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Mooby’s TAC2013 - Team Żubr - Polish | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| Zireael Triglot Senior Member Poland Joined 4649 days ago 518 posts - 636 votes  Speaks: Polish*, EnglishB2, Spanish Studies: German, Sign Language, Tok Pisin, Arabic (Yemeni), Old English | Message 113 of 134 21 November 2013 at 6:57pm | IP Logged |
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Oh yes, we do love diminutives... and yes, it applies to time, too. Ever heard "za sekundkę/za minutkę", "chwilka" etc.?
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| Mooby Senior Member Scotland Joined 6103 days ago 707 posts - 1220 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Polish | Message 114 of 134 22 November 2013 at 11:18am | IP Logged |
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In the travelogue I mentioned earlier (message 111), I spotted the phrase 'ale za to' several times. Initially, I couldn't work out what it meant from context, but with a little digging around I've come to the conclusion that it's an emphatic form of the word 'but'. Especially when used in contrast to something (usually a lack of something, or a negative). As well as 'but'(emphatic) it could mean 'but then'.
For example: Nie mam broni, ale za to są granaty - 'I don't have a gun, but there are grenades'. It took 20 minutes digging, but I think I've got the jist of what is essentially a simple and probably quite common phrase. But if there are no explicit definitions to be found, the meaning is not immediately obvious. At least not to me. Anyway, I enjoy these little investigations. Painstaking at times, but rewarding. My eyes are peeled in the hope of seeing it crop up elsewhere, and to try introducing into active use. Language detective work is fun! Edited by Mooby on 22 November 2013 at 11:19am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Zireael Triglot Senior Member Poland Joined 4649 days ago 518 posts - 636 votes Speaks: Polish*, EnglishB2, Spanish Studies: German, Sign Language, Tok Pisin, Arabic (Yemeni), Old English | Message 115 of 134 23 November 2013 at 6:45pm | IP Logged |
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You might see it crop up in novels with colloquial dialogue or in people's letters or SMS, but you'd better not count on seeing it in more formal contexts.
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| Mooby Senior Member Scotland Joined 6103 days ago 707 posts - 1220 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Polish | Message 116 of 134 23 November 2013 at 7:58pm | IP Logged |
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Thanks Zireael. Is the phrase ('ale za to') mostly used in writing or speaking? Or about the same? - I don't want to say it during a conversation and create confusion!
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| Zireael Triglot Senior Member Poland Joined 4649 days ago 518 posts - 636 votes Speaks: Polish*, EnglishB2, Spanish Studies: German, Sign Language, Tok Pisin, Arabic (Yemeni), Old English | Message 117 of 134 24 November 2013 at 10:56am | IP Logged |
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I'd guess it's about the same - just don't try using it in too formal situations. Saying it in a conversation will not create any confusion, don't worry!
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| Mooby Senior Member Scotland Joined 6103 days ago 707 posts - 1220 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Polish | Message 118 of 134 24 November 2013 at 10:59am | IP Logged |
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Thanks....I look forward to trying it out!
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| Mooby Senior Member Scotland Joined 6103 days ago 707 posts - 1220 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Polish | Message 119 of 134 24 November 2013 at 4:59pm | IP Logged |
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Here's another nice surprise from delving around colloquial blogs:
Both Kurczak and Kurczę refer to chicken (the meat to be eaten), but Kurczę! can be translated as "Blimey!", "golly!". A little more research shows that this exclamation can be elaborated to: kurczę pieczone! (literally 'roast chicken!'). All I can say is - 'Roast chicken ....... learning Polish is interesting!' Edited by Mooby on 24 November 2013 at 5:01pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Mooby Senior Member Scotland Joined 6103 days ago 707 posts - 1220 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Polish | Message 120 of 134 05 December 2013 at 2:49pm | IP Logged |
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Anki = 4527
Hours Studied = 85 (Total: 1183) By resisting the urge to add every new word I come across to Anki, my daily reviews are becoming more manageable. There are about 240 a day (as opposed to 330 last month), so it's still more than I need or want. I know I could delete cards, but even the easier mature ones have useful illustrations of grammar or syntax. So now I'm choosing to lengthen the intervals by choosing "easy" and have set the leech threshold to 8 (was 16). If cards are suspended I'll leave them, and only gradually re-introduce them if they are relevant or if I think I can cope with them. The important thing, is that they still exist, so I can refer to them or annotate them in the future. As much as I'd like to build my vocabulary, I realise that I have more than enough for most speech and general reading. I must concentrate more on learning how to employ my vocabulary, which means more grammar drills and syntax practise. My knowledge has width but lacks depth. I finished Lesson 17 of Colloquial Polish (1995 ed.) and am now starting the next lesson on "The Conditional" (attached to the verb itself, or to the conjunctions; gdyby, żeby and jakby). Some of of this is familiar, some just appears convoluted and strange at the moment. I'm thinking about whether I want to continue with the TAC into 2014. I'm inclined to start an independent log that can roll year-on-year (and bore everyone for decades!!) Words of the Week Mordęga - "drudgery", "a drag". A nuż - "what if", "suppose". What if he doesn't agree? (a nuż on się nie zgodzi?) Zmagać się Imper. - "to struggle", "to contend with", "to wrestle". Every day I struggle with the same problem (każdego dnia zmagam się z tym samym problemem). Nocować Imper. - "to stay", "to spend the night". He spent the night in an empty house (nocował w pustym domu). Dżdżownica - "earthworm" Edited by Mooby on 05 December 2013 at 2:51pm 1 person has voted this message useful |
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