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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Fremdsprachen
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
Everything you need to speak Polish quickly and confidently
Polish For Dummies gets you started with Polish language basics, so you can communicate with friends and loved ones, work and travel in Poland, or just enjoy the excitement of learning a new language. You'll learn the foundations of Polish grammar and how to engage in basic conversations. With the tried-and-true Dummies language learning method, you'll start speaking authentically right away, so you can interact in everyday situations. You'll also learn about social and cultural references that will help you keep up in Polish conversations. With access to audio files for dialogs in the book, you can improve your listening and pronunciation, too. This book makes it easy and practical to become a Polish speaker.
- Learn tips and tricks for improving your Polish language skills
- Access helpful verb conjugation tables, essential vocabulary lists, and straightforward pronunciation guides
- Master everyday words and phrases
- Discover Polish history, culture, and common colloquial expressions
Polish For Dummies is perfect for anyone who wants to learn the basics of the Polish language or brush up on what they already know—no previous experience needed.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Introduction
About This Book
Conventions Used in This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1: Getting Started with Polish
Chapter 1: Introducing Polish
Spotting the Polish You Already Know
The Polish Alphabet: Reciting Your ABCs
Checking Out Consonant Pronunciation
Pronouncing Voiced and Silent Consonants
Saying Polish Vowels
Searching for Stress and Blending Prepositions
Some Basic Phrases to Know
Chapter 2: Getting Down to Essential Polish Grammar
The Case of Polish Cases
Recognizing Perfective and Imperfective Verbs
Finding Your Way in Polish Tenses
Being Impersonal
Part 2: Polish in Action
Chapter 3: Dzień dobry! Cześć! Greetings and Introductions
Being Formal or Informal
Getting Introductions Right
Describing Yourself and Others
Jumping In to Mówię po polsku (I Speak Polish)
Chapter 4: Getting to Know You: Making Small Talk
Asking Key Questions
Sharing Basic Contact Information
Counting Numbers
Getting to Know People and Families
Keeping an Eye on the Weather
Chapter 5: Dining Out and Going to the Market
Breaking down Mealtime Basics
The Case of the Accusative Case
Eating Out: Trying Polish Food in a Restaurant
Shopping for Food
The Case of the Genitive Case
Chapter 6: Shopping and Servicing Made Easy
Introducing Places to Shop
Shopping for Clothes
Making Comparisons: Good, Better, Best, and More
Paying Compliments
Using Polish Services
Chapter 7: Going Out on the Town
Understanding That Timing Is Everything
Listing the Days of the Week
Inviting and Being Invited
Making the Most of the Nightlife
Chapter 8: Enjoying Yourself: Recreation
Liking the Verb Lubić
Being Interested in the Reflexive Verb Interesować Się
The Case of the Instrumental Case
Often Using Often: Adverbs of Frequency
Exploring the Outdoors
Chapter 9: Talking on the Phone
Buying and Using a Cellphone
Dealing with the Preliminaries
Leaving Messages
Making Appointments
Part 3: Polish on the Go
Chapter 10: Money, Money, Money
Cashing In with Some Basic Money Info
Exchanging Currency
Doing Your Banking
Chapter 11: Planning a Trip
Making Travel Plans with a Travel Agent
Timing Your Trip
Dealing with Visas and Passports
Packing for Your Visit
Keeping Your Devices Powered Up
Chapter 12: Checking into a Hotel or Renting an Apartment
Choosing a Hotel
Checking into a Hotel
Checking Out
Renting or Buying an Apartment
Chapter 13: Getting Around: Planes, Trains, Taxis, and More
Arriving in Poland by Air
Traveling Around in the City
Running Late, Being Early, or Arriving on Time
Chapter 14: Asking Directions
Finding Your Way Around
Understanding the Answer
Knowing How Far You Go
Mapping the Place
Going Places with the Four Verbs “to Go”
Traveling by Car or Another Vehicle
Describing a Position or Location
Chapter 15: Help! Handling Emergencies
Shouting for Help: Pomocy!
Handling Health Problems
Dealing with Car Accidents
What Bad Luck! Getting Help When You've Been Robbed
Dealing with Domestic Emergencies
Part 4: Polish in the Modern World
Chapter 16: Using Polish in the Office
Finding Your Way around the Office
Planning Your Day
Getting Down to Business with Business Traveling
Chapter 17: Polish for Professionals and Public Servants
Getting Hired and Getting Fired
Talking About Your Job
Working for Public Services
Chapter 18: Polish on the Worksite
Looking for a Construction Job
Breaking down Shift Lengths and Times
Getting Familiar with Workers and Their Tools
Keeping up with Health and Safety
Reporting Accidents
Chapter 19: Polishing the New Polish
Untangling the Perplexing Web of Ponglish
Mastering Corposlang
Navigating the Digital Chatter
Colorful Polish Slang
Keeping Up with the Language of Youth
Part 5: The Part of Tens
Chapter 20: Ten Everyday Polish Expressions
Nie za bardzo
Jasne/Pewnie!
No
Masz rację
Jako tako
To niemożliwe!
Chyba
Naprawdę
Zaraz/Za chwilę
Palce lizać!/Pycha!/Mniam, mniam!
Chapter 21: Ten Phrases That Make You Sound Fluent in Polish
No to trudno
No coś ty!
Nie ma mowy!
Nie ma sprawy
Daj (mi) spokój!
Być może and Może być
Wszystko (mi) jedno
Czy ja wiem?
O co chodzi?
Co za pech!
