Language / What is your biggest problem with Polish language? [158]

Case-driven languages such as German and Polish can indeed make their intentions clear through inflection.
Sometimes though, a foreigner must think a bit before deciding on what a Polish sentence could mean, if only through word order, for example "Wielkim krajem sa Niemcy" (Germany's a big country) vs. "Niemcy sa wielkim krajem".

In English as well as German, there is no equivocation of meaning despite the variety grammatically possible given the Polish word order in both sentence. A 'literal' translation would sound strange indeed, cf. "A big country is Germany". rather than the more natural "Germany is a big country". No German either would say or write "Ein grosses Land ist Deutschland" without receiving some odd glances:-)

USA, Canada / The proper behavior an American should show when visiting Poland [159]

Untrue, Pawian!

America's greatest selling point is her sheer size. Give us a few millenia and we too can develop an "ancient" culture along with pride in a long past. We're only a few hundred years old, for pity's sake, and within that time, accomplished a heck of a lot, I think.

News / Why is Poland so hostile against Germany? Do they realize how their reparations rubbish damages relations? [510]

It's simply the age-old blame game folks!
Germany claims Poland "stole" aka "purloined" (entwendet) the former's "original" lands or territories, Poland claims the Merkel Gov't. owes them compensation (resytucja/Wiedergutmachung) for lives and property lost because of German aggression during the Second World War. It's a lose-lose situation, it would appear, much as with Israel vs. the Palestinians, yet another case of pure "He said/She said.."

We're not even discussing the Jewish Question in former Nazi-occupied Europe here.

Genealogy / Second gen Polish-American with little exposure [45]

Racist??

Language / What is your biggest problem with Polish language? [158]

@Paulwiz,
Do you mean perchance "Geschlechtsartikel" for the English "gender articles"? While the absence of such might appear to simplify matters for a foreign learner aka a monolingual Anglophone trying to pick up an inflected language in adulthood, actually, gender is merely classification which selects from various categories and catalogues the world in terms of either biological vs. grammatical gender! English too had such markers, abandoned though with the onset of Middle English, thereafter all but disappearing.

Maybe because I grew up with German, learning Polish much later while almost thirty, the gender of a noun never seemed to cause me much concern. Once again, in terms of the biggest challenge of learning Polish, was for a long while deciding whether or not a verb was imperfective or perfective.

All else just fell into place.

Genealogy / Second gen Polish-American with little exposure [45]

Someone born in the US, even if their parents are from Timbuktu, is AMERICAN, zero hyphen necessary!!

Life / Do you think that Polish people are rude? [951]

Absolutely.

Language / What is your biggest problem with Polish language? [158]

I'm not offended, pawian. Why ever would you think that?

Language / Translation of the word "małpka" into English [10]

If I'm not mistaken, "malpa" is a monkey.
'Course, many everyday words also have common slang usages.

Language / What is your biggest problem with Polish language? [158]

Ooooh, Milo! You're in a mean mood today, mateLOL

Language / What is your biggest problem with Polish language? [158]

I respect your opinion.
Even with Polish ESLers whom I teach, many too claim they are "advanced" speakers for whom the briniest of grammar teasers pose
little to no difficulties, tongue twisters happily included.

When I correct one, she nearly flew into a hissy fit claiming that her teachers in Poznan never corrected her
English as I did here. Turns out, her teachers were all native Poles:-)

So much for being completely honest with oneself.

Genealogy / Ancestors from Galicia - does this mean you are Polish? [19]

Yes, that's right.
After all, Lemberg was called by her German name long before she was "re-named" Lwow, later L'viv!

Language / Polish vs English tongue twisters [45]

If you think "W Szczebryznie chrzasc brzmi......" is tough for non-Poles, just you folks try "Theopholis Thistle, the successful thistle sifter, sifting a thread of unsifted thistles through the thick of his thumb...." or "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" five times fast and you'd all agree that English has about the "craziest" tongue twisters around!

LOL

Genealogy / Second gen Polish-American with little exposure [45]

Can't argue with ya there, Atch! Your assessment of yours truly seems right on point.

For the bazillionth time though, if I returned to Poland, I'd be tickled pink to speak with Poles in English if they preferred, only to allow them to practice.

As soon as they get tired, naturally we'd switch to Polish:-)

Genealogy / Second gen Polish-American with little exposure [45]

Oh, Rich, you couldn't be more mistaken!

Sure, you'll always run into some uppity folks out there in la-la land who'll ask you "patiently" (though of course, NOT so patiently) to kindly stop speaking their native language because "obviously" you'll never know it as they know English.

Don't listen to 'em!!

This was the gently advice I was giving littepoland.

Genealogy / Second gen Polish-American with little exposure [45]

@littlepoland,

You'll find that even a cursory knowledge of Polish, as in knowing the local tongue anywhere in which you work, visit, or study, will greatly enhance your stay!

While the other posters here are quite right that English is widely spoken, indeed learned in school now, throughout the country, always remember that the locals are no doubt as eager to practice their English as you are your Polish:-)

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Because, as with Conservative/Republicans, they are ideologically rather logically driven.

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

We know, Dirk, we know, Adam & Eve, not Adam & Steve. We've heard it before,, the old refrain.

G-d forgives all sins, asking of others also that they forgive their neighbor.
I don't believe in the death penalty though, no, not even for murder.

It is up to the Allmighty to create life as well as to take it. Man may punish, yet the rest is up to Him!

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

A typical perversion of the Holy Scripture, Rich! Even I know that:-)
Religion is not some chic center, a drop-in place for "fun".

Heard of somebody who heckled the pastor during a sermon, "Yo, padre!
I don't come to church to be hassled!!" (Followed by several choice invectives)

My response is simple: "Yo, dude! You don't wanna be hassled...STAY HOME!!!"

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Who are you to judge such matter, Ironside?
Are you Christi Incarnate?? "Hate the sin, not the sinner!"

Translate THAT into Polish, what don't you. Sure you even understand it in English?:-)

Christianity teaches love and forgiveness for all earthly transgressions. I'm Jewish and know more about Christian teaching that you do. Where did the Catholics get it from in the first place?

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Not a humbug, paw, it's a "hanba", more to the point, "wstyd" (a disgrace)!

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Raw deal for some, pal.
One needn't be gay to be most dismayed by Duda's backward decision.

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Fancy words, paw, too fancy for me.

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Not his best picture either.

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Promises, promises:-)

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Poland, though an arch-Catholic country, is curiously behind other Catholic nations in this respect!
I'm thinking here of Spain:-)

Work / Is starting a language school doable in Poland [9]

As far as I've read, Poland has a surfeit of language schools, not even talking here about the Berlitz variety.
What former students who are now studying in New York tell me, most are fly-by-night holes in the wall, not worth their salt.

I agree that you really should scope out the area first, before deciding to open such a school. Decide too which languages. If it's English....GOOD LUCK!! You'll likely be drowning in competitors, probably many from the UK, now that Brexit is a reality:-)

Perhaps a school offering Asian or other "exotic" languages might have a chance to succeed, and a pretty good one, I'd wager.

Food / Which foods are generally disliked/unpopular in Poland? Which non-Polish foods are slowly gaining popularity? [180]

..whereas technically they're "rYbaki", although crustaceons rather than fish:-)

News / Poles say a big YES to our European Union [996]

Poland probably won't even be affected by the Brexit, save perhaps for Polish nationals residing permanently in the UK or those who have become UK citizens.

Love / 20% of adult Poles are single and live with Mummy! [241]

Only the late Queen Mum:-)