Language / iPhone / Android - Smartphone apps for learning Polish [12]

"Byki" can be useful, depending on your level. I use a "Collins" dictionary, which I find very helpful.

sites:

ang.pl - for vocabulary. intended for Polish speakers to learn English, but works both ways.

Livemocha.com - very good! This requires flash, however, so may not work with your iPhone. (I use a Motorola Droid)

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

Zabłocki?

My uncle had this name.

Love / Are Polish Women cold and aloof? [249]


Fascinating, and much too true to life. Thanks for the tip; I will check out the series.

thinks . o O ( perhaps it is time to rethink my strategy )

Love / Are Polish Women cold and aloof? [249]


Yes. Just once - so far! You mean it's not just me? good grief....

Love / How to Make (Polish?) Women happy? [96]


This seems to work for me. Good advice, I think.

Language / Nice Polish words to say to a girl [147]

Perhaps some of the younger ones, but not the more mature women, in my experience. My girlfriend appreciates the sweet things, and I doubt she'd marry me if I was a bad boy!

Language / Nice Polish words to say to a girl [147]

"My little bird," perhaps?

Language / Nice Polish words to say to a girl [147]

A diminutive, familiar form of kitten, apparently (kocia k, -ka, -ki, -kiem)
"kociak" may also mean "chick" as a slang term for a pretty girl...

Language / Site I've been using to learn Polish--what do you people think? [18]

I have done this, too - most recently, with Kosmofski's "Dzień po dniu, od lat" from "Tytułu BRAK." Unfortunately, I could not find the lyrics online, but a friend helped me:

Dzień po dniu od lat, oglądam TV Świat
i dzień po dniu co rok widzę jak dzień zamienia się w noc,
wśród objawionych praw, ku słońcu zwracam twarz
pośród pustych świąt widzę jak dzień zamienia się w noc

Kiedy już nie będzie nas i nie będzie zła
Czy będzie tam ktoś, kto opowie ten świat

Dzień po dniu od lat, gdzie nie wypiera tak
a ogień traci moc widzę jak dzień zamienia się w noc

... I think he did a good job with this (any typos are mine!), and I like the song for several reasons, including that fact that it moves slowly and is clear enough to hear well. It also fits the register of my voice - very low.

I was also cautioned by the same friend that listening to music has limited value for learning Polish, because the constructs are often poetic, and pronunciation may be different than usual speech. I understand this, but still find it useful.

Language / Site I've been using to learn Polish--what do you people think? [18]

Oscar E. Swan - yes, I agree. His writing is quite useful.

This is handy for working on pronunciation. It does fairly well for a computer.


Site maintenance is scheduled for today. It should be back up soon.
I met many very helpful people on LiveMocha. Some of us use Skype, and our interaction there has been very helpful to me, and to them.

Polish In A Nutshell

Freely available book in "pdf" form, the prototype for his printed book: Polish Verbs & Essentials of Grammar Oscar E. Swan.

This is an excellent reference - 138 pages full of useful information

Also, the "Michel Thomas" (sometimes "Michael Thomas") CD courses were helpful to me, and at reasonable cost from Amazon. Also in Barnes & Noble.

"Immersion" is a key concept in my learning plan. I listen to Polish radio, music, watch Polish television (dropped all my American channels for Polish-only on satellite), read newspapers and books. Try crossword and other word games - these can be very challenging!

Some claim "you've arrived" once you can say this well:

Chrząszcz
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrz%C4%85szcz

and have a look at this, too: sciaga.pl/forum/9/watek/712241/zemsta_logopedy/ - Polish tongue twisters

Language / Site I've been using to learn Polish--what do you people think? [18]

I have been studying Polish at livemocha.com for about eight months. The site and the people there have helped me a lot!

