Rdearman 2016-24 You Can't Have Your Kate and Edith Too.

[Sarchta]

I continue to do a bit of Hello and Goodbye with the Polish fellow at work. I asked him how to say "how are you?" In Polish, but he told me that this actually confuses Polish people because it isn't something that is typically done by them. It would seem that like the Chinese, if you're asking how someone is, you are actually asking them about their health and it isn't just a stock phrase meaning hello.

A very common question among young people is "Co tam u ciebie?" or shortly "Co tam?". Most of young people (including me) treat it almost like a welcome phrase. The usual answer is "Dobrze" or "Spoko"... But it's a question you ask your friends, not people just have meet. Is this the thing you were looking for?

[rdearman]

He did tell me a very colloquial saying, which was something like "Somme" but he said it instead of spelling it so I don't know how it is spelled. He also warned me it was only used very informally and normally among the young. (Which neither myself or him are members of that group!)

I can't remember the word, but it is basically a contraction is a phrase into a single word? Given he said not to use it, I pretty much forgot it immediately.

He also told me I was better off using "cześć" since it worked all day long.

[OCCASVS]

The word you are looking for is siema, a contracted form of jak się masz.
However, I have never heard anyone say that. It is a slang form that fell out of fashion at least ten years ago.

Co tam? / Jak tam? / Co słychać? are regular, colloquial ways to ask how are you?, from the least to the most formal to my non-native ears.

[cjareck]

Exactly. Siema is used only by Jerzy Owsiak and is associated with him and not everyone likes him. I don't.
So don't use it. It is strange enough even when said by a native speaker. A foreigner, especially not being a teenager, using this greeting will sound weird.

[rdearman]

Exactly. Siema is used only by Jerzy Owsiak and is associated with him and not everyone likes him. I don't.
So don't use it. It is strange enough even when said by a native speaker. A foreigner, especially not being a teenager, using this greeting will sound weird.

This is the advice everyone has given me! But I am interested in finding something to follow "Hello" as a conversation starter. Something like:

Hello, is your day going well?
Hi, the weather sucks today huh?
Hello, nice weather we're having.
Hi, What do you do for a living?

I know... RTFM.

However, I have never heard anyone say that. It is a slang form that fell out of fashion at least ten years ago.

Yeah, the fellow who told me about it has lived in the UK for 10-15 years, so probably isn't up on the current slang.

[cjareck]

This is the advice everyone has given me! But I am interested in finding something to follow "Hello" as a conversation starter. Something like:
Hello, is your day going well?
Hi, the weather sucks today huh?
Hello, nice weather we're having.
Hi, What do you do for a living?

It depends on the level of familiarity with the other person. If you know him/her well" I would ask "Co tam u Ciebie?" and even "Jak się masz?" would be acceptable.
Your proposals in Polish would be (not the exact meaning but real Polish):
Cześć, jak Ci leci? / Cześć, jak Ci minął dzień?
Cześć, ale paskudna pogoda dzisiaj, no nie?
Cześć, ale mamy dziś piękną pogodę.
Cześć, kim jesteś z zawodu? (but it sounds strange)
They are applicable only if you know the person already. If you meet someone for the first time, I would modify second and third:
Ale paskudna pogoda dzisiaj, prawda?
Ale mamy dziś piękną pogodę!

The good tactics would be to introduce yourself and then ask "Mam na imię Rick, jestem programistą, a ty?" (Hi! I'm Rick, I am a programmer and you?) or in a formal way "Dzień dobry/ dobry wieczór, nazywam się Rick Dearman i jestem programistą, a Pan/Pani?" I think that saying something about yourself will be the best conversation starter. Since you are a foreigner learning Polish you will receive a great bonus from the beginning. We are aware that our language is difficult (and is not the most important Slavic language) and appreciate people learning it.

[rdearman]

Another boring update for everyone. I have managed to continue my streak 142 days with a 70-day streak of doing at least 500 points or more on Clozemaster. This is an Italian but I occasionally do Mandarin or Polish as well. Tonight I did a language exchange in French. To be honest I haven't really done much Italian other than the clozemaster cards. This is mainly because I've been watching season seven of the French police drama Engrenages. I quite like this show and I would watch it even if it wasn't in French. I have been binge watching the show 3 episodes per night. I've had a couple of books to read but haven't really read them simply because I have a very large book in English that I'm still trying to plough my way through. I've also been trying to do some more work in programming languages. I did some work with the HelloChinese app to try get back into mandarin. And that is basically everything I have to report. (told you it was boring!)

[rdearman]

Still ticking along. I have found a new show in Italian with Chef Rubbio, "Rubio alla ricerca del gusto perduto". This time he is travelling the world checking out the food.

Still doing Clozemaster, and the occasional LE.

[rdearman]

My clozemaster streak is now 156 days and 84 days straight with more than 500 points. Obviously not as good as Expug but I'm trying! I didn't have an LE for 2 weeks straight! I think this is probably a record since sometime last year I've always had LE's if not one week then the next.

The guy at work has given me the Hobbit as an audiobook in Polish. I have to say that I'm pretty burned out on both French and Italian and at the moment language learning in general. So I'm probably not going to leap at the chance to do listening and reading in Polish. I think I'll probably give everything a miss until after Christmas.

[DaveAgain]

I didn't have an LE for 2 weeks straight! I think this is probably a record since sometime last year I've always had LE's if not one week then the next.

Did your french LEP enjoy her holiday in the UK?