Can many young Poles speak German?

if wise Germans would start to study Polish language. If

I'd never choose to live in Germany, their government and lawas are stikll widely anti-Polish and the population is still quite racist towards the Poles (talking from an experience unfortunately)

I have good memories from the UK though, the state doesnt care which langue you speak, you are given time to integrate and people are generally friendlier.

PS: Who would want to work for the Reich ;)

German, more difficult than English??!

German is definitely more difficult than English at a basic level with its case system and fifteen different ways of saying 'the'!
English is easy to learn to a certain communicative level. The problem is that many people stop there and think that they 'speak English'.

AMEN, zrozumieniec!!! Frame that last comment. That's been my battle cry for years now:-)

thank you L.!
I think another strength of English is that English speakers are quite used to hearing a range of varieties of English.
Whereas you only to stress one word wrong in German and you have them curling their lips and sneering at you and saying
'Vy dont you speak englisch to mir'.
No offence L!

That is true, although Germans are generally thrilled if you try to speak their language. You make friends much easier with a little bit of German, and most of the locals will be more than happy to help you in case you need it. What they hate though is when foreigners come to their country, do not give a sh*it about learning the language, and then run to the dole office immediately after arrival to collect their money.



Taken from "AN" experience? And you base your whole judgement on that? No wonder that they didn't like you over there.

in my country, Polish is more and more popular, while is German popular in a constant rate. Polish becoming popular because young people want better to understand culture of the core of Western world, while German language has its popularity simple over the business. Now, if you ask me, i would like to see Polish language popular more and more, on the first place, over the increased business between our countries. Emotions are emotions but, business is business, if you know what i mean.

No offense taken, rozumiemnic!

As my German is furlongs further along than their English, I just sneer back and mock their atrocious accentsLOL
It may not win me popularity contests, but hey, it garners respect in the long run:-)

Oddly enough, their poor English doesn't seem to bother most of them. They've got about the thickest skins (and heads) I've yet encountered!

Can ALL posters stick to the thread title please.

Since my 44 years old life I have met four Germans speaking polish but there is plenty of people speaking german (older ones 30,40+). Ten years ago i was living with german girl since a few months we were talkig some english-german-polish mix. I am fluent in russian, french and a little in english. My son speaks english and russian, just started to learn spanish. German is odd. Polish "Niemcy" - "people who can not talk" is perfect

Indeed, when the early Polabian Slavs ran itno their first Germanic tribes, they couldn't imagine the latter's harsh guttural sounds, reminscent of the croakings of the sick and dying, could possibly be a human tongue. So they dubbed them Niemcy, the mutes or dumb ones. And it's been that ever since.

Hungarian too has "nemet" meaning "German", "Nemetorszag", lit. "German country" for "Germany", doubtless derived from the same root word:-)