QueenSide
11 Dec 2011
Off-Topic / What's your connection with Poland? Penpals. [574]
My husband is Polish and I'm a History/Eastern Europe college major
My husband is Polish and I'm a History/Eastern Europe college major
QueenSide
7 Dec 2011
Language / "Hilarious" Mistakes? (Esp. Across Polish and other Slavic Languages) [82]
Can you ask to switch to ty form? Or is that rude?
I *always* think of Pan Tadeusz when I hear Pan or Panni. Slavic studies, siiigh....
but if you start with "pani", then go along with it and don't switch to "ty"
Can you ask to switch to ty form? Or is that rude?
I *always* think of Pan Tadeusz when I hear Pan or Panni. Slavic studies, siiigh....
QueenSide
7 Dec 2011
Language / "Hilarious" Mistakes? (Esp. Across Polish and other Slavic Languages) [82]
Interesting about the milk bags. That makes sense. I know that one can also "położyć" money in a bank, so it can function similarly to "to store" or "deposit". But in Russian I guess it's always to lay something flat, like a rug.
Slavic prepositions used by English speakers can also be quite funny... na pociągu, anyone?
Also @ Pam: If Im understanding correctly, the confusion here is between trains and ...spiders? :D
Interesting about the milk bags. That makes sense. I know that one can also "położyć" money in a bank, so it can function similarly to "to store" or "deposit". But in Russian I guess it's always to lay something flat, like a rug.
Slavic prepositions used by English speakers can also be quite funny... na pociągu, anyone?
Also @ Pam: If Im understanding correctly, the confusion here is between trains and ...spiders? :D
QueenSide
6 Dec 2011
Language / "Hilarious" Mistakes? (Esp. Across Polish and other Slavic Languages) [82]
So, in Russian class we were doing a review of verbs of positioning (to sit, lay, stand, hang, etc). Which, to an English speaker, is something you just have to memorize as far as what sits versus what stands. So I asked my husband (Polish) how you position something in a fridge. He says, położyć. I look down my list, check off положить and move on. Apparently, this was hilarious to my Russian professor, the idea of laying down milk or something in a fridge. Obviously it wasnt funny to me because I didnt have idea idea what position an object takes in the fridge in the first place.
Do you guys have any stories of unavoidable (because of innocent ignorance) foreign language mistakes?
So, in Russian class we were doing a review of verbs of positioning (to sit, lay, stand, hang, etc). Which, to an English speaker, is something you just have to memorize as far as what sits versus what stands. So I asked my husband (Polish) how you position something in a fridge. He says, położyć. I look down my list, check off положить and move on. Apparently, this was hilarious to my Russian professor, the idea of laying down milk or something in a fridge. Obviously it wasnt funny to me because I didnt have idea idea what position an object takes in the fridge in the first place.
Do you guys have any stories of unavoidable (because of innocent ignorance) foreign language mistakes?