Life / Poles always ask how much money you earn. Why do they do this? [30]


So how much do you make? Tell me first, and then I'll tell you if I'm jealous.

Language / Common errors in Polish grammar or spelling [26]


self-correction again, ugh... first, it should be the other way around, and second, nasal vowels seem to be treated like consonants, therefore it's widzę je, not widzę nie.

Sorry Catsoldier.

Language / Common errors in Polish grammar or spelling [26]


it's correct. It's either Acc. of Sing. neuter (ono) or Acc. plural for feminine and neuter (one).
odpowiem na to pytanie - odpowiem na nie
odpowiem na te pytania = odpowiem na nie (same as Sing.)
patrzę na te dziewczyny = patrzę na nie
An alternative form is je: widzę je, zjem je (e.g. to jabłko).

For masculine and mixed gender it's nich or ich: patrzę na nich, widzę ich

Whether you use nie/je, nich/ich depends on the previous sound - it's nie and nich after a consonant and je/ich after a vowel.


Of course. Don't even get me started on this.

Another irritating one is replacing the ending om with ą, as in: Powiedziałam trzem koleżanką.

Language / Ty ślepaku, what case is ślepak in and why? [15]


oh that's a very useful function of the vocative. Ty idioto, durniu, kretynie, półgłówku, wariatko, and so on :)
A very sound reason not to get rid of the case.

Food / Your favourite Polish foods! [180]


A creative imitation anyway. Hungarian goulash is a soup, and the ingredients differ.

Language / Confusion with the verb być [21]

Not really... I've just discovered that w takes two different cases too:
wkręć żarówkę w oprawkę - żarówka jest w oprawce
włóż kołek w otwór - kołek jest w otworze
Still thinking :)

Anyway, the double function of the Polish prepositions which can point to static location or location resulting from movement is reflected in English by the pairs: in/into, on/onto.There's no under/underto pair in English but it would be just as logical. If that is of any help.


These are two very different kinds of errors.
With "Gdzie idziesz?", again, I'm not sure if it's an error at all. In fact, I don't think so. Logically it seems to be, but, as you know, languages yearn for logic more often than not. And "gdzie idziesz?" is used more often than "dokąd idziesz". The latter option seems a bit hypercorrect. "Gdzie idziesz" is just the way people speak.

On the other hand, "poszłem" is a very uneducated error. Unless used ironically, it immediately defines you as somebody who's almost illiterate. It's kind of the "I can has cheezburger" kind of speech.

Language / Polish war cries/battle sayings [21]


Kupy nikt nie ruszy...

Another one:
-Ociec, prać?
- Prać!

Language / Confusion with the verb być [21]


Damn, you're right :) I really shouldn't answer grammatical questions after midnight.


It definitely is. Still, the rule might be helpful for beginners who have yet to get familiar with the idea of noun cases.


Catsoldier, it could be either idiomatic or literal.
Co dostałeś pod choinkę? indeed means: what did you get for Christmas.
But it can also express combination of movement and location:
Połóż tę paczkę pod choinkę - put the box under the Christmas tree.

Pls compare:
Kwiaty stoją na stole.
Postaw kwiaty na stół.
Książka leży na półce.
Połóż książkę na półkę.
Prezent jest pod choinką.
Połóż prezent pod choinkę.

With na and pod different case should be used for simple location and location resulting from a movement.
However it doesn't apply to other prepositions:

Krzesło stoi przy stole.
Ustaw krzesło przy stole.
Mleko jest w lodówce.
Postaw mleko w lodówce.
Postaw mleko do lodówki.

Here, the case depends just on the preposition (prepositions do, w, przy take just one case each).

The good news is that in everyday speech the difference between simple location and location resulting from a movement often disappears and you can often hear "Połóż książkę na stole" instead of "na stół". It's so commonplace that I'm not even sure if it's still considered incorrect.

Language / Mam silnego kaca! Why is this genitive/dopełniacz? [34]


Many Poles make this error too, treating the makes as proper names. Well they're not.


Ordering or eating, it doesn't matter, it's just that some foods take the genitive and some don't. Zamów mi shake'a, hamburgera, loda, kebaba, drinka, kurczaka, but: zamów mi sok, napój, barszczyk. Anyway, uncountable nouns don't take Genitive.

Language / Mam silnego kaca! Why is this genitive/dopełniacz? [34]


I suppose so. but no, I'm not aspiring to study Icelandic, at least not in this lifetime, thank you very much. I've got enough challenges in my life as it is.

although I admit I have a soft spot for Welsh. maybe when I'm eighty-something and have lots of time on my hands. then I'm going to be sitting in a corner mumbling to myself something reminiscent of these llachllqellwach sounds. at this age, you're allowed to go a little crazy :)


just to get it straight, the car makes should not be capitalized in Polish. it's ford, mercedes, toyota.

