PolishForums LIVE  /  Archives [3]    
   
Archives - 2010-2019 / Language  % width 6

Polish grammar - do you have the same words for toes and fingers?


indy912  
11 Aug 2014 /  #1
1 - is it me or do you have the same words for toes and fingers

2 do you have the same word for teaching / learning

3 bawi means play right ? but now " graja " is being used , and looks like it means play also ?

I apreciate any and all help , thanks

Merged: One more grammar sorry ,

it keeps showing me pictures of people smelling milk but it uses the word " wacha " in stead of " pachnie " which im sure means smells ?

Thanks for any help once again and this is the last one for today .

cheers
Marysienka  1 | 195  
11 Aug 2014 /  #2
toes and fingers are both palce ( palec, masculine)
yes it's teach somebody and teach yourself- learn. ( uczyć kogoś, uczyć się)

And play is other way where we have two words where English has one
Grać is more serious you play music, musical instruments and sports.
Bawić się is entertain yourself, or toy with something, or children playing, Dobrze się bawić means have fun
Bawić kogoś is entertain (somebody)

Girl smells roses Dziewczyna wącha róże
Girl smells like roses Dziewczyna pachnie różami

Wąchać is when an animal with a nose makes an effort to feel a smell of something (Sniff)
Pachnieć is to emit a pleasant fragnance
Śmierdzieć is to emit an unpleasant fragnance
Zapach is a noun smell

I like a smell of roses Lubię zapach róż
gumishu  15 | 6164  
11 Aug 2014 /  #3
1 - is it me or do you have the same words for toes and fingers

yes both fingers and toes are called 'palce' if you want to specify which you mean you add a description - fingers = 'palce u rąk' (where 'ręka' is hand); toes = palce u nóg (where 'noga' is leg)

2 do you have the same word for teaching / learning

not really: to teach somebody = uczyć kogoś ; to learn = uczyć się (word for word translation would be 'to teach oneself')

3 bawi means play right ? but now " graja " is being used , and looks like it means play also ?

those are two different actions that are represented in English with a single word (though in different meanings)

bawić się zabawką - to play with a toy ; grać na gitarze - to play guitar

it keeps showing me pictures of people smelling milk but it uses the word " wacha " in stead of " pachnie " which im sure means smells

again those are two different things that happen to have the same word for them in English - there is ambiguity involved in English 'it smells' which is helped by the context

in Polish pachnie = it smells (it has fragrance (or sometimes odour)) wącha = he/she/it smells (draws the air to feel a smell)

it smells good - to ładnie pachnie
OP indy912  
12 Aug 2014 /  #4
ok so , when im going to describe a smell i use pachnie , and anyother ill use wacha .

bawi is a to play and grac is to play sumtthing with more purpose and maybe for adults . " though the picture di show 2 adults playing a computer game "

the rosetta i use does not specify fingers and toes just uses the same words near enough but shows a different picture there is no mention of hand or foot . but your description helps , not that i am going to need to urgently specify between toes and fingers , but im pritty sure that it will be needed at some point, again with uczyc there sentences had no mention of kogos but were the same when saying " she teaches chinese " and she learns chinese " " they learn chinese " etc , showing a picture of a teacher first then students. but hey its only level 1.

You are all very helpful and know your stuff ! im glad i can come here for help !
AdamKadmon  2 | 494  
12 Aug 2014 /  #5
the rosetta i use does not specify fingers and toes

And here English and other Germanic languages is odd one not Polish:

toes - Perhaps originally meaning "fingers" as well (many PIE languages still use one word to mean both fingers and toes), and thus from PIE root *deik- "to show"

Also look at the etymology of finger.
Marysienka  1 | 195  
12 Aug 2014 /  #6
with games like computer games and card games and board games it's "grać"

Archives - 2010-2019 / Language / Polish grammar - do you have the same words for toes and fingers?Archived