Language / Wiedzieć,Umieć and Znać When does one use the verb(s)? [30]


It's UK slang for 'disturbance, commotion, disorder, agitation' or 'fuss'. 'What a fuss' or 'What a kerfuffle'.

I very rarely use this word.

Language / Wiedzieć,Umieć and Znać When does one use the verb(s)? [30]


... what a kerfuffle ... :-/

I used 'umiec', as the book I'm working from gives examples of W - U - Z; I had never heard of 'potrafię' but have now [thanks ReservoirDog].

Needless to say it's quite unlikely that I'll be using these [fluently] in conversations just yet ... still getting to grips with vocab etc, but again, all of you have given a huge amount of help. I could use both forms depending on the context I suppose, and compromise.

Language / Wiedzieć,Umieć and Znać When does one use the verb(s)? [30]

fantastyczna strzyga!

You've been so so so helpful. Thanks you two. :-)

Language / Wiedzieć,Umieć and Znać When does one use the verb(s)? [30]

Cheers Peter

Teraz wiem!?! :-/

Language / What's the time? Numbers in Polish. [14]

Blimey ReservoirDog

Cheers for that. Don't knowhow you know all of this stuff.......

Hi ReservoirDog et al.,

For the 24 hour clock (I may have to know this), are the number as follows:

13:00 jedenasta
14:00 dziewiata
15:00 trzynasta
16:00 czternasta
17:00 pietnasta
18:00 szesnasta
19:00 siedemnasta
20:00 osiemnasta
21:00 dwudziesta pierwsza
22:00 dwudziasta druga
23:00 dwudziasta trzecia
24:00 dwudziesta czwarta .... are these correct? I would rather use the 12-hour clock!

Language / What's the time? Numbers in Polish. [14]

gumishu ReservoirDog

great stuff both of you! It's bad enough learning the 'normal' numbers, never mind the other forms to do with time. :-/ onwards and upwards.....

thanks gumishu... you're a star!

Language / What's the time? Numbers in Polish. [14]

so... depending on whether it's .... past the hour, or to the hour, the number (of the hour) changes (spelling)???

is... past 1 o'clock .... po pierwszej? is... minutes to 1 o'clock is .... za pierwsza?
is... past 2 o'clock ... po drugej? is... minutes to 2 o'clock is ... za drugesta? etc.....
is... past 3 o'clock ... po trzej?
is... past 4 o'clock ... po czwartej?
is... past 5 o'clock ... po piatej?
is... past 6 o'clock ... po szostej?
is... past 7 o'clock ... po siodmej?
is... past 8 o'clock ... po osmej?
is... past 9 o'clock ... po dziewatnej?
is... past 10 o'clock ..po dziezatnej?
is... past 11 o'clock ..po jedenastej?
is... past 12 o'clock ..po dwanastej? Can anyone check these numbers...... Cheers gumishu!!!! As you can see, I struggling a bit

no probs! I've found an answer!!!!!

Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]

Sorry NKEmerald! I'll read a bit closer next time!!!!!! :-)

Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]


Don't call me 'smartass'. I was merely saying that speakers of their own mother-tongue don't find their language difficult. I was not quoting you.

Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]

For the Southern Irish there is no problem in how to pronounce the monikers Siobhan or Padraig (my mother speaks it fluently!). The Gaelic language is natural to them - just the same as the Polish language is natural to Poles. The words 'dżdżownica' or indeed 'chrząszcz' are (in my opinion) difficult to pronounce, but slip off the tongue for native Poles.

Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]

In response to the original question:


In my opinion - you get out from a language what you put in! I think the reason Polish is deemed difficult is due to the 7 cases and the corresponding declensions (those who have already replied to my previous posts have heard me bleating on about these - sorry).

Example, I will learn a noun, say for example 'mleko'. If I wish to construct a basic sentence 'I drink tea with milk' it becomes 'Piję herbatę z mlekiem'. Notice the Polish noun changes from 'mleko' to 'mlekiem'.

This has provided me with a personal challenge: to crack the case system, and speak Polish in a professional manner. I remember when first learning it I used to introduce myself by saying 'Jestem Anglielski', and 'Ja wiem Polski'. I cringe now thinking back on these howlers.

Can anyone give me any translation on these two erroneous statements?!!

Numbers provide another difficulty. Again, I used to say 'Mam cztery brat' and 'Mam dwa siostra'. I believe it should be 'Mam CZTERECH braci' and 'mam dwie siostry'. It's just a case of learning ... learning ... learning ....

