It seems no-one has got round to dealing with any other classes for conjugating verbs on Wiktionary yet. It looks quite useful, the one that is there and was so helpfully linked by Vincent. The other Polish appendices look quite good too.
One of my text books says there are 11 patterns if you want to get technical about it, but effectively 4 with the odd variation. Not at home right now so can't quote which book it was. Off the top of my head though:
The "a" pattern: Czytać - czytam, czytasz, czyta
The "i" pattern: myśleć - myślę, myślisz, myśli
The "e" pattern: Iść - idę, idziesz, idzie
The "y" pattern: Słyszeć, słyszę, słyszysz, słyszy
According to '301 Polish Verbs': 'siedzIEć','czytAć', 'myślEć', 'iŚć', 'byWać', 'usiĄć', 'znaleZC', 'przedstaWIć' and 'żYć' as template conjugation patterns. That makes, according to the authors, nine different forms!-:) LOL
I consider myself fortunate if I've "mastered" (władzałem) only several of them, much less the entire lot. A Herculean, indeed almost Sisyphusean, labour, so it would appear.
should be "opanowałem" (opanuję in future tense) władałem - I was ruling, reigning władam - same (ruling, reigning), but also the meaning close to what you've referred to, for example "władam trzema językami obcymi" (so you can "władać" a foreing language, but not its specific words or grammatical constructions)
According to '301 Polish Verbs': 'siedzIEć','czytAć', 'myślEć', 'iŚć', 'byWać', 'usiĄć', 'znaleZC', 'przedstaWIć' and 'żYć' as template conjugation patterns. That makes, according to the authors, nine different forms!-:) LOL
Actually, it doesn't state it directly, I merely surmised from studying the various patterns that I counted somewhere in the neighborhood of nine-:) LOL
I found the pages where the first three (most used) patterns are discussed. Very useful info. In fact, I'd go so far as to state that '301' is just as necessary to beginner students of Polish as a decent dictionary.
I'm only at the stage of needing present tense so it's goimg to be fun learning all these verbs again for past, future expressions.
It's a challenge I enjoy but, damn, I'd be intermediate if I'd opted for Spanish or Italian! They'll seen easy after I'v mastered a language as complex as Polish.
Spanish and Italian have their extreme challenges too, believe me! I studied Spanish long before travelling to Spain on business and even after two months in Madrid, Barcelona and half a dozen other cities, I found my Spanish had improved only negligibly. There are all those irregular verb tenses, the two forms of 'to be' (ser/estar), the confounding idioms as well as the phonetic confusion between 'v' vs.'b' in pronunciation.
No picknick, I can assure you.
Incidentally, as a German speaker, I feel I am a relative intermediate in Polish. Were the tables turned, however, I hardly think I could've mastered English as a foreigner quite so easily.
Incidentally, as a German speaker, I feel I am a relative intermediate in Polish. Were the tables turned, however, I hardly think I could've mastered English as a foreigner quite so easily.
Even though we (English and German) share a common parent language and have much in common?
During my short stays in Spain I have found it easy to learn basic phrases and gather an understanding of how to ask simple questions and understand the answers. I cannot say the same for my first few months attempting to learn Polish. In fact I am only just starting to feel any optimism about actually being able to succeed at this language and If I had known just how difficult it would be I doubt I would have even started trying to learn.
It sounds as if we're pretty much at the same level. I'm relying on Bielec's helpful 'Basic Polish' and I agree that '301' really is a lifesaver....
It's pretty much "2 steps forward; 1.9999 steps back" for me at the moment - it feels more like a code than a language at this stage, but I'm really enjoying it! I hope it's going well for you too.
Well, if I may be so bold, learning verb conjugations might be interesting but it probably isn't the best way to improve your ability to communicate in Polish. Firstly, you won't use all the verb forms to the same degree - you'll probably use the first person singular far more often than the third person plural and I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of verbs exist more frequently in the passive (like in English). Secondly, Poles themselves often don't pronounce them properly (e instead of ę for example).
