Language / Letter 'ą' and 'ę' pronounciation before 'z', 's', 'ś', 'ź', 'ż [21]


That's interesting! Actually, I've never heard this difference which doesn't mean it may not exist. It might perhaps be an echo of the more real difference that once existed in the language hence the difference in today's spelling. Likewise, I have an impression that the difference in pronounciation between "ó" and "u" can sometimes be heard in old Polish films. Also, the vowels "e" and "é" were once separate from one another and you can observe this different spelling in print in texts dating back to the end of the 19th century.

Travel / Best way to get from Metro Mlociny to Chopin Airport? [22]


An alternative would be to take an SKM train to the airport (line S2) from Warszawa Śródmieście Station which is readily accessible just on his way from Metro Centrum to the bus stop 175. The trains are at 24 and 54 minutes past every hour and it takes 22 minutes to get to Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina station. You will descend onto the middle platform of the station from which you should take the direction of its right side.

Language / Letter 'ą' and 'ę' pronounciation before 'z', 's', 'ś', 'ź', 'ż [21]


Not exactly! When "rz" follows the voiced consonant, its pronounciation will be voiced, so it is pronounced as "ż" (brzemienny, grzech, zrzęda, drzeć). The term "softens" does not apply to the voiced/unvoiced opposition. It applies to the opposition: b/b' ---> badać/biadać, p/p' ---> pasek/piasek, etc.


You must say "pszemysł" or "kszesło", there is actually no other choice than to say it like that when "rz" follows the unvoiced consonant!

Travel / Visiting Warsaw In April - museums / galleries? [14]


Isn't it closed at the moment?

The Old Town is particularly nice in winter. I like the interiors of St Marcin church in Piwna Street. The interiors was totally destroyed during the WWII and re-furbished after the war in a very simple style. Last time I was there in the evening there was nobody inside, so I could admire the aptly lighted figure of Christ in the main altar in darkness and complete silence.

The modern museum of Frédéric Chopin in the Ostrogski Palace, Tamka Street, is very much worth visiting as well.

One of the most amazing things for the British friends of mine who came from Manchester City to Warsaw in summer time was the roof of the modern building of the Warsaw University Library. Indeed, it is quite exceptional as a roof; you can walk over different paths there and even admire the Vistula river from a min-tower being part of the roof. But in winter time it should not be so stunning as in summer when they grow quite a bit of plants there.

You can walk up the tower of St Anne's church to have a view of the Old Town and other parts of the capital..

Genealogy / Is Poland Germanic or Slavic? [58]




You are very smart, theguythatstart. You ask if Gorzów Wielkopolski is in Silesia, but you know perfectly well that it is not in Wielkopolska!!!

The adjective "Wielkopolski" was added to the name of the town in 1946. Between 1945 and 1946 the city was re-named "Gorzów nad Wartą", reflecting in part its former German name of "Landsberg an der Warthe".

Life / My Słowianie (music video mocks stereotypes about Poles and Slavs) [46]

'''That's true, Poles generally think about themselves as PO voters!

Feedback / Warning for posters who have been changing the names of famous Polish politicians, celebrities, etc. [90]

Some of the rules of the PF are very bizzare to say the least. I can see no reason whatsoever for not allowing nicknames of public figures. Either Gronkowiec or Duckboy should be allowed since people from the headlines are entitled to edure more than is an individual private person, and this is so in every country with courts in every country admitting that in verdicts. On the other hand, changing a PF member's nick to defame them should really be banned. Another story is calling someone names. Which is acceptable and which is not?

The strange thing about applying a forum rule which I remember was when someone replied to someone's post by citing a rather short Latin proverb or saying. This post was then deleted on the grounds that only English was allowed as a means of communication. That was so utterly stupid that I am impressed by such an action to this very day. It simply meant that a mod is taking all the people on the forum for dumb idiots who, even if they are not able to understand a proverb in Latin - these proverbs being the common European cultural heritage - cannot quickly check the meaning of the proverb on the internet. Rather than recognizing that a certain cultural code is being aptly used in communication, the mod decides that the proverb uses the wrong language of communication because it is not in English!!! The obvious conclusion is that it is not always good to apply the forum rules literally.

Language / The differences between these words: Oni plywaja / plyna / biegaja /biegna /chodza /ida [18]

So, the sentence "Często chodzimy w kierunku lasu" should be wrong according to your interpretation?

Law / Non-Polish Fathers rights for child in Poland [19]


No wonder then that your wife and her solicitor will not let you be left alone with your daughter ...


The above quoted answer received by the OP neatly proves that you are not that far from the truth in assessing the supposed quality of "professional legal advice" given here by the forum's "clowns".

News / The Bauman Affair: A Clear and Present Danger to Democracy and Academic Freedom in Poland [26]


Many people are even more disturbed by the specter of your opinions on the Polish property market that we must face here.