Language / GCSE Polish experience. [51]


Thanks catsoldier. I will certainly be here posting my grammatical queries. I have no idea how I'll get on - I do have at the most 8 months to prepare. I think my main thing now is to learn adverbs, nouns and everything else! Czy jesteś polakiem? Czy pracujesz w Polsce? Jestem wścibski! :-)

Language / GCSE Polish experience. [51]

Hi Catsoldier

Just had a quick look on language statistics webpage. Polish came 7th most popular out of 21 languages studied at GCSE level last year. Just over 4,000 entries were recieved. French (154,000 entries), followed by Spanish, German, Welsh, Italian, Urdu then Polish. Interestigly, in 1995 there were just 237 entries for Polish.

As far as any type of examination below GCSE level there aren't any (that I know of). Just out of interest, it took me weeks and weeks to find a centre that offer the Polish exam. There are only two centres here in UK - London and Oxford. Mam trzydześci dziewięć lat, and found it impossible to sit it at a school.

At least I found a couple of centres to do it!

Language / Czego, Czemu, Co, Kto, Jak, Dlaczego? [64]

Oh dear!!!

No, I haven't heard of them! How and why have they been introduced? I can't find anything on the internet.

Language / GCSE Polish experience. [51]

Hi catsoldier

Irish leavers have three years to study for their Leaving Certificates (16-19). Still, the level looks way higher than the English GCSE level.

I think the ILC is for all students. Most Irish universities require a language as part of their studies.

Language / Czego, Czemu, Co, Kto, Jak, Dlaczego? [64]

Thanks zman

I am so very humbled by this forum. This has become the only place where I can ask grammatical questions. I am really touched as there are so many talented and intelligent linguists out there who reply giving their help and hints. Moderators: Keep up the good work!!!

Dziękuję bardzo!

Language / Polish words that sound funny? [224]


Is that 'Slainte' Irish for Cheers?!

I'm half Irish and have heard loads of 'craic' (crack) over in the Emerald Isle....


this brings on a gastronomic theme.....

The Northern Welsh word for microwave is the splendid onomatopoeic word 'popty ping'!!! Make sure you accentuate the final 'ping'! Somehow the sound of the microwave has become incorporated into the word...

Japanese:

Did Japanese a few years ago, and came across loads of funny words, meaning they sounded funny to myself.

The equivalent of the English word 'is' is 'desu' with a silent 'u' - pronounced 'dess', and is usually put at the end of a sentence.

'I am a stewardess' is 'Wa-ta-shi wa su-chu-wa-h-de-s de-s(u)'.

telephone number is 'denwo bango'.

German

One only word which does give me a wry smile is 'dudelsack' (bagpipes).

French

The French word for paperclip is 'trombone' - a paperclip does look like a trombone, or is that the other way round (n'est pas?).

Please, keep to the original topic. Thank you.

Przepraszam!

I got carried away!!!! ;-)

Language / Polish words that sound funny? [224]

Me and my Polish mate were walking down a canal tow path. He asked me what a particular acquatic bird was wading on the surface of the canal.

I replied 'It's a swan'.

He burst out laughing - I had no idea why. He then explained that my pronunciation of 'swan' was exactly the same as 'słoń', meaning 'elephant'.

He just imagined an elephant swimming down the canal - it must have been an image!

Language is full of unexpected moments.

Language / Funny/strange/deviant words in the Polish language [35]

Of course, the English word 'Lunatic' has derived from 'lunaticus' believing the moon has an effect on mental health.
There was once a Lunacy Act 1890-1922.

Language / Czego, Czemu, Co, Kto, Jak, Dlaczego? [64]

Czesść

LwowskaKrakow i Ziemowit

Thanks for your replies. I have a few books that I'm systemically working through, and one in particular (Po Polsku 1) introduces these cases one by one.

I have learnt a few instances where to use the Instrumental case. 'Poprozę herbatę z mlekiem?'. Please do correct me if I'm incorrect but I believe herbatę is in the Accusative and mlekiem is in the Instrumental - i hope!

It's just remembering how to change the nouns to their corresponding case endings. I remember my polish mate at my house asking for coffee with milk. Obviously he used the correct lingo and remember thinking why has he said 'mlekiem' and not 'mlek' (that is the only word I new for milk). Now of course, I understand! Slowly but surely It's all sinking in.... So far, just done Nominative, Intrumental, Accusative ...

Did you just do away with case ending tables etc?

Language / GCSE Polish experience. [51]

Hi Rybnik and Pawian

Yes, GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) are compulsory examinations taken by all 15/16 year olds in their final year at school. They take between 5 and 10 separate GCSE examinations usually studied over two years.

GCSE's can be taken in a myriad of subjects and for different purposes. To be able to sit Advanced Levels (A Levels), students generally have to obtain at least 5 GCSE passes at grades A-C. If students obtain these grades, they they enter Sixth Form (ages 16-18) and usually study 4 or 5 A Levels, studied over 2 years. Then after that off to University (ages 18-20/21).