Part 6: Appendixes
Appendix A: Mini-Dictionaries
Polish–English Mini-Dictionary
English–Polish Mini-Dictionary
Appendix B: Verb Tables
Regular Polish Verbs
Irregular Verbs
Verbs with No Perfective Form
Modal Verbs
Conditional Mood
Appendix C: Answer Key
Index
About the Author
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 1
TABLE 1-1 The Polish Alphabet
TABLE 1-2 Polish Vowels (excluding -ą, -ę)
TABLE 1-3 Nasal Vowels ą and ę before Consonants
Chapter 2
TABLE 2-1 Genitive Prepositions
TABLE 2-2 Dative Noun and Adjective Endings
TABLE 2-3 Imperfective and Perfective Forms of Pisać and Napisać (To Write)
TABLE 2-4 Present Tense -m /-sz Conjugation Using Czytać (To Read)
TABLE 2-5 Present Tense -ę/-isz and -ę/ysz Conjugation Using Myśleć (To Think) a...
TABLE 2-6 Present Tense -ę /-esz Conjugation Using Pracować (To Work)
TABLE 2-7 Present Tense Conjugations of the Irregular Verbs Wiedzieć (To Know), ...
TABLE 2-8 Past Tense Conjugation of Grać (To Play)
TABLE 2-9 Past Tense Conjugation of Zagrać (Perfective)
TABLE 2-10 Past Tense Conjugation of Mie-ć (To Have)
TABLE 2-11 Past Tense Conjugation of Iść (To Go, To Walk) (Imperfective)
TABLE 2-12 Past Tense Conjugation of Pójść (To Go, To Walk) (Perfective)
TABLE 2-13 Future Tense Conjugation of Być (to Be) with Pisać (to Write)
TABLE 2-14 Future Tense Conjugations of Pomyśleć (To Think) (Perfective)
Chapter 3
TABLE 3-1 Conjugating Być
TABLE 3-2 Countries and Cities
TABLE 3-3 Nationalities
TABLE 3-4 Languages to Speak and to Know
Chapter 4
TABLE 4-1 Polish Numbers
TABLE 4-2 Personal and Possessive Pronouns in the Nominative Case
Chapter 5
TABLE 5-1 Present Tense Conjugation of
Jeść
and
Pić
TABLE 5-2 Noun and Adjective Endings for Accusative Case Singular
TABLE 5-3 Staple Food Items
TABLE 5-4 Fruits and Vegetables
TABLE 5-5 Noun and Adjective Endings for the Genitive Case
Chapter 6
TABLE 6-1 Clothing Items
TABLE 6-2 Colors
Chapter 7
TABLE 7-1 Ordinal Numbers for Telling Time
Chapter 9
TABLE 9-1 Cellphone Verbs
Chapter 10
TABLE 10-1 Mobile Banking Guide
Chapter 12
TABLE 12-1 Hotel Room Sizes and Amenities
TABLE 12-2 Hotel Services and Facilities
TABLE 12-3 Renting or Buying a Property
Chapter 13
TABLE 13-1 Navigating a Taxi App
Chapter 14
TABLE 14-1 Destinations in the City
TABLE 14-2 Directions
TABLE 14-3 Cardinal Directions
TABLE 14-4 Present Tense Conjugations of Iść, Chodzić, Jechać, and Jeździć
TABLE 14-5 Alternations of Words Ending in -b, -f, -m, -n, -p, -s, -w, and -z
TABLE 14-6 Alternations of Words Ending in -d, -ł, -r, -sł, -st, and -t
TABLE 14-7 Prepositions Expressing Locations
Chapter 15
TABLE 15-1 Present Tense Conjugation of Powinien/Powinna
TABLE 15-2 Body Parts
TABLE 15-3 Body Parts (Plural Nouns)
TABLE 15-4 Hospital Wards
Chapter 16
TABLE 16-1 Locations in the Office
TABLE 16-2 Office Furniture and Equipment
Chapter 17
TABLE 17-1 Conjugating Zatrudniać and Rekrutować
TABLE 17-2 Conjugation of Pracować (to work)
TABLE 17-3 Industries
TABLE 17-4 Departments
TABLE 17-5 Corporate Job Titles
Chapter 18
TABLE 18-1 How Much You Work
TABLE 18-2 Construction Professions
TABLE 18-3 Building Tools and Equipment
Chapter 19
TABLE 19-1 Correcting Literal Ponglish
TABLE 19-2 Extreme Ponglish
TABLE 19-3 Polish Corposlang
Appendix B
TABLE B-1 Personal Pronouns
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1
FIGURE 1-1: The written capital and small ł.
Chapter 5
FIGURE 5-1: Name the food in Polish.
Chapter 14
FIGURE 14-1: A map to the park.
Chapter 16
FIGURE 16-1: Your desk in your office in Poland.
Chapter 18
FIGURE 18-1: Label the tools shown.
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Begin Reading
Index
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Polish For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2024943883
ISBN 978-1-394-24998-5 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-394-24999-2 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-394-25000-4 (ebk)
Introduction
Society is becoming increasingly international. Low-cost airfares make traveling or moving abroad a more realistic option, global business environments require overseas travel, and friends and neighbors often speak another language. Knowing how to say at least a few words in other languages becomes more and more useful. Additionally, you may want to connect with your heritage by learning a little bit of the language that your ancestors spoke.
Whatever your reason for acquiring some Polish, this book can help. Polish For Dummies gives you the skills you need for basic communication in Polish. I'm not promising fluency, but if you want to greet someone, purchase a ticket, or order something from a menu in Polish, you need look no further than Polish For Dummies.
Recognizing that language exposes you to every aspect of the human condition — allowing you to explore the past, understand the present, and contemplate the future — is important. Language sometimes alters how people express various emotions and conditions. Although people are connected through their ability to speak, you can take it one step further (toward understanding) by being able to communicate in another language. Few things are as exciting as that!
The best way to discover a new language is to immerse yourself in it. Listen to the sounds of Polish, focus on pronunciation, and observe its written form. By listening and repeating, you enter a new world of ideas and cultures. Acquiring Polish through immersion truly feels like a form of magic.
About This Book
This book isn't like a class that you have to attend twice a week for ten weeks without missing any. You can use Polish For Dummies however you want, whether you're aiming to pick up some words and phrases for your trip to Poland or you just want to greet your Polish-speaking friend in their language. This book can help you reach moments of genuine understanding in a new language. Use the text as a language and cultural guide for those moments when you truly need to understand how and why things are done.
