Dlaczego/Czemu - What is what?

Ok so cjjc is back with one of his silly questions that is probably beyond his grasp of grammar!

My questions are:

There are 2 words for why is Polish correct?

'Dlaczego' and 'Czemu'

I would like to know the difference.

Should you use 'czemu' in the negative sense almost like 'tego' versus 'to'?

Excuse my ignorance but lately I have been studying English grammar in order for me to be able to learn Polish better so I may be a little ;) out of touch.

'Czemu?', derived from the similar Russian 'Poczemu?' (Why?) is colloquial Polish for standard 'Dlaczego?', and is strictly familiar!

Excellent, thank you Marek.

:)

Po co? ...or is it Bo co?

Czemu is dative (I think) - To what [reason]?
Dlaczego looks a bit more genitive (possibly) - Of what [reason]?

Weird thing is that I was going to ask the very same question on the very same day.
Thanks for saving me the bother, Mr. Cjjccjcjcjjjc.

Po co, za co, na co, you have many Osioł.

I had learnt "dlaczego", but my ladyfriend always uses "czemu". She actually usually says "czemu why?"
I often reply to "dlaczego" with "dlaczego nie?" Is "Czemu nie?" good as well?

No problem, I was writing something in Polish and I suddenly thought: Which should I use?

Now I know.

Yes, czemu nie or even jak nie? Jak nie is more how not? Still, very similar

As long as I don't sound like I'm saying "jagnię".

Well, quite ;) Poles love saying something+what together. Po co, za co, na co etc. Also, look at dlaczego. Dla is for and czego is what, for what?

Interesting... So I wonder if is this relevant to ask "Dliachego"? when somebody said "I'm leaving for Poland" and what would it mean?

I'm asking you because in Russian questions "dlia chego" and "(po)chemu" imply a bit different things.

Ex:
1)
- I'm leaving for Poland.
- Dlia chego? (here that means what would be the purpose of your trip, what would you like to take from there)
- I want to study Polish (you name the purpose)

2)
- I'm leaving for Poland.
- Pochemu? (the meaning here is "why in the world are you leaving? don't you like Russia?")
- I'm sick&tired of Putin and this police government (here you name your reasons to leave Russia or any other country for Poland).

Is that the same in Polish I wonder? This could shatter I think some more light on the question of yours, cjjc. ;)

Yes, dlaczego works in that way. It basically means why and for what purpose.

Czemu is much the same, just used between friends and familiar company.

Ok so, I'm thinking in English here but...

I imagine Dlaczego to be the typical Polish version of English: Why?

I'm thinking that Czemu is kind of like the English version of Eh? but without the exclamation, you know in a kind of friendly colloquial way.

:)

Hmm maybe.....

Nah, just an informal way of saying why, nothing more/nothing less. Or.....nah, nothing ;)

Or why is that ?


More direct maybe like just . Why ?

I thought dlaczego and czemu were interrchangeable although I use dlaczego a lot more, what are some examples of when you can use one and not the other?

They are basically synonyms. One is just more formal.

I love the way folk drag out threads.

I agree, it just ends up confusing people in the long run

Dlaczego? Sorry, czemu? ;)

I would say 'dlaczego' and 'czemu' are interchangable and mean exactly same thing. This is the way I and everyone I know use 'em.

Edit:
typo

That's right, the meaning is the same and one is more formal. "Czemu" is considered a bit rude, an evidence of lack of manners. Well bred ladies / gentlemen do not ask "czemu?" or "co?", they use "dlaczego" and "proszę? / słucham?" instead :]

The best posting yet on this topic. I agree 100%