SUMMER POLISH COURSES – HOLIDAY ADVENTURE :)

SUMMER COURSE OF POLISH OR LYING ON THE BEACH?
Holiday time. Wherever we look, we see advertisements of travel agencies, golden sand on the seashore and exotic places, so it’s no surprise that many people are tempted to spend their holiday in those places. Foreigners are faced with a dilemma, too: sunny beach holiday or a course of Polish? If you decide to attend a summer intensive course of Polish (for more information on courses at Po Polsku check here), you definitely won’t regret it.

Summer Polish courses (at Po Polsku) are a real language adventure for foreigners:)

LEARN AND PRACTICE
Why is it a good idea to spend part of your holiday learning Polish in Poland?
First of all, you’re learning the language, its conjugations and declension, and at the same time you can use the learnt expressions and phrases on the spot. After a class on ordering a meal at a restaurant you can take a sit in one of the numerous restaurant or cafe gardens, in Nowy Świat in Warsaw, for instance, and test your knowledge of Polish. It’s much better than any homework, however interesting it would be :)
Secondly, the courses are usually run in the morning. After that you have time to go to a museum, cinema, concert or see the city, e.g. Warsaw, together with your teacher, classmates or on your own, as you wish.

WEEKEND TRIPS IN POLAND
Thirdly, you can spend a weekend in one of the Polish regions famous for their tourist attractions. Your teacher will definitely recommend some interesting places to you if you ask for advice. Should you want to learn more about the Baltic seaside or Warmia and Masuria, here is where you can find more information on those.
Fourthly, nowhere else will you be able to try such delicious Polish cuisine, rich in original dishes, both simple and more sophisticated ones.
Fifthly, Poland and Polish people are known for their hospitality and cordiality. You will be able to find out for yourself whether it is true, or just a nice stereotype. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed.

We hope we have managed to encourage you to enrol on a summer Polish course.

PIWO - RELATED VOCABULARY

Holiday season is the perfect time to talk about the favorite drink of many Poles and not only Poles - beer. Piwo (beer) is often one of the first words foreigners learn. Not only those who have been attending Polish language courses, but also those who, at least for now, are not planning to do so. In short, everyone knows the phrase: Proszę małe/ duże piwo (Small/large beer please).

HOW TO INVITE SOMEONE FOR A BEER? SOME PRACTICAL TIPS
Naturally, if you want to invite some of your Polish and non-Polish friends to a bar you can always say:

Zapraszam na piwo
(literally: I’m inviting you for a beer)

but... CAREFUL... it means then that YOU are going to pay for it. If you really want to treat someone you can also say:

Idziemy na piwo?/ Chodźmy na piwo! Ja stawiam. 
(Shall we go for beers?/Let’s go for beers! My treat.)

You can also ask:

Masz ochotę na piwo? (Do you fancy a beer?)
Pójdziemy do pubu?  (Shall we go to a pub?)
Chciał(a)byś iść na piwo?  (Would you like to go for beers?)

                                   Are you going out for beers? More practical Polish vocabulary on our FB page

IMPORTANT SYNONYM OF THE WORD PIWO

Do not be surprised if one of your Polish friends says:

Idziemy na browar(a)/ Wypiliśmy browar(a)/ Kupiliśmy dwa browary. 

(Let’s go for a brew/We’ve had a brew/We’ve got two brews)

In the modern Polish language the word browar (brewery) is not only a place where beer is brewed but is also a slang synonym of the noun piwo. The term warzyć piwo (to brew beer) refers not only to the production of beer, but is also a part of the popular idiom nawarzyłeś sobie piwa, to teraz musisz je wypić (literally: you have brewed the beer, so now you must drink it), which means that you have caused trouble and now you must bear the consequences.
Pubs where we drink beer are often located in cellars (piwnice). Both these nouns are connected because the cellar (piwnica) was simply a cool place to store beer (piwo) and other foodstuffs.

                                      Piłam piwo or wypiłam piwo? Click here for more on Polish verb conjugations

When we’re leaving a pub or any other dining places and we are satisfied with the service we can leave napiwek (a tip). Unfortunately, this word has recently been more and more frequently replaced by the English word tip. It’s also worth noting that the noun piwo derives from the verb pić (to drink) and it used to mean the same as a ... drink. Over time, however, its meaning narrowed down to the fermented drink of hops, yeast, water and malt.

Na zdrowie!
Cheers!

ABOUT MONEY IN POLISH

PIENIĄDZE, KASA, FORSA... OR WORDS FOR „MONEY“ IN POLISH

Today we want to talk about money (o pieniądzach – locative). As you know, money (pieniądze nominative, plural in Polish) doesn‘t bring hapiness but it’s better to mieć pieniądze (accusative; have money) than nie mieć pieniędzy (genitive; not to have money), because z pieniędzmi (instrumental; with money) in your pocket life is easier. Let’s take a closer look at Polish money (przyjrzyjmy się pieniądzom – dative).