Work more on natural communicaive situations and get someone to correct your grammar as you go. You'll see much faster results. Save the heavy grammar work for later.
Then again, if you like studying grammar then go ahead - sorry for spouting off ;)
McBubbles is right, of course. In theory, sitting (standing-:) LOL) learning how to conjugate verb patterns can be a bloody waste of time at the very outset. Surely it's important, but only after the basic communicative intercourse is more or less in place. Being able to rattle off 'ciąć - tnę, tniesz, tne etc. ad infintium' hardly presupposes that you can just as blithely walk into some random eatery smack in the middle of Poland and comfortably order a meal without both the wait staff and you lookin' at one another as though you both have two heads!!!
Best at first to focus on speaking (as organic a method as possible, considering that learning a seocnd language is supposed to mirror learning one's mother tongue, no?), allowing for correction from a decent native speaker followed by more of the same. Later, easy reading on the level of a Polish child, i.e. simple stories etc. Later still, writing, much as in the learner's first language.
Worst thing one can do when acquiring a language in adulthood, is to put the cart before the horse and get so hoeplessly confused that the mistakes become near impossible to unlearn. Take it from me!
Later, easy reading on the level of a Polish child, i.e. simple stories etc. Later still, writing, much as in the learner's first language.
Well, I'd dispute the need for reading simple stories, that would really be the kind of thing that children do in the classroom. The PSL (?) learner can / will read all sorts of written text as he develops - bus tickets, ingredients lists, advertising slogans and many more. Similarly, writing simple texts such as dialogues has been found to be an important way to build accuracy right from day 1.
Can anyone tell me if this book would be a good purchase for someone willing and wanting to learn Polish and how to use it correctly.
Polish-Verbs-Barrons-Klara-Janecki
Most of the reviews are positive. I just don't want to get something too complicated like all the different forms many of which I will never use because I won't know how or when to use them (like imperfect or infinative). I guess in English we use this without knowing it so it doesn't bother me. Basically I'd just like present, past and future tense and conjugation.
Any other books you'd recommend? What about books with phonetics so I know how to pronounce the words. Any ideas on this? You can stare at a word all day but if you don't know how to say it as many polish words/verbs don't sound like they look (byc) for example, you are wasting your time.
Also is there anywhere I can download a Polish keyboard? You notice I don't have the ' over the "c" which creates the "ch" sound.
If you're using Windows XP: 1. go to Control Panel, then click on Regional and language Options 2. click on Languages tab 3. Find Text Services and Input Languages and press Details button 4. Find Installed Services and press Add buton 5. Select Polish in Input language menu 6. Check Keyboard layout checkbox and select the Polish (Programmers) keyboard. 7. Find Preferences below, and press Language Bar 8. Make sure that "Show the language bar on the desktop" is checked
From now on you can switch between English and Polish keyboard by clicking on the language bar. You can also minimize the bar to be only an icon on your task bar.
The Polish letters can be typed in by pressing the RIGHT ALT and the letter to modify e.g.:
right alt + c = ć right alt + shift + N = Ń etc. the only exception is: right alt + x = ź
Beware! If you're using alt + key kombinations as you keyboard shortcuts, they wont work with the right alt any more (only with the left alt).
the confounding idioms as well as the phonetic confusion between 'v' vs.'b' in pronunciation.
this one is terrible - I was once interviewed for a job in Germany by a Spanish lady - I don't know why they did such thing - she kept saying erweiten instead of arbeiten - I was completely lost and I did not qualify for the job
Still a beginner. I'v got my head around masc/fem/neut in Nominative and Instrumental....then accusative comes out of nowhere!
I'm reviewing everything, at the moment, by taking a look at my completed assignments and starting using HURRA books 1.
makes you think immersion and mimicking is the best way to learn Polish - well you need some reference from time to time of course (maybe constantly ;)
