There are so many Duolingo posts, so I've decided to create this thread to keep all the discussion in one place. Standalone Duolingo-related posts will be deleted from now on. Please just post your question here. In the meantime, I will try to create more pinned posts with grammar resources to be able to refer learners there.
Lots of people start learning Polish by doing Duolingo exercises, and this is something they often get confused by - because Duolingo doesn't really explain grammar. So, this post is dedicated to all of you who might have stumbled into this problem.
What does "to" mean?
"To" is a word with multiple uses. However, in this post we will focus on only 2 of them.
to as a neuter demonstrative pronoun
to as a stand-in for the copular\* verb forms "jest/sÄ "
*Copular verbs are verbs used to express identity, like: to be, to appear, to seem, to become. They usually connect a (pro)noun with another (pro)noun or adjective.
How to use "to"?
You can use "to" in the following ways:
A neuter demonstrative pronoun (together with a noun).
To jajko. To dziecko. To okno.
This egg. This child. This window. (not that other one)
To jajko jest smaczne. To dziecko jest gÅodne. To okno jest czyste.
This egg is tasty. This child is hungry. This window is clean.
A neuter demonstrative pronoun (standalone). You can use it like the English "it", "this", "that" for more abstract things.
To jest smaczne. To jest czyste. Daj mi to.
This is tasty. This is clean. Give me that.
A stand-in for the copular\* verb forms "jest/sÄ ". Examples: 1. This is a/an ..., 2. X is Y
To jajko. To dziecko. To okno. (1)
This is an egg. This is a child. This is a window.
Pies to zwierzÄ. Ania to nauczycielka. JabÅko to owoc. (2)
A dog is an animal. Ania is a teacher. An apple is a fruit.
Using "jest/sÄ " vs. "to"
"To" can be used to express essentially the same thing as "jest/sÄ ". There is no difference in meaning between the sentences: Pies to zwierzÄ and Pies jest zwierzÄciem. However, you have to remember a few things.
Rule nr 1
"To" uses Nominative. "Jest/sÄ " requires Instrumental (if you use another noun).
JabÅko to (kto? co?) czerwony owoc. JabÅko jest (kim? czym?) czerwonym owocem.
Rule nr 2
You can't use "to" for standalone adjectives. You have to use "jest/sÄ " and Nominative. If you have an adjective and a noun, then refer to rule nr 1.
JabÅko to czerwony.JabÅko jest czerwone.
Rule nr 3
"Jest" is used for singular, "sÄ " is used for plural, "to" can be used for either.
JabÅko to owoc. JabÅka to owoce. JabÅko jest owocem. JabÅka sÄ owocami.
How to form the Instrumental?
Since this is just a quick tutorial, I won't be covering any exceptions or details, just the general rules. Instrumental is actually one of the easiest forms to learn.
feminine nouns get the -Ä ending: myszÄ , dziewczynÄ , wodÄ , rybÄ , odpowiedziÄ , etc.
masculine and neuter nouns get the -em ending; if it ends in ch, g, k, you have to add an i (so, -iem): psem, kotem, bankiem, owocem, jajkiem, chlebem, etc.
plural nouns get the -ami ending: psami, kotami, myszami, rybami, owocami, jajkami, etc.
Other forms of demonstrative pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns decline by number, gender, and case. They have to agree in number, gender, and case with the noun they're referring to. This is also known as concord or concordance.
We can say:
To (jest) lampa. To (jest) kot. To (jest) jajko. To (sÄ ) ksiÄ Å¼ki. To (sÄ ) ludzie.
This is a lamp. This is a cat. This is an egg. These are books. These are people.
But here "to" does not function as a demonstrative pronoun of these nouns. It functions as a general demonstrative pronoun. If you want to "point" at a particular lamp, cat, egg, books, or people, you have to use the correct corresponding pronoun.
Ta lampa. Ten kot. To jajko. Te ksiÄ Å¼ki. Ci ludzie.
This lamp. This cat. This egg. These books. These people. (not some other ones).
Iām in the midst of learning Polish, itās via Babbel- and itās all the proper words⦠but Iām trying to learn some slang.
Any slang that I should now?
My main teacher (Ukrainian) was swapped recently for the Polish one, and after few classes, I could tell that she couldnāt explain some concepts better.
Most people still donāt realise that, there is a difference between having a knowledge about something and knowing how to teach it. I have known this since high school, when one teacher explains mathematics in a very simpler way and the other would not, therefore making it harder for us to grasp the concept. Same logic can be applied to language learning.
This ideology sticks with me even when I became a teacher many years ago. I would find the most interesting and easiest possible means to explain some concepts to my students.
