Fun with Polish: New Year’s Resolutions Posted by Anna on Dec 30, 2008 in Vocabulary
So… it’s that time of the year again. The time of parties, bigger parties and totally massive parties. What are your plans for New Year’s Eve (Sylwester)? Going anywhere? Doing anything special?
We’ll stay at home and watch TV. And then watch our terrified cats as they try to hide under the bed when the fireworks go off.
This is also the time of New Year’s resolutions, and I do believe I mentioned this phrase in my previous post.
- postanowienia, which is plural of “postanowienie” – noun, neuter, can be translated as “resolution” or “decision.”
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- noworoczne, which is plural of “noworoczny” (sing. fem. noworoczna, sing. neuter: noworoczne, pl. person-masculine: noworoczni, pl. all others: noworoczne) – adjective, which in turn consists of these two words:
- nowy + roczny = new + yearly.
Ok, that was a bit convoluted. But you see how these phrases are constructed – you can take them apart word by word, and then you can take the words apart, too, until you get the basic building blocks.
Anyway, let’s move on.
I don’t normally do the whole New Year’s resolutions bit, but this year I thought I’d give it a try. And then hold myself accountable. Maybe it will finally force to me to do the things I’ve been so diligently avoiding so far.
So, here are Anna’s resolutions for 2009:
- Go to Kościerzyna and Kartuzy and visit an elementary school, or two. I want to see kids being taught the Kashubian language. I won’t believe it until I see it with my very own eyes. Incidentally, I had a conversation about it with my father not so long ago, and he totally surprised me by breaking into a Kashubian folk song. He said his mother had taught him and while he can sing it and recite the words, he doesn’t understand what they mean. Not all of them, anyway.
- Don’t begin every other sentence with “so.” It’s annoying.
- Stop thinking about going back to school and actually DO something about it. But that, on the other hand, prompts questions to which I don’t know the answers. Like, “What should I study? English or Polish? Or maybe something else altogether? Russian perhaps?” and “Where should I study?” and all that. Any suggestions will be much appreciated.
- Read more books in Polish. After seeing glowing reviews of Dorota Masłowska pretty much everywhere I turned, I got my hands on her debut novel “Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną” in Polish and the English translation – “Snow White and Russian Red” (US version) and meh, not my type at all. I read both books side by side, and disliked both of them equally. But this little exercise did inspire me to read more books by Polish authors. So, (yes, I know, don’t start every other sentence with “so.” But it’s not 2009 yet, ok? I’ll work on it next year) that’s on my to-do list for 2009.
Those were the big resolutions. I have a few less important ones, as well.
And how about you, my dear readers?
What are your (plural of “wasze”) plans, resolutions and goals to achieve in 2009?
See you next year!
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Comments:
Tatiana Lipowska:
Dear Anna!
Happy New Year! I wish you all the happiness, to stick to you resolution, but not to be upset if you don’t. I like your articles (?) very much. Take care. Tatiana
Barb Lomnicki:
Hmm, New Year’s Resolutions. I guess I have a few.
1. I too want to read more polish books (I read 4 in 2008, a real accomplishment for me because prior to this year,I had never read an entire book in polish). Perhaps I’ll even try tackling Pan Wolodyjowski. Suggestions would be most welcome, I want to read books written by Poles, not translations.
2. I want to gain a better understanding of polish grammar. I’m tired of making the same stupid mistakes.
3. Oh yeah, all those other things like eating better exercising more and losing 5 kg. Sure, sure…whatever.
Pozdro,
B
David Honley:
Hi Anna!
Many thanks for all your great blogs during 2008. Keep up the good work! How about doing a maths course?? Hehe!!! I wanted to send you a photo I took this time last year in Kraków, a photo of a the huge signs erected around Kraków to wish everyone ‘Season’s greetings’, but unfortunately I can’t send the photo via this ‘comment link’. But here is what the photo says:
‘Wesołych Świąt i Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku’ życzy Urząd Miasta Krakowa… And the message is from me too! Happy New Year 2009!
David
PS – How can I email you the photo?
Anna:
Thank you! Thank you!!! 🙂
David, I already have one useless “science” degree, so I thought I’d try for something different this time.
You can email me things at: anna_et (at) yahoo (dot) com
Barb,
I love “Pan Wołodyjowski” – both the book and the TV series. It’s such a sexy story when you really get down to it. Enjoy!
And we can do the 5 pounds together, what do you say? 😉
Thomas:
Anna,
Happy new year. One resolution can be to choose to be happy.
Sylwester was spent at home with the two cats curled up next to me, with random selections of classical symphonic music on one of the cable TV stations, and some reading.
My second resolution is to keep learning:
Real estate, four wheel drive, AMC (American Motors Corporation) Eagle, bio-diesel, business, SVO (straight veggie oil), online sales, marketing, and especially Polish.
My third resolution is to be more organized this year.
And that is more than enough resolutions for me as I can only multi-task so far. 🙂
Yellerbelly:
I really must read your blog more, there’s some great stuff on it.
At work, I’ve heard other people say “Mam Nowy Rok resolutions!” – ex-pats of course. I haven’t been saying this because I thought there might be a more accurate version – apparently there is!!!
2009 is the year I learn Polish!