In your Polish class (check here if you’re looking for interesting Polish courses) you will definitely learn that the word pieniądze is most often used in plural. Well, who wouldn’t prefer to have them in a larger amount ;-) Naturally, the singular form pieniądz exists, but it’s used much less frequently.

Money has many names in spoken language, and both native Polish users and foreigners learning Polish know very well how creative Polish may be and how many terms it may create to name one object. In slang pieniądze may be referred to as kasa, forsa, szmal or even sałata (literally: lettuce) or kapusta (literally: cabbage).

ZA ZŁOTÓWKĘ (for a zloty) – ON POLISH CURRENCY

Polish currency is, of course, złoty. A one-zloty coin is commonly known as złotówka and if something costs 1zl, we say that it kosztuje złotówkę. Money may be used in form of gotówka (cash), which means monety (coins) commonly known as drobniaki (small change), or banknoty (banknotes), or in form of karty płatnicze, debetowe and kredytowe (payment, debit and credit cards), informally called plastik. We can płacić 

gotówką, i.e. pay in cash,

or płacić kartą, i.e. pay by card
(check our fb page for more interesting facts about the Polish language).

In order to get some cash you may use a bankomat (ATM) to wypłacić (withdraw) or simply wziąć (take) it from your konto bankowe (bank account). Then we can wydawać (spend) the money. And if you are oszczędny (thrifty), you can put the money in your current account or lokata (deposit account) and then you oszczędzasz (save) it. Thanks to that in some time you will be able to look at your wyciąg bankowy (bank statement) and say with a smile: Oh, moje pieniądze (my money – vocative)!

SOME FACTS ABOUT EGGS BEFORE EASTER

The fast approaching Easter has encouraged us to look closely at one of its symbols: the egg. You can read here what meaning it bears in the Polish Easter tradition. You can also get this information during your Polish classes.  Today we would like to talk about the egg from the culinary point of view. We offer you a short overview of the forms in which it may be prepared. Naturally, it will not be new for you, but ... we want to make sure you know the Polish names of these dishes.

First of all, JAJECZNICA (scrambled eggs), which is Poles‘ favourite breakfast dish. We often serve it with bacon or mushrooms. Or with both.

If we’re bored with having jajecznica, we can boil the egg. Do you prefer JAJKO NA TWARDO (hard-boiled egg), or NA MIĘKKO (soft-boiled egg)?

                                Jajko na miękko - more Polish vocabulary on our FB page

                                  Jajko na twardo -gotować, robić, przygotowywać

OMLET (omelette), which we have for breakfast or dinner /supper, is just as popular. Sweet or savoury.

                                                 And You? How do you like your omlet?

We often have JAJKO SADZONE (fried egg) as well. Interestingly, we don’t use the word smażone, which is a Polish equivalent of the word fried. We have jajko sadzone for lunch or dinner/supper (more information on the names of Polish meals and their timing here) but hardly ever for breakfast.

Returning to Easter, we have this picture for you and information what it shows.

                                        What is it? Check here for more information

                                             SMACZNEGO JAJKA !
                                              (literally: Enjoy the egg!)

LET’S TALK ABOUT WHEATHER IN POLISH

The spring is approaching rapidly, the weather is changeable, which is expressed in many Polish proverbs (check here to read about some of them and their meaning). That is a good topic of conversation during a coffee or lunch break at work, or between your Polish classes (check here for good courses in Polish for foreigners). Therefore we have prepared a mini dictionary of spring „weather attractions“.

MARCH AND APRIL IN POLAND

March and April are notorious for changeable weather (kapryśna pogoda, literally: moody weather). There are days when it gets warm, so the temperature goes over 12 degrees Celsius (temperatura przewyższa 12°C - stopni Celsjusza). Then the sun is shining (świeci słońce), sometimes a light wind blows (wietrzyk, literally: small wind) and white clouds (białe chmurki) appear in the sky. Unfortunately, after such a beautiful day, when, encouraged by beautiful weather, we get rid of our warm jackets, cold days often come. Then we feel unpleasant cold (marzniemy, literally: we freeze) on the way to work, school or a language course. The temperature may be above zero (powyżej zera), but it is a good idea to wear a warm scarf. Gray clouds covering the sky often threaten rain and on such cloudy days we can expect it in various scenarios: mżawka (drizzle) or ulewa (downpour), which results in kałuże (puddles) appearing on the streets. On such days do not forget your parasole (umbrellas) and kalosze (rubber boots). During the conversation it is good to remember the verbs: padać  (to rain; e.g. Oj, cały dzień pada deszcz! - oh, it’s been raining all day!), mżyć  (to drizzle; e.g. Ale dziś okropnie mży! - It’s drizzling so terribly today!) and lać (to pour; e.g. Mocno dziś leje! - It’s pouring today!). All three verbs describe rainy weather perfectly.

