Word for 'deadline'?

Hi everyone,

I was trying to explain to my Polish mate what my work involves. As it involves working to and meeting several deadlines, I didn't know the phrase for this and looked in my faithful friend (dictionary). It suggested the following: zdążać przed deadline'm for to meet a deadline.

What is the significance of the ' (apostrophe) in deadline'm?

Termin ostateczny

Looks like some nonsense to me. The translator applied the Polish miejscownik ending to the English word.

I would just say "zdążyć przed terminem".

The reason why the apostrophe is there is because this is quite common when we use an English word in a Polish sentence, we give it the Polish grammatical format which makes it look this way - a little awkward.

Another example would be:

"Przed weekend'em muszę, zrobić pranie"

"Przed lunch'em spotykam się z Piotrem"

You will notice that both weekend and lunch are English words, that have been "given" the Polish gramatical format.

Same thing that your author was trying to accomplish with the word "deadline".

I do agree though with Seanus and Marynka...that's the best true Polish translation for "deadline"

The apostrophe is unecessary here. It should be "deadlinem".

When foreign names or words are used in Polish sentences, they usually get declined just like Polish words. Apostrophe is used when the word is ending with a vowel and the declension ending begins with a vowel too - then the apostrophe comes between the two vowels.

So it's: Snoopy, Snoopy'ego, Snoopy'emu...
but
Charles, Charlesa, Charlesowi etc. - without the apostrophe.

It's a bit more complicated (e.g. there's no apostrophe in Charleya or Charliego because of phonetic reasons), but the general rule is that of two vowels vs. a vowel and a consonant.

Nevertheless, many people are confused about it and they put apostrophes whenever a foreign word is declined, like in your example. Still it's an error.


I'd say it's just termin. Termin ostateczny would be the ultimate deadline.


Nothing wrong with it. I mean, it's better to use a Polish word whenever an equivalent exists, , but if a foreign one is used, it should be declined, if possible. And deadline is very easy to decline, it would sound unnatural if left undeclined.


And these are examples of incorrect use. It should be "przed weekendem, przed lunchem". No apostrophes here.

Doesn't termin means 'fixed date'? Close enough to deadline.

aah. Cheers guys. I've written down a few examples you've given for future reference. This example I gave comes from 'Collins mini Polish dictionary'.

Thanks for your help (yet again!) :-)))

This too.
Termin oddania pracy, termin zakończenia robót, termin składania zgłoszeń - they're all deadlines.


Dictionaries can err too :)

Cheers :)

Termin przekraczalny?

what do you mean? Then it's not a termin, is it?
I mean, what's the point of setting a deadline if you're going to stretch it anyway?

Or maybe you mean "termin nieprzekraczalny", which is something they set when you're late with paying your electricity bill? "Zaległą płatność należy uiścić w nieprzekraczalnym terminie 7 dni od daty otrzymania niniejszego wezwania" - something like this?

Then yes, it's definitely a deadline that cannot be stretched ;)

Oops, I forgot to add 'nie'. Sorry!

'Nieprzekraczalny termin' seems a perfect translation of the English term 'deadline' to me. Btw, can anyone confirm the origin of this English expression? I've heard it originated in the American Civil War...

Yeah, I read on the internet that “It began as a real line, drawn in the dirt or marked by a fence or rail, restricting prisoners in Civil War camps. They were warned, "If you cross this line, you're dead." To make dead sure this important boundary was not overlooked, guards and prisoners soon were calling it by its own bluntly descriptive name, the dead line.”

Termin is the accepted polish term in every business I have known. But deadline is also understood by most poles