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


Przeczytawszy jej list, zadzwoniłem bezpośrednio do swojej matki.

cinek

Language / Declension of "-ość" - miłość / zieleń [19]


I'd say that now every one would avoid using it at all. This is one of those examples that are used so seldom that most people are not sure what is the correct form.

"Zieleni" is the correct form, but people just dont 'feel' it, because they don't need to use such word in everyday speech. On the other hand, they do use vocative of words like kobieto, dziewczyno, etc. so when they see words like 'zieleń' they're trying to apply the same rules they're used to.

Therefore, monsters like 'zielenio' are born.

Cinek

Language / MLEĆ VERB - EVEN NATIVE POLES MUCK UP THIS [6]

There are two different (imperfective) words that mean the same:
mleć and mielić

mleć:

czas teraźniejszy :
ja mielę
ty mielesz
on miele
my mielemy
wy mielecie
oni mielą;

czas przeszły:
ja mełłem
ty mełłeś
on mełł
my mełliśmy
wy mełliście
oni mełli

mielić:

czas teraźniejszy:
ja mielę
ty mielisz
on mieli
my mielimy
wy mielicie
oni mielą

czas przeszły:
ja mieliłem
ty mieliłeś
on mielił (-a, -o)
my mieliliśmy
wy mieliliście
oni mielili

The perfective forms can be created by adding the appropriate prefix (like z-, prze-, wy-, po- etc.) to any of them.

Cinek

Language / POLISH ETHNIC PEJORATIVES [23]


Also SZKOP.

Cinek

Language / Verb forms and conjugation [28]


If you're using Windows XP:
1. go to Control Panel, then click on Regional and language Options
2. click on Languages tab
3. Find Text Services and Input Languages and press Details button
4. Find Installed Services and press Add buton
5. Select Polish in Input language menu
6. Check Keyboard layout checkbox and select the Polish (Programmers) keyboard.
7. Find Preferences below, and press Language Bar
8. Make sure that "Show the language bar on the desktop" is checked

From now on you can switch between English and Polish keyboard by clicking on the language bar. You can also minimize the bar to be only an icon on your task bar.

The Polish letters can be typed in by pressing the RIGHT ALT and the letter to modify e.g.:

right alt + c = ć
right alt + shift + N = Ń
etc.
the only exception is:
right alt + x = ź

Beware! If you're using alt + key kombinations as you keyboard shortcuts, they wont work with the right alt any more (only with the left alt).

Hope it helps.

Cinek

Language / TELEPHONE GENDER WOES? [11]

Use neutral language until the interlocutor says anything that reveals their gender (e.g wait for phrases like byłem/byłam etc.). I know that it may be difficult for a person not very fluent in the language.

But, politeness require introducing myself when starting a conversation, so you should expect the other side to introduce themselves (so you'll know the gender), or you can always ask "przepraszam, z kim rozmawiam?" (after you introduced yourself of course :-) )

Cinek

Language / Your Funniest / Strangest / Sadest Moments with the Polish Language [63]

My English teacher told us once that he was watching TV and there was a commercial where a guy shouted: UWAGA! and he understood it as 'you fu..er'

Cinek

Language / Polish and Russian - learning by a beginner [30]


Why not Ukrainian?

I too was once learning two similar languages, English and German, and it was a great mistake. I was often saying und instead of and, where instead of wo etc. I heard that only little children are able to learn two at the same time, but it also takes longer time.

I advise you focusing on just one (the one you'll need more or you like more) for a few years and then start the other one. You won't need to learn what is aspect or what is gender of a verb again. Instead you'll just see the similarities and the differences to what you already know.

Cinek

Language / mój - moja [28]


Not only -ość but just -ść, as well as -szcz (but where are some exceptions to this exception though ;-) ) Also sometimes similar endings, like -dź, -ź, -cz, -źń, -ć

female: wieść, pięść, część, złość, radość, boleść, kiść, wieść, powieść, piędź, więź, Bydgoszcz, Radogoszcz, zdobycz, słodycz, jaźń, bojaźń, rtęć, etc.

but:
male: chrząszcz, chrabąszcz, liść,

Language / Meaning of letters in online polish dictionary? [11]

Not sure what the letters stand for (probably just subsequent sections index) but they contain:

B tryb rozkazujący (imperative)

E imiesłów przymiotnikowy bierny (passive adjectival participle)

G imiesłów przymotnikowy czynny (active adjectival participle)

H czas przeszły i tryb przypuszczający (past tense and conditional mood)

J czas teraźniejszy (present tense)

e forma bezosobowa (no idea what can be the English name for this, even the Polish one is not precise because sometimes it includes participles too.)

j rzeczownik odczasownikowy (gerund)

(ręcznie dopisane) imiesłów przysłówkowy współczesny (contemporary adverbial participle)

Cinek

Language / A word about a dialect. [20]


I lived in Krajna region (south-east Pomorze) all my childchood. My wife is from Kujawy which borders with Krajna and my and her family homes are about 50km from each other, so not very far. I always thought that we were speaking standard Polish at home (at least compared to ppl living around), but still I can easily hear differences in the accent between my wife's family and my family speaking. The differences are subtle and mostly in pronouncing some vowels or using some words or sayings, but are very visible for me (and probably for all native speakers of Polish).

However I have no problems understainding them of course, as well as other, even distant
dialects (like Silesian or from Kresy).

Cinek

Language / Polish Phonology. [14]

No. There's no difference in normal speaking. One could pronounce it a way to make the difference hearable, but it would not sound naturally.

Cinek

Language / Not sure if I will be able to speak Polish [53]

Yes, this is Polish, but they are only TRYING to speak it I'd say. They are definitely not Polish, nor even understand what they are saying. I even think if the dialogue were written by a Polish native, e.g.:

Magda, Simon jest tutaj!

No native would say that. It shodul be like:

Magda, Simon przyszedł
or

Magda, Simon już jest.

Also, some sentences are not understandable for me at all (even though I'm a native speaker).

Cinek

Language / Share Perfective and Imperfective Polish verbs [105]


Doesn't matter. You just want to have it read, today or in a year.

Cinek

Language / mój - moja [28]


I just found another two: 'gość' and (the city of) 'Brześć'.
There's also 'jegomość', but the rule of the game was 'not male by definition', while 'jegomość' is male ;-) (the female equivalent would be 'jejmość').

Are there more?

Cinek

Language / Do you think there is something like Warsaw accent ? [29]

(0:43) A ja, jeżely Pan pozwoly, z przyjemnością.

youtube.com/watch?v=VQopO2jF6HU

This is a sample of Warsaw accent :-)

Cinek