Life / How is the acceptation of foreigners in Poland? [29]

An interesting thread that reveals how people tend to stereotype others from the very start; Biegański stars to show Edson68 as stereotyping Poland as a country hostile to foreign people


yet he himself stereotypes Edson that he might not be "a well behaved" guest on the grounds of a report on violence in Brazil.

In reality, the young Brazilian does not know much about Poland and simply bases his views on his American experience.

Personally, I think comment like


are nothing more than slly. There are, of course, instances of foreign people being attacked (the most recent has been reported from Białystok where skinheads put up fire at the door of the flat owned by mixed Polish-Indian couple), but generally you will certainly not be "labelled as a foreigner" in Poland.

News / The un-Civic Platform of Poland? [60]

What would Polonius do without Harry, and what would Harry do without Polonius on this forum? I sometimes think they are the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde of the PF and I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone told me they indeed write from the same IP address.

All in all, I must again praise Delph for his usual sharp and witty eye for Polish politics.

Language / Why when spelling Polish names abroad, Polish letters are ignored? [68]



Technically, the letters Q, X, V do not belong to the Polish alphabet. But they are allowed in foreign names and used in foreign, particularly proper and trade names, also in names which do not have the Polish equivalent spelling yet. Many words do have it, however, so "fax" should be written "faks" and "xero" should be written "ksero". Yet people would often write "fax", but gramatically speaking it is the same mistake as writing "telephon" rather than "telefon" in Polish.

Language / [ jak wiele razy / ile razy ] [12]


I thought your concept refered to the countable vs. uncountable nouns since you said about distinguishing between "much" and "many". But if not, then the Polish question particle "ile?" is exactly the same as the French "combien?" allowing for this little and only exception for the męskoosobowy gender taking the form of "ilu?" When you ask "ile?", you may get an answer that refers to the singular.

- Ile róż rośnie w twoim ogrodzie? [Combien de roses y a-t-il dans ton jardin?]
- Rośnie jedna! [Il y en a une!]

... or to the plural:
- Rośnie ich kilka. [Il y en a plusieurs.]

Language / [ jak wiele razy / ile razy ] [12]



"Ile" vs. "ilu" does not distinguish between "much" and "many". It does distinguish between the "męskoosobowy" gender and the other one which is not.

Ile [pieniędzy] to kosztuje? [ile = how much]
Ile kobiet wzięło udział w święcie? [ile = how many]
Ile słoni jest w zoo? [ile = how many]
Ile wody znajduje się w szklance? [ile = how much]
but ...
Ilu mężczyzn zginęło w walce? [męskoosobowy]
Ilu chłopców chodzi to tego przedszkola? [męskoosobowy]
compare...
Ilu studentów zdało egzamin? [how many --> męskoosobowy]
Ile studentek zdało egzamin? [how many --> niemęskoosobowy]

Language / Polish collective numerals question [9]

The exercise may seem very complicated, but in fact it is very simple in its basic idea. The case of the noun after the collective numeral which may be in whatever case will always be the genetive.

pięciorgu [dativ] --> kogo? czego? rodzeństwa [genetive]
przy dwojgu [locative] --> kogo? czego? ambasadorstwa [genetive]
przy dwojgu [locative] --> kogo? czego? państwa młodych [genetive]
przy dwojgu [locative] --> kogo czego? państwa Nowakach [genetive]

I think "oboje" is a bit different that a "normal" collective numeral, so you will say "przy obojgu państwu Nowakach" [it seems to be more like an adjective than a collective numeral here],

Compare:
Szli przy państwu [locative].
Szli przy młodych [locative].
Szli przy "państwu młodych" [locative of "państwo młodzi"].

Szli z państwem [instrumental].
Szli z młodymi / Nowakami [instrumental]
Szli z państwem młodymi / państwem Nowakami [instrumental of "państwo młodzi" / "państwo Nowakowie"]

News / Demolish Poland's Palace of Culture? [55]


There has been many plans to build something (not only sacysrapers) around the Palace of Culture and I 'm sure there will be a lot more in the coming years with no real development taking place.

It is worth noting that the Russian architect Rudniev had originally planned it to be much less higher. These were the Polish comrades of the former Communist party who had it built as high as it is now.

It is also worth noting that the idea of such a building in Warsaw followed the idea of Moscow's buildings of the same kind (of whom there are seven, if I'm not mistaken) which in turn were inspired by New York's skyscrapers. Plus the architecture of the Palace has been inspired by some elements of Polish architecture. We may then say that the Palace of Culture is in a way as Polish as it is Russian and American.

