Plural endings

I am just beginning to learn Polish and am learning my numbers. My audio pack states that when talking about Złoty, this word changes depending on the amount you are talking about eg. "2 Złoty" and "10 Złoty".

Why do the endings on the word "Złoty" change depending on the amount? Does this apply to other plurals too or just the word "Złoty"?

Have a look here:

https://polishforums.com/language/plural-zloty-24229/

Plurals change all the time, for no obvious reason to the English speaker.

Thanks for the link Osiol

"Złoty" is a noun that belongs to the group of nouns called "męskożywotne" (animate masculine) they have similar declension rules as adjectives and yes it applies to other nouns in plural form as well.

Singular Plural
Nominative złoty złote
Genitive złotego złotych
Dative złotemu złotym
Accusative złotego złote
Instrumental złotym złotymi
Locative złotym złotych
Vocative złoty złote


For the numbers 2, 3 and 4 you ask the question "co" (mam dwa co?) = Nominative Plural “złote"
While 5, 6, etc. and the whole numbers ask the question "czego" (mam pięć czego?) = Genitive Plural "złotych" (so there is a method to this madness)

That was going to be my next question, what is the difference between "Czego" and "Co"?

The difference between "Czego?" and "Co?" looks transparent enough: The first responds to the genitive (possessive) case,, e.g. 'Czego szukasz?' = What are you looking for? (lit. "Of what you search?"), the second is both nominative (the naming case) or accusative (direct object), except with masculine animate nouns. e.g. 'Co to jest?' - To jest książka. = What's that? - It's a book. or: 'Co pan widzie? - Widzę ten nowy budynek. = What do you see (formal)? - I see that new building..... Not even gonna touch Polish aspectual distinctions here between 'to see' vs. 'to look at' etc. For a whole 'nother post-:)

From here though, it gets even hairier than German, since practically NOTHING in Polish cases seems to correspond with English (or even German)!

there is also a thing of note here, if someone tries to get your attention then asnwering:

co? is not elegant
czego? is rude

No, Darius. You're confusing two different issues now. 'Co?' does of course also mean 'What?' in the Anglo-American sense of 'Huh?', rather than 'Pardon me?', 'I didn't catch that!' and so forth, which is more polite. This distinction though has nothing to do with 'czego?' being a more "polite" form!!

For example: Szukam tego nowego romana od Różiewicza. - Proszę? Czego pani szuka? = I'm looking for that new novel of Różiewicz. - Sorry? What are you looking for?

The polite form of 'Co?', which is often colloquial Polish, would be 'Proszę?', sometimes even 'Słucham?', usually on the phone.

My former flatmate used to answer the phone with a very rude-sounding "Co?" almost every time. I told him that it sounded impolite, but he told me that there was nothing wrong with it and that it's perfectly normal. I would never answer the phone with just the word "What?".

"If you say 'Co?' when answering the phone to me, I'll just hang up. Sluchasz?"

Osiol,

It's more similar to German 'Bitte?' vs. 'Was?' The latter isn't grammatically "wrong", it just sounds rude, again cf. 'Sorry?/Pardon me?' vs. 'Huh?'/What?' in English.

I heard in our local Polish booknook, 'Lipiński, słucham!', whenever the owner/manager picked up the phone as clients called in. Figure though, he's just one of those super-polite older Poles.-:)

I knew that it's a question of politeness rather than grammar. I'm usually polite, especially on the phone.

On the whole, I find the English, superficially at least, far better mannered both on the phone as well as elsewhere, than your run-of-the-mill Yank. English-speaking Canadians come in a close second-:)

Slam (....goes the receiver!!!).......

There was just a little crackle on the line, that's all!

It does. "czego" is rude, not more polite in this context, and is sometimes used instead of "co".

Well then, I learned something (...for a change!!!)

Cheers, mate

With this, can somebody tell me how to write the following then in Polish:-

1 Zloty = złoty
2,3,4 Zloty = 2,3,4 złote
5 and over = 5 złotych

1 Dollar = 1......?
2,3,4 Dollars = ........?
5 and over Dollards = ......?

1 Pound = 1.......?
2,3,4 Pounds = ........?
5 and over Pounds = ......?

Many thanks

1 Dollar = 1 dolar
2,3,4 Dollars = 2,3,4 dolary
5 and over Dollards = 5 dolarów

1 Pound = 1 funt
2,3,4 Pounds = 2,3,4 funty
5 and over Pounds = 5 funtów

1 dollar – 1 dolar

2 dollars – 2 dolary

3 dollars – 3 dolary

4 dollars – 4 dolary

5 dollars – 5 dolarów

6 dollars – 6 dolarów

7 dollars – 7 dolarów

8 dollars – 8 dolarów

9 dollars – 9 dolarów

10 dollars – 10 dolarów

11 dollars – 11 dolarów

12 dollars – 12 dolarów

13 dollars – 13 dolarów

14 dollars – 14 dolarów

15 dollars – 15 dolarów

16 dollars – 16 dolarów

17 dollars – 17 dolarów

18 dollars – 18 dolarów

19 dollars – 19 dolarów

20 dollars – 20 dolarów

21 dollars – 21 dolarów

22 dollars – 22 dolary

23 dollars – 23 dolary

24 dollars – 24 dolary

25 dollars – 25 dolarów

26 dollars – 26 dolarów

27 dollars – 27 dolarów

28 dollars – 28 dolarów

29 dollars – 29 dolarów

30 dollars – 30 dolarów