News / Poland -- Europe's only counterweight to Russia [271]

It's called political football and the phrase is most apt in this case:-) Others might call Poland Europe's whipping boy.

Study / Are English only speaking students accepted into public Wroclaw school? Spanish ones too? [12]

I concur. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to acquire more than one language! As someone who was raised nearly bilingual, I came to appreciate the benefits of target language instruction interspersed with source language conversation from the person who was taking care of me when I was still a child, not much past pre-K:-)

Life / Looking to immigrate to Europe. How is life in Poland? [116]

First off, learn at least the basics of the language! As a second-language speaker of English yourself, don't necessarily rely on the English knowledge of your Polish interlocutor:-) Second of all, make doubly, triply certain that all pertainent documents are in order BEFORE you emigrate, and lastly, try and arrange a sponsor from YOUR country aka India, who is willing to attest to your standing prior to making elaborate plans abroad.

These are the key points, I would think.

News / Poland -- Europe's only counterweight to Russia [271]

Unfortunately, Poland will probably end up paying it, if only to curry favor with the US.

News / Poland -- Europe's only counterweight to Russia [271]

From the Polish Corridor during (and before) WWII up till now, Poland has consistently served as the most strategic of the former Soviet satelites!

It is for this reason, which cannot be underestimated, that Poland today remains such a veritable lightning rod for democracy, freedom, and social unity, in the wake of her still palpable Communist Era past. Perhaps only Romania is as haunted by the ghosts of Communism as is present-day Poland.

Love / Turkish girl is going to meet her Polish boyfriend's family - needs tips. [47]

Not at all! Unlike certain people on PF, I actually appreciate correction of typos:-)
Appreciate your input as well!

Language / How many tenses and cases in Polish? [33]

Quite so, Ziemowit, quite so!

Polish will definitely give the faint-hearted of learners a run for their money....any day of the week:-)

The problems in aspectual pairing often occur when the "pair" are sometimes completely different from one another, e.g. "brać"/"b(ier)ać" = to take vs."wziąć", also meaning to take, only perfective and which furthermore can ONLY be used in the imperative (since a command by its very nature only occurs at that one given moment, WĘŹ! (Take..!).

Errata addendum: "WEŹ!" A small point, but for explanation purposes necessary to point out, however minute:-)

Meanwhile, on the subject of verbal aspects especially, it should be noted that I've even heard disagreement among educated Polish native speakers on this subject. Admittedly, the differences in usage can in fact be considered mistakes, and not merely another option! As but a basic example, "Szedłem na spacer." and "POszedłem na spacer." are not identical, in that the first sentence indicates an action still continuing ("We were taking a stroll/walk [..and were continuing.]") as opposed to ("We took a stroll [..and now it's over.]), whereupon the action is already completed.

Slavic linguists such as Roman Jakobson and others refer to this as Aktionsart, a borrowing from German, meaning "Type of action".

"I was taking a stroll.."
Sorry again (Guess I was posting carelesslyLOL)

Life / Is it a 'big deal' to wish Happy Easter in Poland? [29]

According to our local Polish daily (now weekly paper), Easter is thought to be the most important of the Christian celebrations for Poles, as it symbolizes death (śmierć), resurrection (zmartchwystanie), renewal and, above all, hope (nadziei).

Love / Turkish girl is going to meet her Polish boyfriend's family - needs tips. [47]

At least I've found Europeans not to take marriage aka marriage announcements, at all casually, Atch! Perhaps things have changed a might, but in the '90's at any rate, taking someone home to meet the parents was considered by both sides a significant step:-)

Again, perhaps things have changed. Anyway, if Elif's Muslim and her boyfriend's Roman Catholic, then the entire affair will be fraught with significance, don't you think?

Love / Turkish girl is going to meet her Polish boyfriend's family - needs tips. [47]

For Turks, maybe, for Poles aka conservative Europeans, not usually:-) Hate to disagree, but I learned this from personal experience.

