Archive for 'Grammar'
Elementarz — a Polish children’s first reader Posted by Kasia on Aug 29, 2012
When I was visiting Poland last June, my daughter received this amazing book as a gift. I thought it will be worth writing a little bit about it. I have been flipping through this vintage Elementarz — a Polish children’s first reader and it brought back all my memories…Pictures and everything in it is still…
Meeting someone new…what to say? Posted by Kasia on Aug 11, 2012
Polish uses both formal and informal structures, and it is wise to observe them and try to use them correctly. The informal form of “you” — ty — should only be reserved for friends, and it is always best to use the polite forms pani (Madam) and pan (Sir) when addressing strangers, particularly if they are older than you. It is…
History of the Polish language Posted by Kasia on Aug 10, 2012
As a Slavic language, Polish is part of a different family than English and the Romance languages. Even though Latin has been a significant influence on Polish, it is not at its foundation as it is for many Western European languages. This means that much of the vocabulary, grammatical constructions and sounds are profoundly different…
Jaka jest pogoda? Posted by Kasia on Aug 9, 2012
Poland enjoys the full gamut of weather conditions, from hot summers to snowy winters. The Polish weather is known for its changes, so it is best to prepare for all seasons when you pack for your trip! For those looking to explore on foot, May to September is the best time to visit and the…
Affirmative and Interrogative forms – Part II Posted by Kasia on Jul 29, 2012
Today I will continue Affirmative and Interrogative forms – Part I post. Some questions require interrogative pronouns such as who, when, why, etc. Since word order in Polish is not strictly determined, a speaker is practically free to choose how to ask a question depending on his/her attitude and the information (s)he is most interested in. Beginner…
Affirmative and Interrogative forms – Part I Posted by Kasia on Jul 28, 2012
Polish is a highly inflected language, which means some parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives take different forms depending on case, tense, or number. Inflection helps speakers to identify the subject of a sentence and its properties (whether it’s singular or plural, masculine or feminine). Consequently, word order plays a less important…
When “no” means yes Posted by Kasia on Jul 6, 2012
One challenge in learning a language comes up when a word in one language is also a word in another, but with a completely different meaning. The word “no” is a good example of that. In English, of course, it is a negative response. And it is such a basic word, and so frequently used…