AQA stands for Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (UK). This is the Examinations Board which sets out/marks students' GCSE/A level examination papers.

The attachements I pasted in were AQA samples of GCSE Polish examinations. It provides a glimpse of what the exam contains.

Cześć

Czesc Pawian

Thanks for the English GCSE counterpart... It looks slightly different.

The full GCSE award consists of 4 parts:

Reading
Writing
Speaking
Listening

Must pass all four parts to be awarded the full qualification.

I think there's a difference between English and Polish education system. I am quite astonished though with the Polish people I meet here how fluent they are in English. I do wish I was better in Język Polskiego......

Language / Czego, Czemu, Co, Kto, Jak, Dlaczego? [64]

Merged: KTO? CO? KOGO? CZEGO?

Czesc wszyscy

Could anyone give me any explanations of the different question words used in the different cases?

Mianownik N (who/kto? what/co?)
Dopełniacz G (of who/kogo? of what/czego?)
Celownik D (to whom/komu? to what/czemu?)
Biernik A (whom/kogo? what/co?)
Narzędnik I (with whom/z kim? with what/z czym?)
Miejscownik L (about whom/o kim? about what/o czym? where/gdzie?)

In the exercise below we're given statements and then I have to give the appropriate questions using Kogo? or Co? (my answers given in bold)..in relation to the Biernik case.

1. Mama zna mojego profesora. Kogo ona zna?
2. Dziewczyna lubi studenta. Kogo ona lubi?
3. Piotr pije sok. Co on pije?
4. Ten pan czyta gazete. Co on czyta?
5. Ja mam kota. Co masz?

I've noticed that the word 'kogo' means 'of who' (in the Dopelniacz case), and 'whom'. (in the Biernik case).

In essence, when you are asked a question in Polish, do the question words (as above) give a clue to which case to use?

I've a bit of a headache trying to get used to this. Is this important to understand? :-/

Language / GCSE Polish experience. [51]


Hi Pawian

Here are a few specimen examples from previous GCSE exams. I'm sure you think it's a walk in the park!

store.aqa.org.uk/qual/newgcse/pdf/AQA-46852-W-SQP.PDF
store.aqa.org.uk/qual/newgcse/pdf/AQA-46851-W-SQP.PDF

This is an example of previous candidates' answers to the Writing part, giving exaiminers' comments.

store.aqa.org.uk/qual/newgcse/pdf/AQA-4685-W-TRB-OG-EXEMPWRIT-SPR10.PDF

Have fun!

Language / GCSE Polish experience. [51]

Hi strzyga

I do know perhaps 15 Poles (I go to the Polish Church), and do 'talk' to them in rather broken Polish - and rather brief conversations. They are more than willing to give me help, but one feels a little nuisance asking.

I'm afraid I may have to continue to ask questions here. It's my only lifeline!

Can I take this opportunity to save a big thanks for everyone who has given me a massive help already!

Watch this space....

Language / GCSE Polish experience. [51]

Hi Pawian

Is this for Polish students doing Polish language exam? I've had a look at the AQA Examination Board (UK) syllabus, and specimen exam papers, and your attachment seems 10 times harder!!!!

If your link is the standard required, I may have to reconsider?

Have you done it?

Language / Biernik czy narzędnik (Accusative or Instrumental) [65]

Dziękuję bardzo Mafketis, Lyzko i strzyga!!

I have a little bad news. My Polish mate who was teaching me Polish for GCSE has moved away!!!!!

====----> NEW TOPIC!

Cześć wszyscy - more questions.

Would anyone just checking through these statements to see if I have the correct endings (mianownik, narzędnik lub biernik)...
(Got to choose the correct endings - my answers are in bold)

1. Ten samochod jest stary / stara / stare. (nominative)
2. Moja rodzina jest duży / duża / duże. (nominative)
3. Ona jest sympatyczna / sympatycną kobietą. (instrumental)
4. Oni są dobry / dobre / dobrymi rodzicami. (instrumental)
5. Mam małego / mały / małej psa. (accusative)
6. Lubie angielska / angielską literaturę. (instrumental)
7. Znam tego wysokim / wysokiego / wysoka mezczyzne. (nominative)
8. Mam wysoki / wysokiego / wysokim wujka. (accusative)
9. Krzyś jest mały / małym / małe dzieckiem. (instrumental)
10 Żywiec to polskie / polska / polskiego piwo. (nominative)

:-)

Language / Biernik czy narzędnik (Accusative or Instrumental) [65]

Hey Lyzko and Makfetis

Both of you sound as if you know your stuff!!!! I thought the genetive was used for possessions! Why is the genitive used for going from a place/substance?

Could you give an example?

Chrąszcz