Polish lesson & grammar

Dziękuję (I just found the ˛ key on my keyboard )

EDIT: I just listened again to the Polish interpretation by Holoubek... This time, besides rodzina, I caught rodzinie (plural? different case?)... viećer... moje... tam... oty (one word or two?)... jam... samo... kopinije(?)...

I only understood "family", "evening", and "only", though, however they're spelt

Originally Posted by dragonfly93

EDIT: I just listened again to the Polish interpretation by Holoubek... This time, besides rodzina, I caught rodzinie (plural? different case?)... viećer... moje... tam... oty (one word or two?)... jam... samo... kopinije(?)...

I only understood "family", "evening", and "only", though, however they're spelt

rodzinie is dative sg or locative sg of rodzina,
wieczór, yes, it's 'evening' (remember, we don't have the letter v, and before i ć loses the little line = ci),
moje is 'my', either neuter sg Nom./Acc. or non-personal-masculine plural Nom./Acc.,
tam - 'there',
O Ty! - 'Oh you! (written with capital T because of respect [he speaks to God]'
jam (poetical form) = ja jestem = 'I am'
samo means not 'only' (= tylko), but 'alone', neuter sg Nom./Acc.,
and kopinije doesn't sound like anything I know.

Lol thanks

When I said Only I was thinking of Serbian

And I guess Tam is the same in Russian

Got it... I thought O Ty was an exclamation of some sort

Ok, I'm ready for the next lesson

On second thought, maybe I'll teach a little.... Please correct me; I'm trying to learn

Jak się masz? - How are you?
W porządku - I am fine
Tak - Yes
Nie - No
Nazywam się... - My name is...

Questions for you:

1. What's the difference between "dziękuję" and "dzięki"?
2. Are any of my sentences above for a specific gender only, or do they work for both males and females?

Dzięki

2. Are any of my sentences above for a specific gender only, or do they work for both males and females?

Everything you wrote is for both genders. Jak się masz? uses the 2sg (masz), so it's informal. BTW, I'll write you about politeness in Polish:

You can adress a person either with the 2sg pronoun (ty), which is of course informal, or with the pan noun (+ 3sg), which is, say, like the Romanian dumneavoastră. Literally it means 'lord, master' (Latin: dominus), and is also used when adressing God himself. It's quite interesting, for it makes Polish one of the most polite European languages, as far as I know. The feminine form of pan is pani. In plural, you can say (+ 3pl): panowie ('gentlemen'), panie ('ladies'), państwo (to a mixed group).

As I said, you use 3sg with pan/pani. Sometimes, however, people combine pan with 2sg (e.g. idź pan! 'go!'), which is very impolite, but not as impolite as saying ty to a person you don't know. If you don't want to offend anybody, use always the 3sg.

Jak się masz? - How are you?
W porządku - I am fine

You can also answer Dobrze ('fine', literally: 'well'). W porządku is more neutral, as it means 'in order'... Poles love to complain and if you ask Jak się masz?, it's probable you'll hear 100 complaints.

It's good to add dzięki/dziękuję, and ask: a ty?/a pan?/a pani? ('and you?').

What's the difference between "dziękuję" and "dzięki"?

It's exactly like the difference between thank you and thanks. Dzięki literally means 'thanks' as well.

You're doing really fine!

Unlike Russian, Polish has the verb 'to have':

mieć ('to have', present tense)

1sg. ja mam
2sg. ty masz
3sg. on, ona, ono ma

1pl. my mamy
2pl. wy macie
3pl. oni, one mają


robić ('to do, to make', present tense)

1sg. ja robię
2sg. ty robisz
3sg. on, ona, ono robi

1pl. my robimy
2pl. wy robicie
3pl. oni, one robią

Polish infinitives almost always end with -ć, and often the stem of the verb, used for example to add personal endings, is simply the infinitive without -ć, as with robi-ć.

