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"No tak"; The Oddest Phrase In Polish For This American [75]
A very interesting discussion!
As a Polish native speaker I want to confirm Ironside's opinion:
No in Polish do not mean yes.
Yes=tak" alone explains as Yeah or yep in English.
Meaning of Polish No in combination with other words needs to be learned.
Like:
No Tak - can mean - well, yes, or indeed, or sure thing or told you so - depends on intonation, circumstances and context.
It is worth to emphasise also polonius's explanation:
Learners of Polish should bear in mind that Polish 'no' meaning 'yes' is extremely colloquial, at times (in a more formal setting) even impolite and inappropriate...
Polish "no" instead of "tak (yes)" as a short answer shows our interlocutor as an uneducated person. It sounds somehow plebeian, sometimes: rude.
Many young Poles answer nowadays a telephone call (when they can see who is calling: someone well known) this way: "No, cześć!"
I am forty and I hate that. It sounds very rude for me and many people in my age or older agree with me.
The meaning of this phrase depends of the intonation. It can mean: "I have been waiting for your call so long and I am a little angry now!"
or it can mean: "Oh, it's only you. I hoped to get a telephone call from someone more interesting or important".
Both of these hidden messages are rude.
My advice for Polish learners: don't use a Polish word "no".