Language / How many tenses and cases in Polish? [33]

Indeed, Maf! When I was first learning Polish, I really had to wrack my brain to try to figure out whether or not the usage of a particular verb was "dokonany" (perfective) or "niedokonany" (imperfective), e.g. "Nie dobrze rozumiałem, gdy ona mówiła." vs. "Wreszczie zrozumiałem, gdy po chwili myślałem o tym.", depending upon the given context:-)

Often for foreigners such as myself, the above distinctions can seem quite subtle although for native speakers, the distinctions are not subtle at all!!

In English, the above two sentences: "When she spoke, I didn't UNDERSTAND her very well.", followed by "Finally, I began to UNDERSTAND after thinking about it for a while."

Polish requires either "rozumieć" (understand) or "zrozumieć" ([to begin to] understand), whereas the English sentences don't make this same distinction:-)

Language / How many tenses and cases in Polish? [33]

Widzę Krysię na ulice. "KrysiU! No, co słychać?" = I see Christine on the street. "Hey, Christine! So, how's it going?"

Language / How many tenses and cases in Polish? [33]

My pleasure!

Aspects are especially productive and are tricky because they fall into TWO categories, namely "perfective"= any action performed ONCE aka "napisać"/"dopisać" vs. "imperfective" = any action performed GENERALLY, that is, more than once aka "pisać" etc..

There are umpteen individual prepositions in Polish such as "na", "za", "po", "z", "od" etc.. A slight hint in telling which verb is perfective vs, imperfective in aspect is that only "perfective" verbs are indicated by one of the above prepositions!

Other times, the "imperfective" will have an added/extra letter such as "da(w)ać" = to give vs. "perfective" "dać" meaning the same thing.

Not easy, believe me:-)

A further example using another verb (IMperfective or in its base form) "śpiewać" = to sing.

"Jestem śpiewaczką. Codziennie śpiewam." = I'm a singer (female). I sing every day. (imperfective)

"Zaśpiewam koncert w Madrycie." = I am singing a concert in Madrid. (PERfective, only one time!)

Understand now?

Language / How many tenses and cases in Polish? [33]

Very possibly, the Polish native speaker whom you asked didn't quite understand what you were asking:-) Anyway, verbal aspects are possibly the MOST confusing part of Polish, even more than counting or the cases!

Most Polish verbs are "paired" or linked with another verb indicating the same action, though according to whether or not this action is repeated or performed only one time, e.g. "pisać" (to write [in general]) vs. "napisać" (to have finished writing) vs. "popisywać" (to write for while without stopping) etc...

In English, German or French, tenses convey WHEN something is done, in Polish and Russian as well, aspects convey HOW FREQUENTLY something is done:-)

Most Slavic languages have this and for Anglo-Saxons native speakers, it can be quite confusing. For obvious reasons, I've only touched the very tip of the iceberg!!

Law / Please help with applying for a Polish Social Security Number. [8]

Could you be any vaguer?
:-)

Language / How many tenses and cases in Polish? [33]

Yet, among Poles of the older generation, Wołacz is still in force:-)

Language / How many tenses and cases in Polish? [33]

There are multiple "verbal aspects" in Polish, but in fact FEWER "tenses" than, say, in English, French or Italian:-) Polish has seven cases: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative, Instrumental, Locative, and Vocative! Each of these refer to the speaker's relationship with that to which or whom they are referring.

Nominative: To jest pan. (This is a gentleman)
Genitive: To jest palto pana. (This is the coat of the/a gentleman)
Dative: Pomagam stariemu panu. (I help the old gentleman)
Accusative: Widzę tego pana. (I see that/this gentleman)
Instrumental: On jest dobrym uczywim panem. (He is a good, honest gentleman)
Locative: Koszule jest na panu. (The shirt is [literally, if oddly, phrased!!!] on the gentleman.
Vocative: Dzień dobry, panie Witoldzie! (Greetings, Witold! [Vocative often untranslated]

The Polish aspects will require umpteen pages of comprehensive explanation, as their variety and scope can number nearly in the hundred or so possibilties.

As you can see, Polish is a very productive language, as are all conservative languages:-)

Love / Turkish girl is going to meet her Polish boyfriend's family - needs tips. [47]

Ditto!