Take your time going through this book, reading as much or as little as you want at a time. You don't have to follow the chapters in order; feel free to read only the sections that interest you.
The best way to understand and appreciate a language is to speak it. Throughout the book, you can find plenty of words, phrases, and dialogues (along with pronunciations) for you to practice the language. The audio tracks offer a wide range of spoken dialogues, which you can use to enhance your pronunciation and intonation.
Keep in mind that you don't have to go through this book all at once or from cover to cover. Simply choose a chapter that interests you, and you can find cross-references to other parts of the book.
Conventions Used in This Book
To make this book easy for you to navigate, I set up a few conventions:
Polish terms are set in
boldface
to make them stand out.
Pronunciations, set in parentheses in
italics,
follow the Polish terms. I underline the emphasized syllables in the pronunciations. The translations, again in parentheses, follow the pronunciations. I occasionally change up the order of the items, but the Polish is always bolded, the pronunciation italicized, and the translation in normal (roman) text.
Verb conjugation tables (lists that show you the forms of a verb) follow this order:
ja:
the
I
form
ty:
the singular, informal
you
form
on, ona, ono:
the
he
,
she
,
it
forms
my:
the
we
form
wy:
the plural, informal
you
form
oni, one:
the
they
form for a group with at least one man; the
they
form for a group with no man
A typical verb conjugation table has columns for the pronoun forms, the Polish verb, the pronunciation, and the translation, as in the following table:
Form
Polish
Pronunciation
Translation
(ja)
czyta-m
(chih-tam)
I read/am reading
(ty)
czyta-sz
(chih-tash)
you read/are reading
on/ona/ono
czyta-ø
(chih-ta)
he/she/it reads/is reading
(my)
czyta-my
(chih-ta-mih)
we read/are reading
(wy)
czyta-cie
(chih-ta-ch’ye)
you read/are reading
oni/one
czyta-ją
(chih-ta-yohN)
they read/are reading
As you may notice, the personal pronouns ja, ty, my, wy(ya, tih, mih, vih) are in parentheses here and in all conjugation tables in this book. That's because you don't actually say those pronouns when you're speaking Polish. I explain the pronoun issue in detail in Chapter 3.
Unlike English, Polish uses special formal forms to address people in official situations. (I write more about how to address people in Chapter 3.) So the you form has the following formal equivalents in Polish:
pan, pani: pan
(pan)
is the formal
you
to address a man and
pani
(
pa
-n'ee)
the formal
you
to address a woman (singular).
państwo, panowie, panie:
These terms are the formal, plural
you
form to address a mixed group, a group of men, and a group of women, respectively.
Państwo
(
pan'
-stfo)
also means “ladies and gentlemen”;
panowie
(pa-
no
-v’ye)
means “gentlemen”; and
panie
(
pa
-n’ye)
translates as “ladies” (plural).
When reading verb tables or conjugating verbs, remember that pan takes on the same verb form as on (he) and pani the same verb form as ona (she) — the third-person singular. In the present tense, the plural państwo, panowie, and panie take on a verb in the third-person plural (the same as oni [they male or mixed] and one [they female]). However, in the past tense and the future that uses past tense forms, państwo and panowie follow oni, while panie follows one in the choice of a verb form. Chapter 2 explains verbs in more detail.
Studying a language is a unique endeavor, so this book includes a few elements that other For Dummies books don't:
Talkin’ the Talk dialogues:
The most effective way to improve in a language is to see and hear how it’s used in conversation. That’s why I include dialogues throughout the book under the heading “Talkin’ the Talk.” These dialogues present Polish words, their pronunciations, and their English translations.
Words to Know tables:
Memorizing key words and phrases is also crucial in picking up a language. Therefore, I gather the important words that appear in a dialogue (and sometimes the nearby text) and list them under the heading “Words to Know.”
Fun & Games activities:
If you don’t have Polish speakers to practice your new language skills with, you can use the Fun & Games activities to reinforce what you’re working on. These word games are enjoyable ways to assess your progress.
Also, because each language has its own ways of expressing ideas, the English translations I provide for the Polish terms may not be literal. I want you to understand the essence of what's being said, not just the words themselves. For example, you can translate the Polish phrase wszystko w porządku(fshih-stko fpo-zhon-tkoo) literally as “everything in order”, but the phrase really means “fine.” This book gives the “fine” translations.
Foolish Assumptions
To write this book, I had to make some assumptions about you and what you want from a book called Polish For Dummies:
You have no knowledge of Polish.
You’re not looking for a book to make you fluent in Polish; you simply want to pick up some words, phrases, and sentence constructions to communicate basic information.
You don’t want to have to memorize long lists of vocabulary words or boring grammar rules.
You want to have fun while discovering a bit of Polish.
If these statements apply to you, then you've found the right book!
Icons Used in This Book
If you're looking for specific information while reading this book, I've made finding it easier for you by placing the following icons in the left-hand margins throughout the book:
I use this icon to indicate crucial pieces of information that you need to bear in mind.
This icon highlights tips that can make Polish easier for you.
Languages are full of quirks that may catch you off guard if you aren't ready for them. This icon points to discussions of these unusual grammatical rules.
If you're looking for information and advice about Polish culture and travel, look for this icon.
The audio tracks included with this book allow you to listen to real Polish speakers, providing a better understanding of how Polish sounds. This icon identifies the “Talkin' the Talk” dialogues available as audio tracks online.
Beyond the Book
In addition to what you're reading right now, this book comes with a free, access anywhere Cheat Sheet containing tips and vocabulary to help you on your journey to speak Polish. To get this Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and type “Polish For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the search box.
You can find the audio files for a selection of “Talkin' the Talk” dialogues at www.dummies.com/go/polishfd2e. I encourage you to download the tracks, listen to them, and recite the dialogues. This same website also provides bonus chapters with additional fun and interesting information about Poland and the Polish language.