History / Polish archaeologists unearth 'vampire grave' [18]

As far as I can see, I am not able to find any mention of it in the Polish websites (having not used Google or another search engine, however) except the PolishRadio site, so it strikes me very much that the readers of the Torygraph have been finding it so attractive. And the article is not even on the front page of their website, only in the "Most ..." sections!

History / Polish archaeologists unearth 'vampire grave' [18]

I am surprised to see this article in the Telegraph as Number One in the "Most Viewed" section and as Number Four in the "Most Shared" section. Is the "vampire culture" so popular in Britain?

Law / Jobs and Economic Status in Poland [64]


That's calling someone names, so you should be suspended by the mods! The real name is Harry, not Harold.


That's some proof of my opinion expressed in another thread that Harold uses words like "liar" in almost every thread. But then, it's something the PF is about!

Law / Opening "Budke Gastronomiczna" [37]


That was a misconception from the very start! You should have opened your "budka gastronomiczna" first and then, if it's a success, take your 8-month long vacation. But now, frankly, I would advise you


. You've just had your "vacation".

Travel / Rihanna complains about lack of privacy on Polish beach [150]


I wonder if anyone on the PF ever makes the statistics showing the percentage of your posts which contain words like "lie", "lying", "lier" or "lies". And if so, I wonder what that percetage would exactly be?

Travel / Rihanna complains about lack of privacy on Polish beach [150]


Harry, what do you suggest? That Rozumiemnić is between 80 and 100 years old?

Work / Is there a market for teaching Dutch in Poland [22]

I tnink there's no real market for teaching Dutch here in Poland. For example, before my visit to the Netherlands this year, I decided to learn some Dutch, but then I had chosen to find out a good computer course instead of having private tutoring. This was simpler and I did not have to stick to some "regime of learning". I imagine those who wanted to take up work in the Netherlands might be interested, but then they are those who need to earn money doing some simple work there, so not be interested to learn Dutch at some decent level.

Having said that, I shall add that Dutch is a very amusing and challanging language through which one can also discover the heritage of Germanic languages as well as find a sort of bridge between English and German! If I persevere in learning Dutch - who knows? - maybe I will try to have a private tutor eventually.

Life / Immigration in Poland and being surrounded by a monoculture? [134]


Having just returned from a 2-week stay in the Netherlands, I am inclined to say that this country may be such an example. But only the cities seem to be multi-racial and multi-cultural there. After a week in Amsterdam, I spent another week in a typical village of Friesland and there I could hardly spot anyone who was non-white. They all seemed to follow the Friesian and Dutch traditions and way of life and in their villages.

Language / Which is harder: Pole learning Russian or Russian learning Polish language? [57]


That's a perfect example of possible language misunderstanding. But knowing now that "klaar" in Dutch is "fertig" in German, I would very much hesitate before making such an association between "klarkommen" and "klaarkomen" as you did.

Generally, I think that a 'Pole learning Russian' may be equally frustrated as a 'Russian learning Polish'. The "moving" stress (accent) in Russian and differences in the declinations of nouns are quite a challenge for the Polish learner of Russian.

Language / How to say 'I am learning Polish' [12]

+1

Language / About Mielimy? [6]

'Weź tą łąpę' is very common in speech. 'Weź tę łapę' would be quite uncommon in speech, though some people would still use it. In writing it's vice versa, 'weź tą łapę' would be considered a big mistake.

Personally, I would always use 'bawołu', but I'm not surprised that some of the younger generation may be inclided to use 'bawoła'.

Language / About Mielimy? [6]

W Białymstoku (województwo podlaskie), przychodzi klient do sklepu mięsnego i pyta:

- Jest mięso mielone?
- Mielim.
- To poproszę pół kilo.
- Wczoraj mielim!

News / "Shale Gas Revolution" will make Poland a Leading Country in Europe! [202]

Merged: Shale gas - Tusk government escapes disgrace

The withdrawal of three big international players from shale gas prospecting in Poland had been needed for the Polish government to change the bill project that guaranteed the lion's share in the future benefits from shale gas extracting for the government, but was leaving the investing international companies in a very insecure position concerning their possible financial gains from this project.

After the withdrawal of ExxonMobil, 
Talisman Energy oraz Marathon Oil from Poland, it has become more than clear that the much-publicized "Polish shale gas" project which was meant to make of Poland an independent energy player would finish in a big disaster and in an even bigger disgrace - says in its latest edition the "Bloomberg Businessweek Polska" weekly. The investors concerned told the paper off the record that the main obstacle in their further engagement in the search of shale gas in Poland had been the Polish administration and in particular - the deputy minister for Environment, Mr Piotr Woźniak.

But Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters in Brussels two weeks ago: - If someone wants to invest billions in Poland, he must be sure about the safety of his business". Since then, the Ministry for Environment has diametrically changed its stance and allowed for 80% of the proposals put forward to the legislation project by Poland's prospective business partners in this shale gas enterprise.