Looking for trivia about the Polish language? Check out our FB profile.

On such days a strong wind often blows through our coats and jackets.

Of course, we hope you will be able to talk more about the sun that is shining rather than about persistent rain.

We wish you many warm spring days!

POLISH VALENTINE’S DAY. VALENTINE’S DAY ALL YEAR

Although Valentine’s Day was yesterday, we came to the conclusion that our mini-glossary of words related to emotions might still be useful. Especially with spring approaching... Today we are going to show you how to express your feelings in Polish without exaggeration and pretentiousness. Let’s start with THAT WORD...

KOCHAM CIĘ (I love you),

which is unique and used on special occasions. It is used to declare LOVE (MIŁOŚĆ) to people close to us. This word is powerfull! In Polish you don’t really say „kocham tę książkę“ (I love this book), "kocham ten film" (I love this film). This kind of confessions sound overenthusiastic, artificial and pretentious. If you want to emphasize that we like something (or someone) very very much you can use the verb...

UWIELBIAM  ( I love, adore)

książki tego autora (books by this author), muzykę klasyczną (classical music), grać w tenisa (playing tennis), Cię za to jaki jesteś/ jaka jesteś (you for who you are). As you can see, this verb refers to both hobbies and people. Not only will this verb allow you to express your strong feelings for someone but also comment enthusiastically about your favourite activities.

                                check our FB page for interesting Polish vocabulary

But let’s get back to emotions. If you don’t feel deep affection for someone but simply have a liking for them, or when you are not that passionate about your hobbies, the word LUBIĘ (I like) is enough. Unlike in some other languages (e.g. French or Russian), this word in Polish is perfectly neutral. LUBIĘ Agnieszkę, Marcina, kino amerykańskie, uprawiać sport, pić zimne piwo etc. (I like Agnieszka, Marcin, American cinema, doing sport, drinking cold beer, etc.). If Agnieszka or Marcin become more than just friends to you and you will ask them out for a romantic dinner, you can then say

PODOBASZ MI SIĘ (I like),

podobają mi się Twoje oczy,podobają mi się Twoje włosy i podoba mi się, jak i co do mnie mówisz (I like your eyes, I like your hair and I like the way you talk to me). However, you should be careful when using this verb since it may cause misunderstanding. Check here for more on that.

Once you have won the heart of your Polish beloved, you may want to look for a Polish course so as to learn how to say more nice things.

IDEAS FOR POLISH SYLWESTER (NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY)

The end of the old year and the beginning of the new one is time for fun as well as for  New Year's resolutions. It’s a good idea to put learning Polish among the latter and to think of signing up for a language course (find out here about interesting Polish language courses for foreigners).
However, first, there’s the night between 31st December and 1st January. It’s called sylwester in Poland (check here to find out about the origin of the name) and there are many ways to spend it.

LARGE OUTDOOR PARTY, WE ARE NOT AFRAID OF WINTER

If you enjoy having fun with a large group of people, usually strangers, and you would like to attend a really good concert, that may be a perfect idea to spend the last night of the old year. Such events take place in Poland in nearly every city and town, usually in rynek (market square), or the main town/city square, or at a stadium. Their main advantages are Polish stars and starlets on stage and the fact that they are free. Just put on some warm clothes, take something to make toasts with and fun guaranteed.

WARM WITH GOOD (POLISH) MUSIC

Those who aren’t fond of crowds and low temperatures may attend one of the events held by clubs, cinemas and concert halls. If you want to dance, be at ease all night and not think too much about what to wear, you can go to a club for a New Year's party (impreza sylwestrowa). Just pick a club where you can listen to your favorite music, buy a ticket and fun guaranteed. For those who prefer to spend that time in a more sophisticated way, the ideal solution is to attend a New Year's Eve ball (bal sylwestrowy). Specific outfit is sometimes required, often related to the theme of the ball (eg .: Latin music, 1950s, etc.). That also refers to the music you are going to dance to.
Lovers of classical music will definitely choose to go to a concert hall, where an evening outfit is required, and the party is of a calmer nature. Movie buffs decide to spend that evening at the cinema, where apart from watching some movies with their favourite actors and by their favourite directors they may also dance to film music.

Naturally, you should attend a bal in the first meaning of the word

TAKING IT EASY

If you would like to spend that time with your friends, don’t want to spend too much on tickets and worry about the outfits, domówka, i.e. a party thrown at someone’s house, is the best idea. Just invite some friends, turn good music on, make some tasty and preferrably Polish dishes (usually each guest brings something to eat) and you can party all night.
Regardless of where and how you party, at midnight (o północy) everyone makes a new year toast (toast), either with champagne (szampan), or sparkling wine (wino musujące), or ... your choice.
SZCZĘŚLIWEGO NOWEGO ROKU! /HAPPY NEW YEAR!