The conjugation is difficult as hell. http://grzegorj.private.pl/gram/en/koniug00.html
Generally, the personal endings in present tense are:

1sg. -(j)ę / -m
2sg. -sz
3sg. -Ø (none)

1pl. -my
2pl. -cie
3pl. -(j)ą

Another example:

mieszkać ('to live [somewhere, Romanian a locui]', present tense):

1sg. ja mieszkam
2sg. ty mieszkasz
3sg. on, ona, ono mieszka

1pl. my mieszkamy
2pl. wy mieszkacie
3pl. oni, one mieszkają

Dzięki, Gustaw

Question...
Is the "I" on the end of "pani" pronounced as an "i", or is it closer to saying "pań"?

Originally Posted by dragonfly93

Is the "I" on the end of "pani" pronounced as an "i", or is it closer to saying "pań"?

Ni, si, ci, zi and dzi at the end of words are always pronounced like before consonants, that is as ńi, śi, ći, źi, dźi, with a full i. = [pańi]

The word pań also exists, it's the genitive plural of pani. And it's read [pań].

I'm sorry for not having responded sooner... I've memorised everything on this thread, and was simply waiting for a new lesson

I just think I may add some information about using you and Pan/Pani forms... those of you who know French or German must find it easier then English speakers.
Generally one has to use Pan/Pani in every formal situation. You don't use it for friends etc. You may not use it if you are young and address your peers. (though people after 20 usually use it for strangers, as you can accidentally take a person 10 years older for someone your age). You would use it for strangers (For example if you ask someone on the street how to get somewhere, in a shop etc.)
Children should always address adults with Pan/Pani unless they are relatives or an adult ask them to call them by name.
Adults address children by 'you'
Students address teachers by Pan/Pani, and at universities the lecturers also address students so (because they are adult).

I'd say if you are address an adult it's safer to use the polite form, because if people feel like you shouldn't, they will surely tell you to call them by first name.

Dzięki, Vampie I appreciate that!

Originally Posted by sizr_sistr

Hi. could someone quickly explain the way it is 'you' formal in polish. i can already speak macedonian which is helpful for some things but not this!
i understood its the same word for 'sir'/'madam'
so its like Jak ma sie Pan / Pani ?
but what do you do if its not the subject?... and then is there only one plural for masc and femin? = panstvo ?

I saw you? I gave you something? can i ask You a question... etc.

dziekuje!

There are unwritten rules about addressing other people in my native language, concerning the level of formality or familiarity in mutual relations ... To be as short as possible I try to give here the set of such rules , for Central Poland area and people over 40 ! (:-)
1/ to total Strangers - use only Pan/ Pani (and better not greet strangers by "jak sie Pani miewa = how do you do, because it is for rather more familiar relations, Dzien dobry, dobry wieczor etc is enough , warmed by smile .. )
2/ to persons known by sight (even knowing their first name or surname) - ditto = the same
3/ in official relations - use Pan / Pani with addition of official tilte( for example "dzien dobry Panie Prezydencie, Profesorze, Dyrektorze, Ministrze , ale dziendobry Pani Prezydent, Dyrektor / Minister etc..
4/ addressing by "Panie X , Pani Y (with surname) is
- ok in west and south west parts of the country, (which formerly were incorporated into Austria and Prussia) but in Central and east Poland is rather example of not the best manners (too agressive) BUT
-it is used everywhere when it is necessary to emphasise that Mr/ Mrs/Miss Y , not somebody else present is addressed, needed etc..
5/ adressing with first name in basic (not diminutive form) Panie Gustawie, Panie Zbigniewie, Pani Mario, Pani Zofio is used among people who knew each others (for example among colleagues in work place, but in distant relations (or when there is big difference in age, rank, status in hierarchy etc..)
6/ Pan/Pani with first name in diminutive form (Panie Guciu, Panie Zbyszku, ?pani Marysiu, Pani Zosiu) - among acquitances in more familiar relations..
7/ adressing by first name - usualy in diminutive form - among acquitances after the older, higher in rank offered it, or aming friends.. (and in such relations we use instead of Pan Pani/ - ty! (you )
rules for youngsters , used among them are of course different ...(and unknown to me...)

