New words for Krakow
proszę please
to, proszę this, please
dziękuję thank you
dzień dobry good day
In preparation for our first stop on what Brigid called "our travelling trip," I downloaded some podcasts from survivalphrases.com. I knew that in Poland few international tourists speak Polish, so I wasn't likely to face impatience or irritation at not speaking the local language. Still I wanted us to be polite and extend a little effort at learning some basic pleasantries.
There was one word that was not included in the survival podcasts that would be necessary for my own survival. No, it wasn't beer (which I already knew as piwo because of the Czech word). Fortunately, we covered it at the hotel first thing the morning after our arrival.
More after the jump
An interesting point about Polish grammar, then, that I combined with learning the word kawa was that the word order with "please," proszę, changes from when you are merely pointing at something and using a pronoun, like "this," to, and when you are requesting something specific. If I were buy from a street vendor one of the ubiquitous pretzel-like breads with a name I cannot pronounce, I would just say, "To, proszę." But if were in need of a cup of joe, I would say instead "Prozsę, kawa."
Had I any time on my hands at all, this could have be my newest rabbit hole, Polish grammar.
While we were there, though, Polish history would be absorbing enough.
to, proszę this, please
dziękuję thank you
dzień dobry good day
In preparation for our first stop on what Brigid called "our travelling trip," I downloaded some podcasts from survivalphrases.com. I knew that in Poland few international tourists speak Polish, so I wasn't likely to face impatience or irritation at not speaking the local language. Still I wanted us to be polite and extend a little effort at learning some basic pleasantries.
There was one word that was not included in the survival podcasts that would be necessary for my own survival. No, it wasn't beer (which I already knew as piwo because of the Czech word). Fortunately, we covered it at the hotel first thing the morning after our arrival.
More after the jump
An interesting point about Polish grammar, then, that I combined with learning the word kawa was that the word order with "please," proszę, changes from when you are merely pointing at something and using a pronoun, like "this," to, and when you are requesting something specific. If I were buy from a street vendor one of the ubiquitous pretzel-like breads with a name I cannot pronounce, I would just say, "To, proszę." But if were in need of a cup of joe, I would say instead "Prozsę, kawa."
Had I any time on my hands at all, this could have be my newest rabbit hole, Polish grammar.
While we were there, though, Polish history would be absorbing enough.
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