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What is the most annoying thing about non-native Polish speakers?


xXlisaXx 8 | 182  
27 May 2007 /  #31
cause its is so cute

My Polish friend calls it cute when i get it wrong. He laughs which is a bit off puting but nice.
Shawn_H  
27 May 2007 /  #32
Mixing feminine and masculine doesnt make us laugh

But do you get the general idea of what we are trying to say?
bunia 1 | 134  
27 May 2007 /  #33
He laughs which is a bit off puting but nice.

because it honestly does put a smile on our face and its cute. Dont get it wrong way, he doesnt want to put you off.

So many people are laughing at work when i just cant get a sound diffrence between sheet and **** when i talk :)
Moonlighting 31 | 234  
29 May 2007 /  #35
As far as Polish speakers are concerned it's almost impossible to learn how to use "a" and "the" correctly.

So, it's a common mistake, then? My Polish friend also does it.

At the beginning we knew each other, she wrote me to say she had a boyfriend and I was confused. She said "His name is XXX and he is the journalist". At first, I thought there was a famous journalist called XXX in Poland and she was his girlfriend. But no, it was just her mistake, as she simply meant that he is "a" journalist.

French speakers don't even like to speak any other language than French........ :-) Sorry had to come out

Don't be sorry. You are terribly right. It's a shame to speak only your language when your country belongs to the past of Europe. :-)
OP dannyboy 18 | 248  
31 May 2007 /  #36
Quoting: dannyboy
speakers tend to speak grammar quite well

A perfect example of excellent grammar!

LOL ;-)

I was tired.
Besides, part of the reason I posted was because I have caught myself making so many grammatical mistakes lately, due to my GF.
She speaks english very well, however, her grammar can be a disaster at times and I seem to be absorbing some of it unfortunately.
Foreigner4 12 | 1,768  
27 Nov 2007 /  #37
argh I don't know if this pisses poles off but it sure as hell gets on my nerves, i never use my na's and za's and u's correctly. and when i speak polish it's always in this translated kind of way where the words are correct but it just doesn't sound right. if it kills my ears then it's gotta wound theirs something awful.
soulfiremage  
28 Nov 2007 /  #38
I'm in trouble if I go to Poland on my current skill level then!!

At the start of this year we got a Polish mechanic in the workshop I hang out in. His English was slightly better than my Polish is now.

I used Byki to get about 5 phrases (just hello, how are you etc). Took me ages to memorise just a few phrases, I was shocked at how slow I really was at this.

Anyway, we get a second Polish guy as the first is really good. The second guy has much more English, and more talkative. We get on great.

Only, I learn swear words, much more rapidly than the previous greetings etc. It's a workshop and well, their language with filled with kurwa, guvnoh, cutas and all the rest. Context I guess.

On the other hand, since then I've spent about 6 weeks constantly hammering the Pimsluer material hoping to gain enough to go visit and converse more naturally.

One problem is the trill, the rolled r. I cannot get my tongue around that!!
mattinho - | 1  
28 Nov 2007 /  #39
well I'm not polish but when I'm in poland and I say to some one in english "I can speak a little polish"

they always say yeah what "Kurwa"
it shits me right off.

I know about 1000 - 2000 words.
my friends are shocking for helping me, if i say ask me something in polish they talked at 100 miles an hour.
they must not realise I always talk slowly and clearly to them, I'm waiting for my best mate to come over from australia, when he does I'm inviting them all around and going to see there and talk flat out fast with him with extreme accent and super aussie country slang, they'll get the hint eventually lol
soulfiremage  
28 Nov 2007 /  #40
Droher mowie po polsku, niesbit dobrze is one way to say it. Please excuse the spelling however, its from my auditory memory :-), so it's sort of written phonetically too!

I've no clue how many words I really know. It usually feels like ten or twenty, though I think it's really nearer 100 as different words/phrases will popup when I try to use it.
Foreigner4 12 | 1,768  
28 Nov 2007 /  #41
mattinho- i hear ya brother. There is no notion of graded language when we're here, it's 100/hour and if you ask them to say that again a lil slower it's the exact same speed. Oh well it's up to us to adjust
andy b 4 | 156  
28 Nov 2007 /  #42
I will tell you what really annoys me living in Krakow. It's when I go into a shop/cafe/bar and ask for something in my passable Polish and I get the reply in English. I guess this is more likely to happen in Krakow because of the number of tourists, but I live here and I want to fit in! I guess it is because I don't look Polish, and perhaps they want to show that they speak English, but by the same token it is really annoying.
randompal 7 | 306  
28 Nov 2007 /  #43
I will tell you what really annoys me living in Krakow. It's when I go into a shop/cafe/bar and ask for something in my passable Polish and I get the reply in English.

this could happen anywhere to anyone so dont take it personally...I used to get it in Amsterdam..
osiol 55 | 3,921  
28 Nov 2007 /  #44
when I go into a shop/cafe/bar and ask for something in my passable Polish and I get the reply in English

Time for you to reply 'Nie rozumiem!' I think.
andy b 4 | 156  
28 Nov 2007 /  #45
sometimes I do!
Mufasa 19 | 357  
28 Nov 2007 /  #46
I go into a shop/cafe/bar and ask for something in my passable Polish and I get the reply in English.

Warsaw too!