Language / Mam silnego kaca! Why is this genitive/dopełniacz? [34]


In Lublin it sounds ok...


oh yes, that helps a lot. at least the basic knowledge of grammatical categories. people who don't know anything about grammar of any language struggle a lot more and have to do double work.

still, the grammar for native speakers is different than for foreign learners. different scope. I'd probably go crazy if I had to learn all the declension patterns of Polish by heart, from a book. I gave up on German when I was supposed to learn the article + adjective + noun declension patterns :)

Language / Mam silnego kaca! Why is this genitive/dopełniacz? [34]


Some foods: jem banana, pomidora, arbuza, kotleta, pączka.

But: jem tort, szaszłyk. Torta and szaszłyka sound like bad, sloppy language.

I really can't tell you why. It might have something to do with declination patterns. I think Gumishu had some theory on it once.

Language / Confusion with the verb być [21]


2 x right. You've got it :)

Language / Confusion with the verb być [21]

Something jest somewhere.
The somewhere is in locative.
The something is in nominative.

Gdzie są mapy?
Mapy są na stole.
Gdzie jest Paryż?
Paryż jest na mapie.

The locative case tells you where something is located, not what is located there.

Food / Is Polish food still more natural than in the West? [142]


or rather, the Germans think so :)

BTW it's funny when the Westerners complain about the very things that came to Poland together with the EU, or global corporations :)

Food / Is Polish food still more natural than in the West? [142]


since when has Knorr been Polish?

anyway, you're my hero for eating this ****

Food / Miracle Whip availability in Poland? [43]


If you buy processed, then you eat processed. Simples.

USA, Canada / Living in Poland - prospects for Alabama guy ... need some advice! [146]

Jason, it looks like a case of your comfort vs. her comfort. The best idea might be to find some neutral place where you'd both be comfortable enough. Someone has already mentioned Germany, probably much easier to swallow for an American than Poland. You'd both have a chance to find a good job there. Think about it.

Language / żeby był [3]


What's exactly your problem?
You use it when you need to use it - simples...
Sorry but your question is not specific enough to answer it any other way.

Chciał, żebym został - he wanted me to stay
Pracuję, żeby mieć pieniądze - I work (in order) to have money
Mama prosiła, żebyś kupił chleb - mother asked you to buy bread

Language / Confusion with the verb być [21]


As native speakers, who have never been taught the language in a structured way, we are at a disadvantage when it comes to explanations. We need to trace the patterns by ourselves, often reinventing the wheel :) Happens all the time.

Language / Confusion with the verb być [21]


Goury, it's simpler than that. As I've already said, it's just the presence/absence of a noun that dictate the case. With a noun, it's always Instrumental.

Jestem zagubioną duszą.
Jestem różową panterą.
Jestem efektem połączenia się plemnika i komórki jajowej.

The above sentences don't say anything about social role or occupation. Ok, pink panther is feminine in Polish, still it can be a male specimen.

Generally, all these sentences answer the question "who am I / who are you / who is he etc.

An adjective without a noun takes the Nominative case. Jestem różowy, jestem zagubiony.

Po polsku / sjp.pl słownik języka polskiego [8]


To nie łacina i nie mam pojęcia, co to za skróty. Ale to jest słownik przede wszystkim do gier typu Scrabble, może to jakieś skróty dla graczy.

Language / The complement of the verb "to be" [14]


At least three, to be technical.


would, could, should, might, ought


You'd be surprised.


And that's very true. Translation is about the meaning, not about the words.

Language / Confusion with the verb być [21]


It does, if there's a noun or adjective + noun following it:
Jestem inżynierem.
Jestem dobrym inżynierem.
With an adjective alone, it's Nominative:
jestem dobry.
Don't ask me why :)


try see vs. saw vs. sew (widzieć, piłować i szyć)...

Language / The complement of the verb "to be" [14]


I'm not sure I get what you mean, but I think the full form of this sentence is: Dlaczego by mu nie pomóc?

The "by" is a conditional form of "być", sometimes joined to another verb (poszedłby, powiedziałbym, zrobiłbyś), and sometimes separate (może by, może byśmy) - as you see it's inflected.

A few sentences similar to the one you quote:
Może (by) tam pójść?
A gdyby go zapytać?
Jak by to zrobić?

Po polsku / Najtańsze miasta w Polsce? [13]

Białystok?
nie jest drogi, i przyzwoity Uniwersytet Medyczny na miejscu, a co za tym, klinika - powinni mieć różnych specjalistów

Po polsku / Co to znaczy "Polecam się na przyszłość? [11]

Tak, mniej więcej. "You're always welcome" is the closest I can think of.
Literally it's more or less: remember about me the next time you need the same kind of favour or service, usually said in answer to "dziękuję".

a całkiem dosłownie: I recommend my services for the future.

Language / Dwa vs. dwie in Polish [85]


right. And No.3 is mixed.


correct :)
"dwaj is for masculine personal, or whatever it's called.
Anyway, dwa psy - even though pies is animate, just like dwa rachunki. Dwa koty, dwa bociany.
dwaj panowie - "starsi panowie dwaj". Or "dwóch panów".

Language / Dwa vs. dwie in Polish [85]



One of your guesses is correct. Try again.

Po polsku / Chef - polskie tlumaczenie [6]

To chyba rzeczywiście kucharz będzie najlepszy. Może być kucharz specjalista od owoców morza, z zastępcą, a jak :)