Where to Go from Here
Exploring a new language is all about diving in and giving it a shot (no matter how poor your pronunciation may be at first). So take the plunge! Never feel embarrassed when speaking Polish. Poles will greatly appreciate your efforts to speak even a few words and easily forgive any language mistakes or cultural blunders. What matters is that you're making an effort to learn and speak the language. Of course, the better your Polish, the more impressed your Polish friends, family, or business partners will be.
If you've never studied Polish before, you may want to read the chapters in Part 1 before moving onto the later chapters. Part 1 covers some of the basics you need to know about the language, such as how to pronounce the various sounds.
After that, pick a chapter that interests you or listen to some audio tracks. Most importantly, make sure you have fun!
Part 1
Getting Started with Polish
IN THIS PART …
Familiarize yourself with Polish words whose meaning you can work out without consulting a dictionary.
Discover how to make Polish sounds and how to crack the Polish “grammar code.”
Learn a few quickie phrases to impress your Polish friends!
Chapter 1
Introducing Polish
IN THIS CHAPTER
Identifying some familiar-looking Polish words
Pronouncing the alphabet and all its vowels and consonants
Stressing the right syllable
Using basic expressions
Being able to produce sounds that native speakers can recognize and understand is vital for successful communication. This chapter discusses Polish pronunciation and some of the conventions I use in this book.
Spotting the Polish You Already Know
Polish borrows a number of words from English across various domains, including politics, technology, sports, economics, and business. These borrowed words have either retained their original spelling or been adapted to the Polish spelling, but they're still easy to recognize (and to remember!) for native English speakers. You won't have much trouble working out the meaning of these words:
adres
(
a
-dres)
(address)
biznes
(
bee
-znes)
(business)
hotel
(
ho
-tel)
(hotel)
interfejs
(een-
ter
-feys)
(interface)
kawa
(
ka
-va)
(coffee)
komputer
(kom-
poo
-ter)
(computer)
kultura
(kool-
too
-ra)
(culture)
park
(park)
(park)
telefon
(te-
le
-fon)
(telephone)
Check out the upcoming sections of this chapter for detailed pronunciation tips.
Of course, you can get into trouble when you're dealing with so-called false friends — words that look similar in English and Polish yet have completely different meanings:
aktualnie
(a-ktoo-
al
-n'ye)
means
currently
or
presently
rather than
actually
audycja
(aw-
dih
-tsya)
means
a broadcast,
not
an audition
data
(
da
-ta)
means
date,
not
data
ewentualnie
(e-ven-too-
al
-n'ye)
is the English
possibly
rather than
eventually
fatalny
(fa-
tal
-nih)
doesn't translate to
fatal
but to
abysmal
hazard
(
ha
-zart)
is
gambling
(which can be hazardous to your bank balance)
pensja
(
pen
-sya)
is
salary
rather than
pension,
which is
renta
(
ren
-ta)
in Polish
sympatyczny
(sihm-pa-
tih
-chnih)
is
nice
or
friendly
but not
sympathetic
szef
(shef)
means
boss
, not
a chef
, unless you say
szef kuchni
(shef
koo
-hn'ee)
(head chef)
The Polish Alphabet: Reciting Your ABCs
Alongside Polish words throughout this book, I've provided their pronunciation in parentheses. To make reading and saying the words easier for you, the pronunciations are divided into syllables with hyphens — for example, (al-fa-bet). Try to say the underlined syllable more strongly, because it's a stressed syllable. Make your way to the “Searching for Stress and Blending Prepositions” section later in this chapter to read more about the Polish stress.
When the first writings in Polish appeared, the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet couldn't accommodate the 45 sounds that somehow needed to be represented. As a result, the Polish alphabet consists of 32 letters and uses a variety of consonant clusters such as ch, cz, dż, dz, dź, sz, and rz. Note:Q, v, and x are not Polish letters and appear in foreign words only.
Table 1-1 shows all the Polish letters and how to say them in parentheses. (Listen to audio track 1 to help you with pronunciation.)
TABLE 1-1 The Polish Alphabet
a(a)
ą(ohN)
b(be)
c(tse)
ć(ch'ye)
d(de)
e(e)
ę(ehN)
f(ef)
g(gye)
h(ha)
i(ee)
j(yot)
k(ka)
l(el)
ł(ew)
m(em)
n(en)
ń(en')
o(o)
ó(o kreskovane)
p(pe)
q(koo)
r(er)
s(es)
ś(esh')
t(te)
u(oo)
v(faw)
w(voo)
x(eeks)
y(eegrek)
z(zet)
ź(z'yet)
ż(zhet)
Although the Polish pronunciation may seem rather daunting, it is in fact regular, and after you memorize a couple of patterns, you'll soon notice that you can easily pronounce every word you come across.
Native speakers find working out how to spell a word from its pronunciation easy (with some exceptions, they simply learn by heart). And if in doubt, they simply ask for clarification. However, as a foreigner, you may be asked to spell your name or need someone to spell a street name for you, so the following phrases may come in handy:
Czy może pan/pani przeliterować?
(chih
mo
-zhe pan/
pa
-n'ee pshe-lee-te-
ro
-vach'?)
(Can you spell it, please?) — speaking formally to a man/woman
Proszę przeliterować.
(
pro
-she pshe-lee-te-
ro
-vach'.)
(Please spell it.) — formal
Czy mam przeliterować?
(chih mam pshe-lee-te-
ro
-vach'?)
(Do you want me to spell it?)
Proszę mi to napisać?
(pro
-she mee to na-
pee
-sach'?)
(Can you please write it for me?)
When spelling, unlike the English habit of saying, A for Alpha,B for Bravo, and so on, Polish people often use first names. So you'll hear something like the following: A jak Anna(a yak an-na),Be jak Barbara(be yag bar-ba-ra),Ce jak Celina(tse yak tse-lee-na), and so on.
If you're going to Poland, prepare a list of first names (ideally Polish ones) that you can use to spell your own name so that you don't panic when you need to spell it in Polish.
