Many students find it annoying that there are two verbs in the Polish language that can be used to express one’s likes, admiration or compliments. Today we’re going to focus on LUBIĆ and PODOBAĆ SIĘ.
WHEN DO WE USE "LUBIĆ" AND WHEN "PODOBAĆ SIĘ"?
When translated into English, they both mean LIKE. Why then do we sometimes say „Podoba mi się Polska“, and sometimes „Lubię Polskę?“. Why is it quite risky to confess that „Podoba mi się Adam“, whereas „Lubię Adama“ sounds absolutely harmless? Why is it wrong to say: „Podoba mi się pływać.“? These are the questions frequently asked in lessons of Polish.
The verb LUBIĆ is used to talk about your interests as well as your liking of someone or something. It emphasises the engagement of the speaker and a good knowledge of the subject. PODOBAĆ SIĘ we usually use to say that we like something or someone’s physical appearance, they way they look. At the same time, the person we’re talking to gets the impression that we do not know the subject or the person too well. So, we can say:
• Lubię Ryana Goslinga (he’s a brilliant actor, I love his films I watch each and every one of them)
• Podoba mi się Ryan Gosling (he’s handsome)
• Lubię Polskę (I live here, I know the customs, I have friends here; if I don’t live there, I often go there to visit)
• Podoba mi się Polska (I know Poland as a tourist, it seems to be an interesting country, but I’m not knowledgeable about it)
Now, let’s return to the question asked at the very beginning. If you know Polish, you are able to control it, you use it and you keep discovering its various aspects, you can say: LUBIĘ JĘZYK POLSKI. However, if you don’t speak Polish yet, but you are going to sign up for a course of Polish, because you have already read about it and you know it’s an interesting language with fascinating grammar and sophisticated vocabulary as well as beautiful melody... then you can say: PODOBA MI SIĘ JĘZYK POLSKI.
DIFFICULTIES IN THE USE OF „PODOBA MI SIĘ“ AND „LUBIĘ“
Naturally, all sorts of traps and catches are an integral part of the Polish language. There are cases when these verbs are not interchangeable with each other. For instance, we never use the verb PODOBAĆ SIĘ when we’re talking about food! When talking about our food preferences we have to use the verb LUBIĆ ("Lubię pizzę, kawę, mięso"), unless we wish to comment on the way the dish looks ("Podoba mi się dekoracja na tym torcie").
Let’s not forget the grammar (another trap!). The verb LUBIĆ is followed by either another verb (in infinitive form), or a noun (in Accusative case). The verb PODOBAĆ SIĘ can ONLY be followed by a noun (in Nominative case!). If you want to practise the conjugation of both verbs, please check out ...
