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Re: Polish group

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2018 7:16 am
by cjareck
reineke wrote:Also, I enjoy the subject matter.

This is the most important thing! I didn't want to discourage you from hearing the audiobook but just warn about the problem with military terminology. This applies unfortunately to most Polish translations and not only to military vocabulary. Publishing houses often reduce costs and employ translators who just know the language and not necessarily know the subject.

Re: Polish group

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2018 11:08 pm
by StringerBell
This doesn't seem to be a very active group, so maybe I will give it a little jumpstart ;)

It occurred to me that maybe I should post Polish questions here rather than my log, because other Polish learners will be more likely to profit from them? Let's find out!

So, I have a verb-of-motion question from the book Dzieci z Bullerbyn. In this book I read the following sentence:

Svipp myślał, że będzie mógł jak zawsze iść z Ollem na spacer, więc skakał i piszczał.

Question: Why is it iść instead of chodzić since it’s a repetitive/habitual activity?




Not a question, just a statement. In the same book, I also came across this sentence:

Teraz Svipp nigdy nie bywa zły i nie musi już chodzić na smyczy.

It makes sense to me why chodzić was used; it's talking about a dog who became better behaved and therefore didn't need to go on walks with a leash anymore, which sounds like it fits the habitual/repeated action criteria.

Re: Polish group

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 12:31 pm
by reineke
Crickets in November? You might want to mention in your log that you are moving your questions here. Good idea, although I think we both know that Wordreference is a better site for these types of questions.

The logs get cluttered, the groups don't have a head or tail, and having to type things like 20 minutes of #Polish #audio is too disruptive.

Eh, I guess I am off to Staples.

Re: Polish group

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:45 pm
by cjareck
StringerBell wrote:This doesn't seem to be a very active group, so maybe I will give it a little jumpstart ;)

I wondered why you didn't post any questions in your log. Now I know ;) I was sure that I set notifications for the Polish group but received none. Nevertheless, I found it and therefore can answer.

StringerBell wrote:Svipp myślał, że będzie mógł jak zawsze iść z Ollem na spacer, więc skakał i piszczał.

Question: Why is it iść instead of chodzić since it’s a repetitive/habitual activity?

It is quite difficult, and at the beginning I was helpless. But I think I figured it out. I understand that Svipp is a dog, right? IIt wants to go with Olle THIS TIME. Svip does not want to go with Olle every day. It simply every day wants to go for a walk ONCE. So it is not habitual in this case. I am not sure if I explained it good enough. If not, I will try to do it better.

Re: Polish group

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 6:05 pm
by StringerBell
Yes, you are right; I should have mentioned that Svipp is a dog.

Assuming that I understand correctly, this sentence comes from a part of the story where the nasty shoemaker guy tells Olle that he can't play/walk his guard dog, Svipp, anymore because the dog needs to stay and guard the house. But when Svipp saw Olle, he assumed that he could go on a walk with Olle, like usual (Olle had been taking care of him for a few weeks when the shoemaker had a broken ankle). The reason I'm confused is that the word "zawsze" seems like it should pair with "chodzić". I think I understand your explanation; and I think I will just have to resign myself to not *always* using chodzić or iść 100% correctly, because I would have used chodzić in this situation.

“Teraz już koniec tych głupstw! Pies ma pilnować domu i siedzieć w budzie!” Svipp myślał, że będzie mógł jak zawsze iść z Ollem na spacer, więc skakał i piszczał. Kiedy jednak Olle odszedł, nie zabierając go ze sobą, Svipp skomlił i był bardzo smutny.

*If it makes more sense to post these questions in my log, what is the purpose of these "study groups"??? :?:

Re: Polish group

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 6:45 pm
by cjareck
In my explanation, I wanted to point out that walking is not Svipp's habit. His daily habit was to go out every day. I realized, however, that there is another thing. You may not say "zawsze chodzić na spacer" since "spacer" is singular. How could you then multiple times go out for the same walk? It could be "zawsze chodzić na spacery". I mean it would be grammatically correct. But the sentence

Code: Select all

Svipp myślał, że będzie mógł jak zawsze iść z Ollem na spacer, więc skakał i piszczał.

cannot be replaced with

Code: Select all

Svipp myślał, że będzie mógł jak zawsze chodzić z Ollem na spacery, więc skakał i piszczał.

because there is a big change in meaning. The first sentence deals with the current situation. The dog thinks he can go now. In the second sentence, the dog things that he will be going for a walk, also many times in the future. If you deny the first sentence than it means that this time dog cannot go. If you deny the second one, it will mean that it will never go for a walk with Olle.

(edit)
You may put the questions about language here. They may be useful for other learners also.

Re: Polish group

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 10:02 am
by reineke
reineke wrote:
reineke wrote:
reineke wrote:
Mar 25, 2018
0 hours
Audiobook (US pulp)
Incomprehensible. I can recognize the occasional word. I sort of feel like dropping the idea.
Audiobook, (HC Andersen)
I can understand some mini scenes and narrative kernels. Very motivating

Prior exposure: a couple of hours of TV watching in the 1990s.


June 4
11 hrs
"Co za smród, co za smród, kurwa, co za smród!"

I can now sort of follow that pulp audiobook.


August 19, 2018
That incomprehensible pulp audiobook is now mostly comprehensible.


Jan 7, 2019
Still listening to other S. King books. The books are now more enjoyable. If I try to analyze what's happening, I can
say that I have more Polish processing power (PPP). I picked up new words and they range from words that register as strictly Polish (like moczymorda, kochanie, chować, czołg, chwila), Polish with weak lookalikes in other languages, (wszystko), words I understand but I am not sure where they're coming from (lecz, chyba, cofnąć), words and constructions that may have corresponding words in Russian which I cannot recall (inhibition?), etc. For the most part I am not aware of what's going on except that the language is clearer.

I have been listening to Polish in my free time while doing other things (including watching TV*). I don't think this adds up to many hours.

*low quality

Re: Polish group

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 10:12 am
by cjareck
reineke wrote:czołg

This one was "invented" in 1919 by 1st lieutenant Władysław Kohutnicki who derived it from the verb "czołgać się" - "to crawl" since it appeared to him that the tanks are crawling on the ground. So the word was created in the same way as "crawler." In older texts, however, you may still encounter the word "tank" (singular) or "tanki" (plural).

Re: Polish group

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 11:09 am
by reineke
A world of tanks.

Re: Polish group

Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 12:55 pm
by DaveAgain
The Polish Embassy in the UK is trying to encourage the study of polish among UK school-children:

"The aim of the Polish After-School Clubs is to shape good Polish-British relations among the young generation. Furthermore, it is to experience the value of Polish language, culture, tradition, history and geography among young Poles living in the United Kingdom. On the other hand for young British people Polish After-School Clubs is an opportunity to learn the culture and traditions of their Polish friends. The project is also an excellent promotion of the benefits of bilingualism among children and young people."

https://londyn.msz.gov.pl/en/news/0__po ... _historii_