Checking Out Consonant Pronunciation
Some consonants are pronounced the same way in both Polish and English: b, d, f, g, k, l, m, n, p, s, t, and z. In words with double letters, such as Anna and lekki, each letter is pronounced separately as in an-na and lek-kee.
For the sake of simplicity, in pronunciations, I use n before k or g. But think of how you pronounce nk in the English word bank. Polish people say nk and ng in the exact same way.
The following sections cover the consonants for which pronunciation is different from English.
C
In Polish, c is pronounced as ts in tsetse fly or Betsy. Don't confuse it with the English k sound as in car. In the pronunciations, you see the symbol ts to indicate letter c, as in these examples:
co
(tso)
(what)
centrum
(
tsen
-troom)
(city center)
Ć and Ci
These consonants represent exactly the same sound. Unfortunately, that sound doesn't have a direct equivalent in English. You need to think of the word cheese and try to say the chee part just a touch more softly. Yes, you're in business! In the pronunciations, ch' indicates ć and ci.
The ' in a pronunciation reminds you that it's a soft sound. I add an extra y to help you pronounce ci when followed by a vowel and ee when ci forms a syllable.
Now, try the sound of these words:
ciepło
(
ch
'
ye
-pwo)
(warm)
cicho
(ch'ee-ho)
(quietly)
mówić
(
moo
-veech
'
)
(to speak, say)
Ć and ci are used in different situations. You write ć when it appears at the end of a word, as in pić(peech') (to drink) or before another consonant as in ćma (ch'ma) (moth). The ci form is written before a vowel as in ciocia (ch'yo-ch'ya) (auntie). However, you'll see a number of words where ci appears before a consonant or at the end of a word. This situation happens only when ci actually forms a syllable, as in ci-cho (ch'ee-ho) (quiet) and ni-ci(n'ee-ch'ee) (sewing threads). Identical rules apply to soft pairs such as ś and si, ź and zi, dź and dzi, and ń and ni, which I cover in upcoming sections.
Cz
Cz shouldn't cause too many pronunciation difficulties. The sound is like the ch in cheddar, only a touch harder. In the pronunciations, you see ch to represent cz. Here are some examples:
czarny
(
char
-nih)
(black)
czas
(chas)
(time)
Dz
The pronunciation of dz is like the ds in reeds or goods and is indicated by dz in the pronunciations. Practice the following words:
dzwon
(dzvon)
(bell)
bardzo
(
bar
-dzo)
(very)
Dź and Dzi
The English tongue is unfamiliar with the soft dź and dzi. Their pronunciation is softer than je in jeans. To represent them, you see dj' in the pronunciations. I add an extra y to help you pronounce dzi when followed by a vowel and ee when dzi forms a syllable. Here are some Polish examples:
dzień
(dj'yen')
(day)
godzina
(go-
dj'ee
-na)
(hour, time)
You can read about the rules of the dź and dzi spelling in the “Ć and Ci” section earlier in this chapter.
Dż
When saying dż, think of both of the g sounds in the English word Georgia, and you're in business. To represent dż, you see dj in the pronunciations. You're now ready to practice it:
dżungla
(
djoon
-gla)
(jungle)
dżem
(djem)
(jam)
H and Ch
H and ch are identical twins as far as pronunciation is concerned. Think of the h in hat. Because you say both h and ch in the same way, you see h to indicate them both in the pronunciations. Remember to breathe out gently when practicing this sound:
historia
(hee-
sto
-rya)
(history)
hotel
(
ho
-tel)
(hotel)
chleb
(hlep)
(bread)
ucho
(
oo
-ho)
(ear)
Be aware that the y sound is represented as ih — the i sound in pity — throughout this book, so when you see the ih combination in the pronunciations, as in miły(mee-wih), remember that the h is barely breathed. The sound certainly isn't the same as the h in the word hat. Go to the “Saying Polish Vowels” section later in this chapter for guidance on pronouncing vowels.
J
The letter j is pronounced like the y in yes, and that's how it appears in the pronunciations — y:
jeden
(
ye
-den)
(one)
projekt
(
pro
-yekt)
(project)
Ł
This letter may look a bit exotic to you — printed capital Ł, small ł, and handwritten as in Figure 1-1. Luckily, its pronunciation is exactly the same as the English w in water.Ł is marked as w in the pronunciations, as in these examples:
szkoła
(
shko
-wa)
(school)
łatwy
(
wa
-tfih)
(easy)
FIGURE 1-1: The written capital and small ł.
Ń and Ni
These two consonants, similarly to ć and ci, are soft; despite different spellings, they sound exactly the same. They're unfamiliar to the English tongue. When pronouncing ń and ni, think of the English words onion or new. Throughout this book, the soft ń and ni are presented as n'. I add an extra y to help you pronounce ni before a vowel and ee when ni forms a separate syllable. Read these examples:
nie
(n'ye)
(no)
koń
(kon')
(horse)
hiszpański
(heesh-
pan
'-skee)
(Spanish)
nisko
(
n’
ee
-sko)
(low, down)
You can read about the spelling rules for ń and ni in the “Ć and Ci” section earlier in this chapter.
R
The letter r, although pronounced a bit differently than in English — it's a trilled r — is presented as r in the pronunciations. In fact, it's not a big problem if you pronounce it the English way. Polish native speakers will certainly understand you. However, if you want to perfect it, take a deep breath, oscillate the tip of your tongue just behind your teeth in an up and down motion and say the r sound very loudly. Check out audio track 1 for how it actually sounds.
Here are some examples you can use to practice your r:
rok
(rok)
(year)
park
(park)
(park)
Ś and Si
Ś and si sound exactly the same, despite their different spelling. You won't find a direct equivalent in English, but if you think of the shee part of the English word sheep, which you say with a bit of softness, that's it! Throughout this book, these sounds are represented by sh'. I add an extra y to help you pronounce si when followed by a vowel and ee when si forms a separate syllable. Here are some examples:
siedem
(
sh'ye
-dem)
(seven)
środa
(
sh'ro
-da)
(Wednesday)
coś
(tsosh')
(something)
silny
(
sh'eel
-nih)
(strong)
For the rules of spelling, refer to the “Ć and Ci” section earlier in this chapter.