Indeed, there are various form of addressing people with Pani/Pan and something added, and it may seem complicated.
To simplify it for beginners, I'd say saying just Pan/Pani forms is never wrong. Even if you address your professor with 'Proszę pana' it may seem bit unusual, but it's still proper and polite. I sometimes address my lecturers so, if I cannot remember what their academic title is

Using Pan/Pani with first name - some people may find it patronising, especially in formal situations. That's why it's safer not to start it by yourself, but only use if it's a custom or if the person is addressing you that way.

Using Pan/Pani with a surname - thanks for reminding this, Ewelina! Even though I spent my life in Western and Southern Poland - I do find unnecessary use of it rather bad manners.
As Ewelina wrote, it's only when you want to attract the attention of certain person.
For example - the person is walking in opposite direction, they don't see you. You want to call them. You say 'Panie Kowalski!'.
You are in group of people. Everybody agreed to something except mr. Kowalski. You want to ask what is his opinion. You say 'A co pan o tym sądzi, panie Kowalski?' (And what do you think about it, mr. Kowalski?'

Ewelina, among the young, I noticed the big return of form 'koleżanko, kolego' with third person singular - students often address so unknown peers at university. It may be a bit tongue-in-a-cheek, but it's very popular - I think it's because it's actually safe and allows to address someone whose name you don't know without being too direct.

Originally Posted by Gustaw

Translations:

W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie.
'In Szczebrzeszyn [a Polish town] a beetle buzzes in the reed.'

Przyszedł Herbst z pstrągami.
'Herbst came with the trouts.'

Pocztmistrz z Tczewa, rotmistrz z Czchowa.
'Postmaster from Tczew, rittmeister from Czchów [both Polish towns].'

Somewhere in Net there is a place with more of such "breaking tongue" sentences in Polish and in many other languages... Unfortunately the written transcriptions of pronounciation of such Polish gems like quoted above, can't give the full "flavour" of them ((Beside "Pocztmistrz z Tczewa , rotmistrz z Czchowa" my favourite is "Suchą szosą Sasza szedł" , because from time to time it require a bit of effort to pronounce correctly, especially quickly...)
The best solution would be to listen to recordings of native speakers, pronouncing them.. Recordings of single sounds.. and their combinations ( for example d i z ="dz" in "dzwonek "/ bell and in "dziadek"/ grandpa) would be useful too...
Maybe such recordings for Polish are available in Net too...

Hi everyone! I think you should check youtube!
The guy uploads language videos, also Polish ones! I truly enjoy them - being Polish myself!

http://www.youtube.com/user/magauchsein

Chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie and ź, ć, dź etc. There is shown the way to pronounce all stuff this kind! I really recommend you guys.

You don't have to speak perfectly and it's truly difficult to do so. This guy:
http://www.youtube.com/user/usenetposts
speaks Polish really good but natives are still able to recognise his non-Polish accent.

Anyway, don't bother about your broken Polish. Poles appreciate when you TRY to speak our language and we always help.
Fingers crossed, I hope you will go well!

Regards, veroniki

Dzięki, Veroniki! I'd still like to keep up with learning Polish, and I've nearly memorised everything in this thread (I've driven myself crazy with tongue-twisters and have gotten the hang of all but the last one that Gustaw posted )
Glad to hear the Poles are encouraging (unlike my French family, lol... I've spoken French most of my life, and they STILL pick on me )

Hi everyone,
if anyone need help with polish language write pm or skype me.
Greeting from Warsow
Michał

//
I didnt know that people want to learn polish It's nice surprice

Witam!
Co jeszcze?
Why isn't there any new activity around here for the last two months? Hopefully none gave up trying to learn Polish and even more hopefully none gave up teaching.
I am trying to learn but without much success. If any native still around, could you please post some conjuctions and prepositions and their use? I found many who can be interchangeable and is quite confusing.
Barzdo proszę...

Thanks in advance!

ET

Hi ET!

Could you possibly give some exact examples, please. I wouldn't want to bore you to death by listing all of them and giving you their possible meanings or uses. And it add it works both ways you know - we've got the same impressions about English

See ya round!