RESUME POLE-BASHING [60]

In german TV when they show Poles,it is usually reportage about thieving or border smuggling.

To play devil's (or Germans' - same thing) advocate: Anyone here ever heard of 'juma'?

pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juma

"Słowo to wywodzi się z rejonów nadgranicznych i określało rodzaj przestępstwa polegający na kradzieży towarów w przygranicznych, niemieckich sklepach"

"The word comes from border areas and described a kind of crime related to stealing merchandize from German stores near the border" (nb this isn't shoplifting bread for hungry children, it's breaking and entering and grand larceny)

There was an article on this some years ago in Gazeta Wyborcza which described how juma was the major industry in large areas of the countryside near the border. Not too long after I had a (weekend) student from that part of the country and surprised her when I used the word (she hadn't realized I knew Polish). I asked if she knew people who did that and she said yeah, a lot of people in her village supported themselves that way and she didn't see anything wrong with it (they're only Germans, who cares what happens to them?).

I don't know if the situation had improved but when large numbers of people cross the border to commit crimes I think it's okay for the country in question to be upset about it - especially when the country where the criminals come from doesn't give a rat's ass.

This is not to say that there isn't stupid prejudice and jerks in Germany (and completely illegal linguisic prejudice supported by the courts), just that viewing German attitudes through the prism of 'they're all nazis and hate us' is no more productive than Germans thinking 'they're all thieves' about Poles.

Kumbayah......
mafketis   
12 Sep 2009
News / 14 year old rape victim from Warsaw denied abortion! [348]

"You seems to changed your approach..."

Not really. I have my opinion about what people should do but I ultimately recognize that it's their choice. You don't and want to force your opinions on morality on others.
mafketis   
16 Sep 2009
Work / Do I Need To Speak Polish To Get Around for 5 Weeks in Krakow [23]

You'll do okay short term. But if you decide to stay definitely learn Polish even if you don't get much encouragement from your co-workers (nothing says 'bad language teacher' quite like inability or unwillingness to learn a language).

Polish is tough at first, but rewards the persistent listener (and Poland in Polish is at least 10 times more interesting than Poland in English).
mafketis   
16 Sep 2009
Language / Kids languages for mixed couples ? [26]

Tv is also a huge influence on which language they prefer and so this that of the playground.

As far as i can tell the playground trumps all other linguistic concerns for children. I know of a couple of cases of children in Poland whose non-Polish parents didn't speak Polish to them at all (though they could speak it). Within a few months of starting to meet other children the kids become dominant in Polish (tv also helps with this, but it's the peer group that seems to be the single biggest factor).

Some influential language acquisition studies conducted in the suburban US (where kids got more input from the mother than all other people combined) have distorted how language acquisition has normally worked for most of human history. Basically in most cultures at most times children primarily learn to speak from other children (just as a large part of childcare was provided by other children). Input from the parents happens first, but it's not the most influential.
mafketis   
16 Sep 2009
Study / What do Polish kids learn at school? [3]

Your best bet is probably somewhere here (ministry of education's page):

men.gov.p

the English page is only contact information but it gives you someone to write to and ask for info.

hint: Having a Polish person write to them in Polish will probably speed up their reaction time. Also if there's no answer at first keep on writing, sometimes Polish institutions prioritize their responses by how persistent you are.

Oh and here's a 64 page pdf in English

eurydice.org.pl/files/the_system_2008.pdf

warning: policies described are probably more theoretical than real. Polish people like having clear guidelines in print but they generally don't much care about actually following them.
mafketis   
17 Sep 2009
Language / What is the name for "I would", is it conditional mood or something else? [12]

Well, actually there could be a difference between 1st and 2nd conditional in polish.

It might be important to remember that 1rst, 2nd and third conditionals are not terms that native speakers of English are liable to be familiar with (unless they've had training to be English teachers). They're sort of an artificial construction for the benefit of learners of English.

The only distinction I remember specifically being taught was the idea of "could still happen" vs "can't happen anymore".

Also, while "Jak do mnie zadzwoni, pójdę." will normally be translated into English as a conditional, it's not really a conditional in Polish (if we want to keep semantic and grammatical categories separate, which I do). It can also be translated non-conditionally into English "I'll go when she calls".
mafketis   
1 Oct 2009
Food / Where is the best place to eat pierogi in Poland? [24]

Best pierogies I've ever had were in Wrocław about a five minute walk west from the train station on Piłsudskiego. I can't remember the name of the place but it specialized in homemade pierogies, which really delicious and very, very filling (and came with browned onions - also delicious).
mafketis   
2 Oct 2009
UK, Ireland / Sad life of a Polish immigrant in the UK. Ch. 2 - Stress [63]

Sorry but where do you get theses ideas from?

It's a pretty normal situation. If you move (long term) to a different country, it's quite normal for things to seem less stressful. Sure there are stresses in dealing with infrastructure, culture, language and bureaucracy but these tend to have novelty on their side and so they're not quite as bad as they might be back home.

There's also:

1. things that stressed you out in your home country are often absent

2. things that stress out locals don't bother you much (as they usually don't apply to you)

I live in Poland and have had my share of adaptation difficulties, but all in all I think of my existence as pretty low in stress. I was actually surprised when I found out how much stress Polish people experience on a day to day basis.

Finally, according to sociological research, traditionally Poland is a higher stress kind of country to live in than Britain has traditionally been, at least before labor government began its current campaign to destroy traditional British society (from the news coming out of Britain that's the only hypothesis that fits the data).
mafketis   
8 Oct 2009
News / The Polish-Hungarian friendship is as well as poisoned [45]

Serbia, the umbilicus of earth! :D

Umbilicus of Slavija!!!!!!!!

If you'd really read much of Crow's rantings, you'd realize that Slavija is far more important than a mere .... planet (pthew I spit on puny globe that is nothing compared to the imperial majesty that is Slavija!!!
mafketis   
11 Oct 2009
UK, Ireland / Sad life of a Polish migrant in the UK. Ch. 4 - Language [66]

'bye bye' is official International Learner English, one of those things learners 'know' everybody says but which native speakers rarely actually use.

IME 'bye bye' is restricted to usage with and by children, while adults use 'bye' (or 'see ya' or whatever).
mafketis   
11 Oct 2009
Language / TELEPHONE GENDER WOES? [11]

Hasn't happened to me in Poland, but if it did I (a non-native speaker) might say something like:

Czy wiadomo kiedy wróci?

Chciałbym wiedzieć czyj samochód mnie blokuje.