Sz
Sz is pronounced as the sh in shop, only a bit harder. And, naturally, it appears as sh in the pronunciations, as in these examples:
szansa
(
shan
-sa)
(chance)
szkoda
(
shko
-da)
(shame, pity)
W
The w is pronounced as v in visa, and you see v in the pronunciations to represent w, as in these examples:
woda
(
vo
-da)
(water)
Nazywam się …
(na-
zih
-vam sh'ye)
(My name is…)
ź and Zi
This pair of soft sounds doesn't exist in English. However, if you pronounce the s in the word Asia but very, very softly, you'll have a perfect ź. In the pronunciations, it's indicated as z'. I add an extra y to help you pronounce zi when followed by a vowel and ee when zi forms a separate syllable. Practice these examples:
źle
(z'le)
(wrongly, badly, incorrectly)
zima
(
z'ee
-ma)
(winter)
późno
(
poo
-z'no)
(late)
For the rules of the ź and zi spelling, refer to the “Ć and Ci” section earlier in this chapter.
Ż and Rz
The somehow exotic looking ż and rz are easy to say — as s in the English words pleasure or vision. You'll see zh in the pronunciations to indicate ż and rz. Practice with the following examples:
żart
(zhart)
(joke)
marzec
(
ma
-zhets)
(March)
Pronouncing Voiced and Silent Consonants
Sometimes some letters are pronounced differently than as described in the previous sections. Welcome to Polish! The difference in pronunciation is because consonants slightly change their personality when surrounded by other consonants. For instance, w is pronounced as v as in w Gdańsku(vgdan'-skoo) (in Gdansk). However, take a look at this example:
w Polsce(fpol-stse) (in Poland)
Notice that w is pronounced here as its silent equivalent, f. What you're dealing with here are voiced and silent consonants.
The general rule says that a voiced consonant changes to its silent form at the end of a word (chleb, bread, is pronounced as hlep) or before a silent consonant (podpisać, to sign, is pronounced pot-pee-sach'), both within one word or two words as in w Polsce (fpol-stse). However, consonant clusters are voiced if the last consonant of the cluster is voiced (you pronounce jest wesoły, is happy, as yezd ve-so-wih). You won't be surprised to know that in some special situations these rules don't quite work.
I'm not going to go into too much detail (too much theory never helps!); just bear in mind the fact that, for the sake of simplicity, words and groups of words are pronounced in a way that doesn't require too much effort from the speaker. For example, say the dk in wódka (vodka) as tk (voo-tka) and the ż in już piszę(yooshpee-she) (I'm already writing/typing) as sh but as zh in już dzwonię(yoozhdzvo-n'ye) (I'm just calling) because doing so is just easier. In the pronunciations throughout this book, you see many examples like this.
Instead of trying to memorize these rules, try to read aloud or converse with a native speaker so that you get used to the sound of Polish. Remember: The less effort you put into pronouncing separate letters, the better result you get. Watch Polish native speakers when they speak, and you soon notice that they don't move their mouths as much as English speakers.
Here are the voiced consonants: b, d, g, w, z, ź, dz, dź, ż/rz, and dż; their silent equivalents are p, t, k, f, s, ś, c, ć, sz, and cz, respectively. Just in case you're terribly interested in what they are!
Saying Polish Vowels
As an English speaker, you know that vowels can have more than one sound. For instance, the a is pronounced very differently in cat and in Kate. Polish vowels, on the other hand, are very pure; they have one and only one pronunciation. Big relief! (The nasal vowels -ę and -ą are a bit different; I address them in the next sections.)
Table 1-2 presents Polish vowels with examples in both Polish and English, together with pronunciations.
TABLE 1-2 Polish Vowels (excluding -ą, -ę)
Letter
Symbol
As in English
Comments
Polish Example
A a
a
cut
start (start)
E e
e
yes
element (e-le-ment)
I i
ee
meet
idol (ee-dol)
O o
o
organization
a short sound o
organizacja (or-ga-n'ee-za-tsya)
Ó ó
oo
too
Polish ó and u are pronounced the same
mój (mooy)
U u
oo
too
the same as ó
tu(too) (here)
Y y
ih
pity
syn (sihn) (son)
Nasal vowels
Nasal sounds don't exist in English, but Polish has two: -ą and -ę. They're quite easy to pronounce. When saying them, you just need to imagine you have a cold and your nose is a bit blocked.
The pronunciation of these vowels depends on their position in a word; in other words, what consonants they're followed by. This point is somewhat complex; the best way to understand it is to learn one example and, if you come across a word that looks similar, follow that pattern.
Generally speaking, the nasal ą can be pronounced as ohN, om, on, and oń. The other nasal vowel, ę, can be pronounced as ehN, em, en, and eń.Table 1-3 shows some examples.
