Please, someone (preferably a native Polish speaker) explain the reasoning behind the two following sentances which I have been taught by a Polish teacher in class:
1) Trzeba pójść prosto na pasach, i potem trzeba skręcić w lewo... itd.
You will need to go straight ahead to the zebra crossing, and then you'll need to turn left... etc.
2) Pan musi iść na światłach, i potem skręcić w prawo... itd.
You have to go to the lights, and then turn right... etc.
I thought that na + Locative/miejscownik indicates position:
Jestem na rynku (I'm in the market square), jesteśmy na lotnisku (we are at the airport)
Aneta jest na poczcie (Aneta is in/at the post office),
and that na + Accusative/biernik indicates motion towards some fixed point:
Idę na rynek (I'm going to the market square), jedziemy na lotnisko (we are driving to the airport), Aneta idzie na pocztę (Aneta is going to the post office)
If:
pasy plpot.= zebra crossing
światło npot. = traffic light, and światła = traffic lights,
then I would have expected these sentences indicating motion,
'You will need to go straight ahead to the zebra crossing' to translate into Polish as:
'Trzeba pójść prosto na pasy' (na + Accusative/biernik) or, 'Trzeba pójść prosto do pasów '(do + Genitive/dopełniacz),
and 'You have to go to the lights' to translate into Polish as:
'Pan musi iść na światła' (na + Accusative/biernik) or, 'Pan musi iść do świateł' (do + Genitive/dopełniacz)
But, contrary to intuition, these two sentences of motion towards in Polish are:
Trzeba pójść na pasach (na + Locative/miejscownik)
Pan musi iść na światłach (na + Locative/miejscownik)
Maybe there is no logical explanation and that these are just set expressions and quirks of the Polish language... Please, all native Polish speakers, do not take these observations as criticisms. I'm just trying to understand the reasoning... Maybe I've completely missed the point, but it is just a little confusing!
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance
Pozdrawiam
1) Trzeba pójść prosto na pasach, i potem trzeba skręcić w lewo... itd.
You will need to go straight ahead to the zebra crossing, and then you'll need to turn left... etc.
2) Pan musi iść na światłach, i potem skręcić w prawo... itd.
You have to go to the lights, and then turn right... etc.
I thought that na + Locative/miejscownik indicates position:
Jestem na rynku (I'm in the market square), jesteśmy na lotnisku (we are at the airport)
Aneta jest na poczcie (Aneta is in/at the post office),
and that na + Accusative/biernik indicates motion towards some fixed point:
Idę na rynek (I'm going to the market square), jedziemy na lotnisko (we are driving to the airport), Aneta idzie na pocztę (Aneta is going to the post office)
If:
pasy plpot.= zebra crossing
światło npot. = traffic light, and światła = traffic lights,
then I would have expected these sentences indicating motion,
'You will need to go straight ahead to the zebra crossing' to translate into Polish as:
'Trzeba pójść prosto na pasy' (na + Accusative/biernik) or, 'Trzeba pójść prosto do pasów '(do + Genitive/dopełniacz),
and 'You have to go to the lights' to translate into Polish as:
'Pan musi iść na światła' (na + Accusative/biernik) or, 'Pan musi iść do świateł' (do + Genitive/dopełniacz)
But, contrary to intuition, these two sentences of motion towards in Polish are:
Trzeba pójść na pasach (na + Locative/miejscownik)
Pan musi iść na światłach (na + Locative/miejscownik)
Maybe there is no logical explanation and that these are just set expressions and quirks of the Polish language... Please, all native Polish speakers, do not take these observations as criticisms. I'm just trying to understand the reasoning... Maybe I've completely missed the point, but it is just a little confusing!
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance
Pozdrawiam