The other thing that really annoys me (can think of a few other words as well) is when my Polish teacher decides for me what would be too difficult for me to learn!!
telefonitika  
28 Nov 2007 /  #47
Time for you to reply 'Nie rozumiem!' I think.

i say that when i get cold callers to my door or the local religious folks calling to offer me a copy of the watchtower. (sorry no offense intended)
postie 7 | 112  
28 Nov 2007 /  #48
Kourvamuch! You mean swearing in Polish isn't acceptable???

That blows out about 50% of my Polish words then....

:)
osiol 55 | 3,921  
28 Nov 2007 /  #49
That blows out about 50% of my Polish words then

I'd give it 30% of my Polish vocabulary. Ish.

It may be unacceptable in most situations, but may be important to know.

watchtower

You could use some of the other words we have been discussing of late on this thread too.
z_darius 14 | 3,965  
28 Nov 2007 /  #50
For learners: Don't put the in front of names

Unless it is justified by the meaning you need to convey :)

In general:

a/an

1. countable
2. unspecific
3. as nouns in description

the if the noun is:

1. mentioned before
2. unique in a given case
3. has ordinal number
4. following info/coversation that makes it sufficiently specific
5. has superlative adjective (or comparative, if comparing 2 things)

No article

1. uncountable
2. unspecific plural (esp. when generalizing)
3. most proper nouns
4. many names of times (if they are nouns)
5. places (if being/traveling to them requires a change in social behavior)

And there are some exceptions and differences between BE and AE.
butchboy  
7 Dec 2007 /  #51
Yeah, you are helpless in Poland if you dont speak the language or have a translator by your side. cant do anything but maybe buy cigarettes.
z_darius 14 | 3,965  
7 Dec 2007 /  #52
To me the most annoying thing about non-native Polish speakers is that they exist, so I can never be sure I can talk privately in the presence of foreigners :)

When I was a student of English philology, one of my profersors was a Brit by the name Angus Macqueen (Hi Angus). He was out Shakespeare teacher and a very nice fella. He spoke practically no Polish After a year or so in Poland he went back to Oxford for some time and then came back to Wroclaw University.

During on of the classes he suddenyl left the classrom and came back with a handful of chalk. One of the sudents made a comment (in Polish, to conceal the meaning): "what a fool, he could have asked one of us to bring the chalk". At that, Angus stopped jotting notes on the board, turned around and said with a funny Polish accent, but nevertheless correctly: "Nie jestem glupcem. Jestem poprostu uprzejmy" (I am not a fool, I am simply polite).

His Polish was eventually so good that in late 1980's he was a consultant and the translator for the documentary "Struggles for Poland"
Davey 13 | 388  
10 Dec 2007 /  #53
This type of language is taught in Polish schools. Ex: The way Present Simple and Present Continuous are used in Newspapers. Also, the reason for short words like axe and cut.

They teach them British English and to tell the truth I don't understand a lot of it! I live in Canada....people were using words like 'crisps' for chips and 'lift' for elevator, and to tell the truth I really didn't know what the hell they were talking about
z_darius 14 | 3,965  
10 Dec 2007 /  #54
I live in Canada....people were using words like 'crisps' for chips and 'lift' for elevator, and to tell the truth I really didn't know what the hell they were talking about

You'll get used to it and eventually you'll wonder why people pay money for flats rather than for repairing them :)
Guest  
28 Apr 2008 /  #55
Trochę mówię po polsku which means I can speak polish a bit. Try some more and U`ll be great speaker, however speaking polish is much easier than writing, U will have to read a bit as well
Bondi 4 | 142  
8 May 2008 /  #56
They teach them British English and to tell the truth I don't understand a lot of it! I live in Canada....people were using words like 'crisps' for chips and 'lift' for elevator, and to tell the truth I really didn't know what the hell they were talking about

American English words sound too posh: "elevator" for lift, "apartment" for flat, or "automobile" for car are perfect examples... :o)

I will tell you what really annoys me living in Krakow. It's when I go into a shop/cafe/bar and ask for something in my passable Polish and I get the reply in English. I guess this is more likely to happen in Krakow because of the number of tourists, but I live here and I want to fit in! I guess it is because I don't look Polish, and perhaps they want to show that they speak English, but by the same token it is really annoying.

LoL. It's even worse when I go to a Polish shop in the UK and they speak to me in Polish. Basically, I get on well with my Polish, but I usually end up with explanations at the till, starting "Nie jestem Polakiem."
F15guy 1 | 160  
8 May 2008 /  #57
To me the most annoying thing about non-native Polish speakers is that they exist, so I can never be sure I can talk privately in the presence of foreigners :)

Welcome to the "global world."

Two Polish friends of mine said they were walking behind a beautiful girl in Rome, one commented in Polish "Co za ladna dupa" and the girl turned around and said, "Tak, ale nie dla wszystkich." ["What a lovely butt." "Yes, but it's not for everyone."]
Seanus 15 | 19,674  
10 May 2008 /  #58
Hehehe, the moral of that story is never assume that the person doesn't understand u
Arise_St_George 9 | 419  
10 May 2008 /  #59
I've known alot of Poles that can't pronounce the word "the" using the "th" with their tongue or "Ibiza" (Ib-eetha.) Alot tend to use "ver" or "da."

There's alot of English words Poles can't pronounce correctly and there's alot of Polish words that English people can't pronounce properly.
AngelNC 2 | 84  
10 May 2008 /  #60
I've known alot of Poles that can't pronounce the word "the" using the "th" with their tongue

When they try to pronounce "Thirty" :)

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