TABLE 1-3 Nasal Vowels ą and ę before Consonants
Letter
Symbol
As in English
Polish Example
Pronunciation
Translation
ą
om
tomato
kąpaćząb
kom-paćzomp
to bathetooth
on
bond
mądrypączek
mon-drihpon-chek
wisedoughnut
oń
wziąć
vz'yon'ch'
to take
ohN
as in French bon
wąskiwąchać
vohN-skeevohN-hach’
narrowto niff
ę
em
member
zębytępy
zem-bihtem-pih
teethblunt
en
rent
ręceręka
ren-tseren-ka
handshand
eń
dziesięć
dj'ye-sh'yen'ch'
ten
ehN
as in French vin
częstogęsty
czehN-stogehN-stih
oftenthick
The nasal ą and ę in the final position
At the end of a word, the nasal vowel -ą is pronounced close to the an in fiance. If you happen to speak French, the word bon as in bon voyage is very close as well. Remember not to say n at the end. In this book, -ą is presented as ohN in the pronunciations. Here are some examples:
są
(sohN)
(they are)
idą
(
ee
-dohN)
(they go/are going)
The nasal -ę in the final position of a word loses its nasal sound and is pronounced like the e in yes; you see e in the pronunciations. Here are some examples:
imię
(
ee
-mye)
(first name)
idę
(
ee
-de)
(I go/am going)
Searching for Stress and Blending Prepositions
Stress is the accent or emphasis you put on a syllable as you speak — you say that syllable more strongly or loudly than the rest of the word. When pronouncing most Polish words, you emphasize the second-to-last syllable in a word. Here are some examples:
Polska
(
pol
-ska)
(Poland)
aparat
(a-
pa
-rat)
(camera)
dyskoteka
(dih-sko-
te
-ka)
(disco)
Counting prepositions
Prepositions count as syllables of the words they join with, as if they were one word, so you place the stress accordingly:
bez cukru
(bes
tsoo
-kroo)
(without sugar): Three syllables in total, so you emphasize
tsoo,
which is the next-to-last one.
dla nas
(
dla
nas)
(for us): Here, you can see two syllables in total and, if you count from the end, the stress falls on
dla,
which is the second-to-last syllable.
A similar situation happens in the case of negative verbs. If you have nie followed by a one-syllable verb, the nie part is stressed:
nie mam
(
n'ye
mam)
(I don't have)
nie spał
(
n'ye
spaw)
(he wasn't asleep)
In the pronunciations, longer prepositions (consisting of more than just one letter) such as dla, na, bez, ot, and so on are spelled separately from the words they join, as in od Marty(ot mar-tih) (from Marta) and na lotnisku(na lot-n'ee-skoo) (at the airport). However, short prepositions like z and w are merged with the next word, as in w pracy(fpra-tsih) (at work) and z Anglii(zan-glee) (from England).
Placing unusual stress
The stress is placed on an unusual syllable — the third from last — in the following situations:
Nouns ending in -
yka
or -
ika,
which were originally taken from Latin or Greek:
muzyka
(
moo
-zih-ka)
(music)
botanika
(bo-
ta
-n'ee-ka)
(botany)
Numbers:
czterysta
(
chte
-rih-sta)
(400)
siedemset
(
sh
'
ye
-dem-set)
(700)
osiemset
(
o
-sh'yem-set)
(800)
dziewięćset
(
dj
'
ye
-vyen'ch'-set)
(900)
The first- and second-person plural in the past tense:
lubiliśmy
(loo-
bee
-lee-sh'mih)
(we liked)
robiliście
(ro-
bee
-lee-sh'ch'ye)
(you [plural, informal] did)
Emphasizing the second-to-last syllable in these verbs accounts for one of the most common sins against Polish grammar, and you may hear numerous native speakers stressing the wrong syllable because doing so has now become acceptable. Be aware that it still doesn't sound good, and don't let your ear pick up that habit! Read more about verb tenses in Chapter 2.
For verbs in we and you (plural) forms of the conditional mood, the stress falls on the fourth-from-last syllable:
chcielibyśmy
(
hch'ye
-lee-bihsh'-mih
) (we would like)
moglibyście
(
mo
-glee-bihsh'-ch'ye
) (you [plural] could)
Some Basic Phrases to Know
These are a few very basic phrases useful when taking your first steps into Polish:
Nie rozumiem.
(n'ye ro-
zoo
-myem.)
(I don't understand.)
Słucham?
(
swoo
-ham?)
(Pardon?/Excuse me?)
Dziękuję.
(dj'yen-
koo
-ye.)
(Thank you.)
Przepraszam.
(pshe-
pra
-sham.)
(I'm sorry/Excuse me.)
Co to znaczy?
(tso to
zna
-chih)
(What does it mean?)
Jak się mówi po polsku …?
(yak sh'ye
moo
-vee po
pol
-skoo …?)
(How do you say … in Polish?)
Chapter 2
Getting Down to Essential Polish Grammar
IN THIS CHAPTER
Discussing Polish cases
Dealing with perfective and imperfective verbs
Talking tenses
Decoding impersonal constructions
Only young children can effortlessly absorb a new language. A child's brain functions like a sponge that soaks up new vocabulary, sentence structure, word stress, pronunciation, and all the intricacies of a language easily and, most importantly, without explicit grammatical instruction. Regrettably, for adults, picking up a new language requires a bit more effort and dedication.
Of course, if you simply want to pick up a few expressions for talking to your neighbor or taking a trip to Poland, you can easily open to the appropriate chapter of this book, commit the relevant phrases to memory, and leave the whole world of cases, tenses, and endings behind. However, knowing how the language works helps you not only master it but also avoid translations that leave you misunderstood and your Polish listeners confused.
In this chapter, I share the fundamentals of Polish grammar: the cases that nouns and adjectives take in various situations and the verb conjugations important in any language.
The tables in this chapter and throughout the book use these forms:
(ja):
the
I
form
(ty):
the singular, informal
you
form
on, ona, ono:
the
he
(masculine),
she
(feminine),
it
(neuter) forms
(my):
the
we
form
(wy):
the plural, informal
you
form
oni, one:
the
they
forms for a group with at least one man and for a group with no men
Remember that you don't say the pronouns you see in parentheses in the tables when you're speaking Polish. Go to Chapter 3 to familiarize yourself with formal you — pan, pani, and państwo.
This chapter makes following the basic Polish grammar rules as natural as putting one foot in front of the other — krok po kroku(krok po kro-koo) (step by step).
The key to success is to accept that Polish works differently than English and that encountering peculiar rules is therefore inevitable. Don't let yourself become frustrated because nouns, pronouns, and adjectives change their endings all the time; focus on remembering when and how they change. Ideally, you want to start by learning full sentences rather than trying to spot and name every single grammar rule. Be patient because getting your head around all the endings takes time.
