Language / Short Polish<->English translations [1040]

(male) Jan = diminutive name Jasiek (Yashyek).
(female) Janina = diminutive name Jaśka (Yashka)
Maybe your mom was joking or making fun of you when she called you Jaśka? I do the same, i often call my son a female version of his first name, especially when he takes forever to get dress or complains a lot. :)

Language / Short Polish<->English translations [1040]

The first sentence is correct. I am not sure what you are trying to say in the second sentence. Can you write it in English?

Language / Short Polish<->English translations [1040]

kiszony = sour pickle or brine cured pickle

Language / Short Polish<->English translations [1040]

maybe MOPS = social assistance office ???
Tego goscia z MOPSu nadal nie ma? Is the guy from MOPS still not here?

Life / Help with Polish address - the correct way of putting that on an envelope? [29]

Janina Staszewska - this is obviously the person's name
Skulska Wies - village name
Powiat Konin - district Konin
Woj Poznan - voivodeship Poznan
Poland

The return address on the letter you have was written the old way ( more than 10 years ago). The voivodeship Poznan has been replaced with voivodeship Wielkopolskie since. The address you have doesn't show a postal code that is mandatory now. I checked on the Polish Post website and the postal code for Skulska Wieś is 62-560

If you would like to send a letter you should address it as follows:

Janina Staszewska
62-560 Skulska Wieś
woj. Wielkopolskie
Poland

Language / Polish slang phrases - most popular. [606]


Taka stara, a taka glupia - so old and so dumb

Language / Family members in Polish [8]


same as between father and dad - ojciec i tata. Wujek definitely more common and wuj is more formal

ciotka and ciocia = same difference as between wuj and wujek

You can address stryjenka and wujenka as ciocia - very common and acceptable

Life / What do Poles really think about cats? [416]

They have no choice. As of January 1, 2012 new animal protection laws in Poland have made it illegal to sell dogs and cats without a breeding license. All illegal breeders when caught can be fined up to 3000PLN.

This is why sometimes you can find on the net or in newspapers an ad like this: a dog leash for sale. Free puppy with a leash purchase.

Life / What do Poles really think about cats? [416]

Poles like cats too. The biggest forum devoted to dogs dogomania.pl has close to 59 thousand members and the biggest cat lovers forum: forum.miau.pl, that is 2 years younger than the dog forum, has just over 50 thousand members.

Genealogy / Motyl - Tracing My Polish Roots for the 1st time [28]

@searcher6

You grandparents are from a small village near Kock in Poland. The proper Polish spelling is Lebiedziów

worldandcitymaps.com/europe/poland/lublin-voivodeship/kolonia-lebiedziow/

Żukowski is a very common last name in Poland but Bliźniuk is not. The website moikrewni shows that most people whose last name is Bliźniuk live in the Kock / Lubartów area .moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/bli%25C5%25BAniuk.html

You can write to a local parish for birth/baptism/marriage/death records also for a family grave location. Here is the list of Roman Catholic parishes close to Lebiedziów. I suggest you write to them in Polish. I am sure somebody on this forum will translate a letter for you

mapa.targeo.pl/Rzymskokatolicki-Kosciol-Lebiedziow/kategoria/2297/0383308

When doing search online remember to spell names using Polish letters: ż, ź, ó

Genealogy / Woloczyn or Wolosczyn: Am I Polish? Help [22]

Wołoszyn is very much a Polish last name. This map shows where many Wołoszyns live in Poland moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/wo%25C5%2582oszyn.html

W is pronounced like v in vase, ł is pronounced like w in washer , sz like sh and y like i in sit

Real Estate / Polish law on inheritance and real estate [42]

Get your own lawyer quick !! That one is working for Radio Maria. They are waiting to all docs to get legalized by the Polish court. This is why your are not geeting anything back from them. Time is an issue

Real Estate / Polish law on inheritance and real estate [42]


Most likely she waived all her rights to claim zachówek.
"Zachowek" means that even if the dead bequeathed his/her property to people other than his/her children or wife, or siblings (if s/he doesn't have children),

the wife, the children (or the siblings) may claim a part of his/her property.

In other words the church would have to pay off your mother. Now they don't hve to

Love / Dating a Polish man - how to impress his mother? [51]


Buy a good quality frozen pierogies. Supreme Pierogies is a Polish company from Toronto and they make very good frozen pierogies, Polish style. You can buy them in many stores in Ontario like Loblaws and perhaps outside Ontario as well. Don't buy cheddar cheese and potato as these are not-so-Polish. I recommend sauerkraut and mushroom but meat pierogies are also very popular in Poland. Drop them in a boiling water (don't forget to salt it). Boil them according to the instructions on the bag, usually around 7 minutes. In a frying pan fry some onion in butter or onion with bacon (both onion and bacon finely chopped). Don't use olive oil as it will add some non-Polish taste to the dish. Fry pierogies on both sides for few minutes. And viola you have yummy Polish pierogies. You can serve them with sour cream but thsi is not necessary.