Cross-cultural relationships can be challenging:-) You'll need to diffuse any initial hostilities aka xenophobia with an extra dose of patience, remembering also that if the situation were reversed, a Turkish family may well be as guardedly curious about a Polish stranger in their midst before immediately giving their blessing to your marriage.

Life / Is it a 'big deal' to wish Happy Easter in Poland? [29]

Easter is for sure a "big deal" for Poles, although in a more ceremonial, less auspiciously celebretory mode than for Latinos:-)
Poles I've met in Greenpoint especially tend to be rather solemn on Easter Sunday, almost clannishly savoring the festivities for themselves and warily suspicious, particularly of non-Christian outsiders, who may wish to observe aka "intrude" on their most private (and beautiful) celebrations!

Law / Please help with applying for a Polish Social Security Number. [8]

Wherefrom abouts are you in Sweden? Varfor vil du lar dig polska?
Stick to the topic and write English only

Love / Turkish girl is going to meet her Polish boyfriend's family - needs tips. [47]

Precisely.

Love / Turkish girl is going to meet her Polish boyfriend's family - needs tips. [47]

Slight addendum, not really a "correction":-) In Poland, unlike in certain other European countries today, hand kissing in formal circles is still VERY MUCH in mode, and taken seriously as well! I'm modestly familiar with both Turkish and Turkish culture, but in Poland at any rate, older men will sometimes engage in the courtly practice of "Całuję Pani rączki!" = I kiss your hand (3rd person singular: "...the lady's hand."), albeit mostly once again in formal settings.

When a woman meets an older/middle-aged man in Poland, clearly the older person will set the tone, and a peck on the cheek for instance from the woman might be well looked on askance by their peers.

News / What kind of Poland do most Poles want? [101]

....aka Deutschland fuer die Deutschen and similar rubbishLOL

In addition, just what constitutes "Poles" will have changed with multi-culturalism, intermarriage etc....

Poland for Poles??? Don't bet on it, friend!!

Love / Turkish girl is going to meet her Polish boyfriend's family - needs tips. [47]

Gosh, there Adrian! With a "build-up" like that, almost sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy for immediate disaster:-)

Perhaps in trying to be realistic, you're scaring the poor girl to death. Frankly, I think my suggestions are sure fire. At least this way she can try to make inroads into potential hostility by, as you put it, extending the olive branch of friendship...especially as her in-laws will undoubtedly be observant Catholics, this being the Holy Season (Wielki Tydzień) and all.

Am presently learning Turkish. A beautiful language, but as with many tongues marred by political interference, it's damaged goods in Europe for far too many bigots.

Let's pray on this Holy Friday, that they are beyond that:-)

Love / Turkish girl is going to meet her Polish boyfriend's family - needs tips. [47]

Iyi aksamlar, Elif!

My advice would be if you're planning on meeting your Polish in-laws, probably fourty-fifty something in age, definitely to learn some Polish courtesy/religious holiday phrases and/or elementary conversation:-)

Especially these days, Poles are more aware than ever of Muslim-Christian tensions. Therefore, respect their strong Catholic faith as you would like and expect them to respect your religion.

A "Wesołego Alleluja!" on Easter Sunday might not be a bad idea, along with learning how to talk about yourself in Polish. They probably don't know English (certainly not Turkish):-)

Powodzenia!

Life / Opinions about priests in Poland [10]

I hear there's a lot of that going around:-) Remember the Affluenza Epidemic of 1920 (??)something??

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

Unfair example, Polonius. Hindenburg by that time was a senile old man, scarcely aware of much of anything, to say the very least, of the deception being worked that supporters were more numerous than in fact was the case:-)

The latter was Frau Riefenstahl's department and her crowd manipulation which worked to stunning effect!!

Let's keep to the topic please

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

Hear, hear Doug! It's never quite fair, is it, to judge a nation by her politics? After all, the English are basically honest by nature:-)

Language / Wishing someone to "have fun" in Poland [11]

I agree, Maf! Good point. Shows ya can't simply say the same stuff in another language; you have to say DIFFERENT stuff:-)

Language / Wishing someone to "have fun" in Poland [11]

Try anyhow! They'll both respect you for your effort:-)))