The Case of Polish Cases
You may get the impression that Polish nouns, pronouns, and adjectives change their endings all the time and that a single noun in English has multiple forms in Polish. Well, that's quite accurate. In English, you put words in a certain order and can tell by their position in a sentence who or what is doing what to whom. In Polish, however, the order of the words doesn't matter as much as the endings the words use. Take this simple example:
Adam kupił dom Annie.
(
a
-dam
koo
-peew dom
an
-n'ye.)
(Adam bought Anna a house.)
Adam kupił dom Anny.
(
a
-dam
koo
-peew dom
an
-nih.)
(Adam bought Anna's house.)
In both sentences, Adam (nominative case) is the subject and dom (house) plays the role of the direct object (the thing that is bought, which uses the accusative case). However, in the first sentence Anna is the recipient of the house (Annie is in the dative case of Anna and plays the role of an indirect object), while in the second sentence it's Anna's house that has been bought (Anny is the genitive case). As you can see, the case ending is the thing that tells you what's what in a sentence.
Case refers to the role a noun, adjective, or pronoun plays in a sentence. Many of these roles are crucial for everyday communication, and this chapter takes you through them all. Polish has seven cases, both singular and plural, and each of them has a set of endings for each gender. Chapter 5 explains the endings of the accusative and genitive cases, Chapter 8 the instrumental case, and Chapter 14 the locative case. I cover the basic nominative and dative cases later in this chapter.
Trying to learn isolated endings can give you a real headache. Instead, try to find and memorize a few examples of the cases used in various situations — hobbies, food, and familiar places, for example. When you come across a noun or adjective with the same ending and in the same context, it will very likely follow the pattern from your example.
LOST IN TRANSLATION
Polish works differently than English, and word-to-word translation doesn't make sense. Here's a small test to prove it: Imagine you've received an email from a Polish learner who isn't very familiar with English grammar or idioms, and you see the following sentences:
How I will not find work, this I will must to go to home in Poland.Thank you from the mountain.Were you able to work out what they mean? The less literal translations are “If I don't find a job, I'll have to return home to Poland” and “Many thanks in advance.” Funny, isn't it? You certainly don't want to end up with something similar when speaking Polish!
Nominative case
The nominative case is the basic case and is the form you see when you look up a noun or an adjective in a dictionary. A noun in the nominative case is the subject of a sentence — the person or thing performing the action of the verb. For example:
Anna pije kawę.(an-na pee-ye ka-ve.) (Anna is drinking a coffee.) — Anna is the one performing the action of drinking a coffee and is the subject of this sentence.
Nominative is often used after the phrases To jest …(to yest …) (This is …) or To są …(to sohN …) (These are…) or their shorter version To …(to …). For example:
To jest Marek(to yest ma-rek) or To Marek.(to ma-rek.) (This is Marek.)
Noun genders
In Polish, each noun has a gender. You can tell a noun's gender from its ending:
Masculine nouns end in a consonant:
For example: stó
ł
(stoow)
(table), pie
s
(pyes)
(dog), and rowe
r
(
ro
-ver)
(bike). A small number of masculine nouns end in
-a,
resembling feminine nouns and causing confusion: mężczyzn
a
(mehNsh-
chih
-zna)
(man), artyst
a
(art-
tih
-sta)
(artist), and tat
a
(
ta
-ta)
(dad) for example.
Feminine nouns usually end in -a: For example: kobieta(ko-bye-ta) (woman), gazeta(ga-ze-ta) (newspaper), and Polska(pol-ska) (Poland). A few feminine nouns end in -i, such as pani(pa-n'ee) (Mrs.) and sprzedawczyni(spshe-daf-chih-n'ee) (sales assistant).
A small group of feminine nouns end in a consonant, just like the masculine nouns. The best approach is to simply memorize them. A few examples include mysz(mihsh) (mouse), miłość(mee-wosh'ch') (love), and noc(nots) (night).
Neuter nouns end in -o, -e, -ę,
or
-um:
For example: ok
o
(
o
-ko)
(eye), mieszkani
e
(mye-
shka
-n'ye)
(apartment), imi
ę
(
ee
-mye)
(first name), and muze
um
(moo-
ze
-oom)
(museum).
Adjective endings
Adjectives, used to describe or characterize a noun, agree with their nouns in gender, number, and case. So if a noun is masculine, the adjective referring to that noun takes the masculine ending.
Each adjective has three forms in the nominative singular. For example, “new” is nowy(no-vih) (masculine), nowa(no-va) (feminine), and nowe(no-ve) (neuter). In some dictionaries, you may see the masculine form in full and then the feminine and neuter endings only: nowy, -a, -e. Other dictionaries present the masculine form only. I strongly suggest you check out Chapter 4, which talks more about adjectives in the nominative case.
Genitive case
The genitive case is the most frequently used case in Polish. Though you can look at its endings in Chapter 5, here you can familiarize yourself with situations in which it's used:
Possession:
To show ownership: samochód
Tomka
(sa-
moo
-hoot
tom
-ka)
(Tomek's car).
Negation:
To negate a statement in the accusative case. In other words, use this case for the direct object of a negative verb: nie lubię
kawy
(n'ye
loo
-bye
ka
-vih)
(I don't like coffee) or
nie mam czasu
(
n'ye
mam
cha
-soo)
(I don't have time).
After certain verbs:
These include
uczyć się
(
oo
-chihch' sh'ye)
(to learn/study),
szukać
(
shoo
-kach')
(to look for),
używać
(oo-
zhih
-vach')
(to use), and
potrzebować
(po-tshe-
bo
-vach')
(to need): Używam
komputera
(oo-
zhih
-vam kom-poo-
te
-ra)
(I use/I'm using a computer) or Potrzebuję
pieniędzy
(po-tse-
boo
-ye pye-
n'yen
-dzih)
(I need money).
Quantity and packaging:
To talk about how much of something and what it's in: pół
pizzy
(poow
peets
-tsih)