Language / Nice Polish words to say to a girl [147]

I am too stubborn to give up on "cherish" just yet, so here is a review of one dictionary entry:

verb
[with object]

protect and care for (someone) lovingly

hold (something) dear:I cherish the letters she wrote

keep in one's mind (a hope or ambition):he had long cherished a secret fantasy about his future

I think it's obvious I am interested in the first definition. So far, there does not seem to be one word that is a good fit. Perhaps I need a short phrase to do the job?

Unrelated searches happened to turn these up tonight:

opiekować się kimś (to take care of somebody)
troszczyć się o kogoś (synonym for opiekować/martwić się)
zajmować się kimś (synonym for opiekować się)
martwić się (to care about somebody)
Perhaps someone here more well-versed in Polish will see something useful here?

Language / Your perception of the Polish accent [145]

FWIW I find my Polish girlfriend's manner of speech adorable! She is improving her English in a formal class now, so I am enjoying this while it lasts.

I had her listen to one of my recorded speaking exercises from my Polish lessons. She listened patiently, then turned to me as if quite serious and said:

"You have akcent!"

I nearly fell out of my chair. The concept, her delivery, and her own akcent were a perfect combination. [hilarity ensued]

So... yes, I love the way she speaks...

Language / Nice Polish words to say to a girl [147]


I suppose I was not very clear. I did not so much mean 'say' these words, as write them. For me, the word 'cherish' and the sentiment behind it is quite real no matter how I communicate it to her. I expect it will be part of our vows, so I still want to know:

how to best translate the English word "cherish" into Polish?

Love / How do I make a Polish girl cry? [107]


Married! (note ball-and-chain attached firmly to ankle) ;-)

Language / Nice Polish words to say to a girl [147]

These appear to be diminutive forms of "miś" - bear - meaning something like a "teddy bear." See also "misiu pysiu" and "niedzwiadku." I love it when my girlfriend uses these terms of endearment with me!

One of the English words I like to use when describing how I feel about my girlfriend is "cherish." Oxford defines this word as:

"protect and care for (someone) lovingly"

I have yet to find a translation to Polish that is a good fit for this word. Most resources simply point me to "miłować ," and another tenuous fit was perhaps "opiekować się," or even "chronić," but these don't seem correct.

Miłować becomes redundant, for example, when I try to say "I will love and cherish you..."

Can anyone help me with this, please?


Point well taken, though I use both terms with my girlfriend, as she is charming, enchanting, and clearly cast a spell on me at some point! There is likely no way I would get away with this, except that she introduced me to the word, saying in her adorable way: "Maybe I'm little czarownica!" ... this became a learning experience for both of us, as well as an unexpected "pet name!" I wonder what a diminutive form of czarownica might look like? ;-)

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

Hi - can you please help me with these two names:

Tyszko
Leśniewska

I've not found much about either name, but especially little about Tyszko...

Life / Womans day in Poland? [242]

for what it's worth:

Two dozen red and white roses and a Polish card with a personal, hand-written message made my girlfriend very happy :-)

She said I should not have spent the money, but I know she appreciated it very much.

Dzień Kobiet is alive and well in the US...

USA, Canada / REFUSED A HOLIDAY VISA TO THE U.S CAUSE IM POLISH [323]

Oh, lovely - thank you for the information. If this system is "about as effective as the stub system," then I understand it is not very effective, just expensive?

USA, Canada / REFUSED A HOLIDAY VISA TO THE U.S CAUSE IM POLISH [323]


From what I have been reading - they do not keep such records for anyone who overstays their visa. There was a news article recently about trying to keep better track of who comes and goes. The claim was that over 90% of foreign nationals visiting this country are never recorded as leaving, because almost no one "turns in the stub" upon departure. I do not know what this "stub" is about, but it sounds like a simple paper trail that is not enforced.

Unless you are discovered to be an "overstay," then they have no idea if you left or not!

Personally, I hope it stays that way - or they drop the whole visa thing completely. The laws are archaic, discriminatory, and often seem quite arbitrary in their application. I hope it is easier for me to visit Poland than it is for Poles to come here. This is truly a sad state of affairs!