Share Perfective and Imperfective Polish verbs

Jones,
True enough. I think it valuable as well to mention in addition to those other languages you named, that all too often the double-standard of 'practicing' vs. 'speaking' a language rears its head. Frequently, in certain countries, e.g. Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands etc., the inhabitants will rarely give a non-native, even if fluent in their language, as much as a chance to speak, yet will instantly switch to English. When this happened to yours truly, I responded "Oh, fine! So, you'd like to practice your English as well?", I was met with a smug, cold irritation: "Practice?! I think I speak English quite well, thank you very much!"

My answer: "Yes, and you seem to be a majority of one." The person was speechless.

Mind you, both Chinese and Arabic have so many dialects that I do not know how you would have enough years to live in order to master them all properly.

Merged: Dawać czy Dać

I am currently following a beginners' Polish course and have just learn the following phrase, "Mogę Panu dać.....?" which I am told means "I can give you....."

When I have looked up the verb "dać" in the dictionary, it says it means "to supply" or "to allow". I have looked up the verb "to give" and the dictionary gives the verb, "dawać".

My question is, which verb is most suited for the sentence, "Can I give you..." for example, "Can I give you 10 dollars?" Is it better to you "Mogę Panu dać.....? or "Mogę Panu dawać.....?"

Thanks

hiya
follow the links, hope that helps :)

en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Polish/Conjugations_of_common_verbs
en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Polish:Verbs

Moge panu dac...
Don't know the proper grammatical way to explain this but you would use this form if you are referring to giving the 10 dollars ONE time.

Can I give you 10 dollars (now): Moge panu dac 10 dolarow?
Can I give you 10 dollars (every Friday for example): Moge panu dawac...
I'm sorry if this is confusing! Hope it helps.

What's the difference between daj and dawaj then?

comes from dać - aspekt dokonany (perfect)


comes from dawać - aspekt niedkonany (imperfect)

dawaj is a bit stronger than daj as well

Thanks for your answer.
What does that answer actually mean?

i thought you'd know what aspekt dokonany and niedokonany is.
dać - to give
dawać - to be giving

dawaj can also mean hurry up, not just give [it to me]

A bit, but I don't get it in the context of the imperative.

it's like when you say:
rób to (which comes from robić which is imperfect) it's like you were saying keep doing it
zrób to (which comes from zrobić which is perfect) it's like you were saying do this NOW

it's a bit awkward with daj and dawaj, but i suppose it makes sense when you translate it like this:
daj to - give it
dawaj to - keep giving it
but here both of those forms can be understood as give it NOW, and dawaj is actually stronger and sorta more aggressive than daj

is it any clearer now?

so if I was asking for a hammer, one could be seen as the weaker 'pass me the hammer (when you've got a mo)' and the other as 'Give me the bloody hammer'?

yes pretty much that is right

Yes, thanks.

ta muchly J :)

no problemo :) an even softer version of daj is podaj (pass on). and then there's podaj and podawaj, pass on and keep passing on ;)

an even softer version

do you have one in bubble wrap? :) Interesting stuff J. This kind of thing facinates and infuriates to the same degree. It's why languages are great fun and natives so vital. You can't find this kind of thing in the library. :)

no unfortunately i don't work in a library :) if i ever need help with English idioms and slang words i will give you a shout lol

I thought that you are the library.

if anything, i'm the dictionary ;)

dać - to give
dawać - to be giving

:P

yes as in i am giving, you are giving, sort of like present continuous

Merged: Imperfective & perfective

Translate please>

Ja mówię= I speak/talk
Ja mówiłem=I spoke/talked
Ja powiedziałem=

Ja rozumiem=I understand
Ja rozumiałem=I understood
Ja zrozumiałem=

As you see i have answered the first two myself........because after that i get confused...........................

Am i correct in thinking that POWIEDZIALEM & ZROZUMIALEM are PAST PARTICPLES?

as talk/speak are present tense &
talked/spoke are both past tense

so would the missing answers be> talked/spoken and understood?

Powiadzialem - I said. I think this might be the one to use when recalling what someone said.
There is the future form as well, but I'm already beyond my depth with the past and present.

Happy New Year.

THAT DOES NOT HELP

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

There are a few threads about dokonane/niedokonane on these forums, have you read them?

And of course a belated Happy New Year!

where on this forum??

I have a small question, because somebody said me, that

Czytałem książkę - I was reading a book.
Przeczytałem książkę - I read a book.

Is this correct or more complicated? If yes maybe it helps sb.

Basically Przeczytalem indicates a more complete action, so I read it and finished it, whereas czytalem doesnt indicate how much you read.

The same is with pic & wypic. Wypick is the same in English as drink up - to the end, whilst pic is to simly drink.

The difficulty comes in the differnece between the words Przeczytam and bede czytal.

Hope this helps you a little

Sorry i couldnt be arsed to used polish letters

Przeczytałem książkę -I read the book, and finished it. So it is a done thing, completed.

Czytałem książkę - I was reading a book but didn't necessarily finish it, yet.

Generally I find that any expression in English that has "...ing" in the verb will use the imperfective verb aspect in Polish; running, swimming, jumping etc.