My friend communicates with her Polish husband's grandmother using this:

And here is another easy to make Polish dish, very popular in Poland:
roadfood.com/Forums/Salatka-Jarzynowa-Polish-Vegetable-Salad-m485747.aspx

You can skip celery root, not many Poles add it to this salad.

Genealogy / How can I find my family in Poland? (Hochajzel) Malinowska. [15]

Daniela, send me your introduction with your email address and I will forward this info to Agnieszka through my naszaklasa account. She will be able to reply directly to you via email.

Language / Polish case question (Mężczyzna jest zimno? or Dziewczyna jest zimno?) [71]

a few more examples:

Mężczyzna jest dziwny - a man is weird
Mężczyznie jest dziwno - a man feels weird (has a weird feeling)

Kobieta jest nudna - a woman is boring
Kobiecie jest nudno - a woman is bored

and just to confuse you ;)
Dziecko jest smutne - a child is sad (how others see this child)
Dziecku jest smutno - a child is sad (how the child feels)

Language / Polish case question (Mężczyzna jest zimno? or Dziewczyna jest zimno?) [71]


Kotu jest zimno

Language / Polish case question (Mężczyzna jest zimno? or Dziewczyna jest zimno?) [71]


Mężczyzna jest zimny - A man is cold (this means that when you touch him, his skin feels cold... not necessarily he feels cold himself. It could also mean that he is dead, this is why mężczyzna jest zimny. This sentence doesn't say anything about the temperature mężczyzna feels himself, only how he feels to others.

Zimny is an adjective in this sentence

Mężczyznie jest zimno - A man is cold. Thsi sentence says that mężczyzna feels a low temperature of his body. Zimno is an adverb in this sentence

Mężczyznie jest zimno, ale mężczyzna jest cieply. The man is cold but he feels warm (to the touch)

Real Estate / Property taxation in Poland and inheritance (obligated by law to pay)? [32]


Since your grandfather passed away only few weeks ago, I assume, you don't have any legal papers from the Polish court yet (no, I don't mean the will your Grandfather left). You have to get Postanowienie o Nabyciu Spadku from the Polish court where all beneficiaries will be named. You will be surprised but even if someone is not in the will, she/he may be eligible, according to the Polish law, to receive zachówek (financial compensation from all beneficiaries named in the will). Judge will decide. The legal process to get Postanowienie takes months. If there is no will the legal process is even longer.

Once you get the Postanowienie you need to contact a tax office that will classify all beneficiaries into a specific tax group (no, it doesn't matter that you are not a Polish taxpayer). All in group 1 don't have to pay an inheritance tax, all others will have to.

And only when you have Postanowienie and a clearance from the tax office this apartment is legally yours. Without these papers you can't do much with it.

I am in the middle of the same process. It took me 14 months to get the Postanowienie o nabyciu spadku. I live in Canada and had to hire a lawyer in Warsaw.

Good luck. It is not easy. Could be that when you are done with all this legal sh.. apartment prices may go up again. :)

Law / Shipping a car from USA to Poland [86]


TV most likely won't work. There is a different system in Poland. I don't know much about it but you can google info on Pal Secam to get an explanation.

Radio won't work in Poland either due to a different FM broadcast band in Europe.


Yes, I did it a few years ago. You need to do it only if you want to register car in Poland. You can drive it without a yellow blinker if the car is registered outside Poland.

Law / Shipping a car from USA to Poland [86]


In Poland a blinker has to be a yellow/orange light and separated from a rear red brake light. Some American cars use a blinking brake light for a turn signal.

Life / Help me find this Polish band and song.... [117]

I think the song you are looking for may be LIST DO CARA (A letter to Tsar), Polish army march song.

youtu.be/TtvUMAIDxz0

LIST DO CARA
A konna bateria już nad Styrem stoi,
już nad Styrem stoi, już nad Styrem stoi.
I pisze do Cara, że się go nie boi,
Że się go nie boi, hopaj - siup!

Hopaj - siupaj, hopaj - siupaj,
hopaj - siupaj dana, hopaj - siupaj dana,
dziewczyno kochana.
Wczoraj spałem na podłodze,
Dziś na stogu siana,
Do samego rana, hopaj - siup!

I pisze do Cara czarnym atramentem,
czarnym atramentem, czarnym atramentem.
Że się go nie boi z całym regimentem,
z całym regimentem, hopaj - siup!

...

hallmann.art.pl/piesni_rzeczpospolitej/list_do_cara.html

Po polsku / Co uczysz się ostatnio w języku polskim? Norma językowa? [35]

If I may : Czego ostatnio uczysz się w języku polskim?? or (it sound better) Czego nowego ostatnio nauczyłeś się (or uczysz się) po polsku?

I hope i didn't offend you by correcting your grammar. If so, I appologize.