Language / How to say that you dont speak polish in polish? [23]

I know how you feel. I always feel awkward when I'm in a foreign country (like this summer in Netherlands) and talk to someone who's speaking Dutch in English or German.

so:
I'm sorry. - Przykro mi.
I don't speak Polish. - Nie mówię po polsku.

Could we talk in English? - Czy moglibyśmy rozmawiać po angielsku?
Could you speak English? - Czy mógłbyś mówić po angielsku? (to a person you're friendly with) Czy mógłby Pan mówić po angielsku? (formal, to a man) Czy mogłaby Pani mówić po angielsku? (formal, to a woman) Czy moglibyście mówić po angielsku? (to a group of people)

To make the impossible simple:
Przykro mi, nie mówię po polsku, czy moglibyśmy rozmawiać po angielsku?


Hey, have you forgotten the Genitive case?

To jest język polski. (this is the polish language)
Nie znam języka polskiego. (i don't know the polish language)

Language / Writing Polish in longhand (cursive) [17]

Ć, Ń, Ó, Ś, - and Ż are written as C, N, O, S and Z, with the special dots or kreska centered above the letter.

I have found a guide to designing polish fonts: twardoch.com/download/polishhowto/intro.html

There's very little about the handwriting, but some descriptions should give you an idea what the letters should look like.

Language / SLANG FOR INEBRIATION IN POLISH? [32]


Yeah :D
After I've had finished my last post, I was thinking about adding something about hangover. So there you go:

hangover - kac (pronounced almost as "Catz", the "a" is just a bit more Polish)

Mam kaca. Dzisiaj miałem kaca-giganta. On jest strasznie skacowany.


It is very accurate, but more slang than podchmielony, or lekko podpity.

I think when a Pole is little buzzed or tipsy, he'd say he's just after one or two beers/shots - po jednym piwie/piwku/kieliszku, po małej wódce.

Language / SLANG FOR INEBRIATION IN POLISH? [32]

No it can't. JustysiaS and Saja pointed it already. We use "pojebany" to insult someone who is acting very crazy, or is just mental.

One more word for being very drunk - narżnięty.

Language / The Dative Case [62]

Idę do nowego sklepu. (I walk to a/the new shop.)
F. Idę do nowej ciężarówki.
N. Idę do nowego kina. Idę do nowego miejsca.

"I walk into a/the shop" (I enter the shop) should be translated as "Wchodzę do sklepu".

And yes, the "do" preposition makes it the Dative case.

Language / Accusative Case [44]

You're correct, the "ye" just gets shortened into "e". I can't think off a Polish word, that would have "ye", "ya" or "yu".

More rules, for some less common nouns:
Masc, Animate:
add 'a' to nouns ending with a consonant, but 'ego' to nouns ending with '-y' or '-i', and 'ę' to most nouns ending with '-a'.

Feminine: No change for nouns ending with consonant, for nouns ending with '-a', change it into '-ę'.

examples:
młody uczony - młodego uczonego (Masc. Anim.)
szybki zombi - szybkiego zombiego (Masc. Anim.)
stary artysta - starego artystę (Masc. Anim.)
mała kość - małą kość (Fem.)
duża wieś - małą wieś (Fem.)

But these nouns are really less common, so your rules are quite accurate. I can also treat the masculine adjectives (I think all end with '-y' or '-i') as nouns ending with '-y' or '-i'.

Language / Which case for adjectives? [47]


You can't say "dwóch okien/stołów" in Accusative. Non-human nouns won't get "dwóch" in Accusative, because you can't say "dwóch okna/stoły" in Nominative (that's my explanation, but I think it is accurate). The Accusative should be "dwa okna/stoły/psy".

Im not sure about "dwóch psów" in Nominative and Accusative. I think I've seen it somewhere in Polish literature (probably Sienkiewicz or some fantasy novels), but it is definitely not modern Polish. "Dwóch psów" (in Nom. and Acc.) is okay, when you're talking about two policemen, who are sometimes called "psy" in slang.

Of course, "dwóch psów" in Genitive is OK.

Language / Masc/Fem, Nom-Instr Exceptions [4]


astronauta - astronautą
dentysta - dentystą
(this rule appeals to most nominatives ending with -a)

I don't know how are the rules, but z_darius's rule with -IEM/-EM doesn't work with all jobs. Unfortunately I can't guess what the real rule is.

examples:
fizyk - fizykiem
strażak - strażakiem
I suspect that the consonant that closes the word is important here.