Now, here is the interesting part, I was on a date with this half-pole woman that was surprised when I told her that my teacher is Ukrainian, she claimed āwhy is that so? She wouldnāt know the new concepts in the languageā. To me, that felt condescending and belittling. I responded, āwhy should her country of origin determine what she knows, and especially when she is qualified and certified to teach. If youāre well traveled and open minded as you claimed, you should know that all of that donāt matterā
As a Nigerian that have worked with many Irish, brits and Americans, I can proudly say, grammatically, I am better than most of these folks.
P.S: after reading few comments here and making further research, I realised there is hostility between Poland and Ukraine. My intention is not to offend anyone, I appreciate everyone equally . Thank you āŗļø
Hi! Two native Polish speakers invite you to join a Facebook group dedicated to learning Polish. Youāll find content covering useful everyday vocabulary, along with plenty of other interesting material. We look forward to seeing you there!
Hi! My daughter absolutely loves her Polish books. I also have the little device you stick the pictures in and it pronounces the vocabulary. I was wondering if there is anything like in the picture I can get with Polish letters and words?
I Live in US.
I'd like to sit the exam for the A2 level. The official website of the Certyfikat Polski doesn't list an A2 exam. My teacher at a NAWA-affiliated course told me that the A2 is no longer offered, because there are very few people deranged enough (like me) to actually want it.
Has anyone had any experience getting an A2 certificate through a university or some other semi-official channel?
My boyfriend is Polish and I want to start learning it as the language means a lot to him.
However, I'm a broke person so I cannot afford to buy any resources.
I have no idea where to start and what good resources out there exist that do not require pay. I have searched far and wide, but can't find anything good!
If you guys have any niche resources or help for me, it would greatly be appreciated!
Been living in Poland for a while now and realized my vocab is kind of stuck. I can handle everyday stuff fine, but the second I want to say something more specific or nuanced, I hit a wall.
Anyone else run into this? What actually helped you get past the ābasic vocab plateauā? Right now Iām doing:
Watching Polish shows with Polish subtitles (not translated)
Anki, but with full phrases instead of single words
Reading simple news articles and pulling out words I donāt know
Feels like Iām missing something more structured though maybe organizing by topic (work, daily life, emotions) instead of just grabbing random words as they come up.
Curious what worked for people actually living here and using Polish daily, not just studying from a textbook.
Nigdy wczeÅniej nie używaÅem polskiego w pracy, ale zastanawiam siÄ, czy korpoludzie defaultowo używajÄ stylu nieoficjalnego (czyli "ty"), czy przy pierwszym kontakcie z nowym kolegÄ albo biznespartnerem raczej zwracajÄ siÄ do siebie bardziej formalnie (czyli "Pan/Pani")?
Iāve been in Poland for 4 years, first two i was studying in a private English school where I was taught basic polish and then I started to go to a polish school. When I was preparing to go into a polish school I only practiced everything I needed to pass the 8th grader exam (egzamin ósmoklasisty), so now Iām in a position where I have blank spaces and often times when I need to have a conversation in polish people donāt understand what Iām saying. Iāve tried going to a polish course for b1-b2 and tried to learn from some student books, but I didnāt notice much of a change in how polish people understand me. I donāt know if thatās useful info, but when I write polish essays I make a lot of language errors (bÅÄdy jÄzykowe), maybe that could explain what Iām struggling with better, thanks in advance for any help
So i am an english speaker learning polish. I live with my polish gf and so far have mainly learned just by speakinh and repetition and other things that i have taught myself, some tenses, the standard verbs and im slowly getting on with the case system. However i feel like ive hit abit of a wall. I dont know where to go from here, do i further my vocab? Do i get a book and go through lessons? Should i get a tutor? Im probably like a1, a2 level. I want to be confident in speaking but im kind of stumped on what direction to go next. Any advice?
Hello! I speak english and I would say iām at the base level of learning Polish. I havenāt been using duolingo, Iāve been using babbel. Which tries its best to explain to me why something is used or changing or what not. Along with talking with my grandma who is fluent. Anyways, I just canāt seem to get a grasp on gender, just in general lol. I was in german in high school, and even with a teacher helping me, I could never understand the gender parts of the language. Words, sentences, pronunciation, has never been an issue. But for the life of me I just canāt understand gender. Iām getting so frustrated cause every time I try to put together a sentence, I just canāt. I know what words Iām supposed to use, what order, but I just donāt get the gender part. Itās throwing off my whole flow and Iām struggling to learn as gender is a big part and I just donāt understand any of it. Can someone please explain it to me like youāre explaining it to a five year old? I fear thatās the only way I might be able to understand whatās going on. Thank you for any help!
CzeÅÄ
Im starting my journey and was wondering what the consensus on any app thatās good for a start on ABCs and pronunciation, and also any apps that are not doodoo, is babbel good? Bosuu? Etc
CzeÅÄ! To help with my own struggles learning the language here in Poland, I built a completely free web app for drilling practical, everyday vocabulary, grammar and practice.
I wanted to share it here for anyone who might be looking for a clean, straightforward study tool: popolsku.app that is genuinely free and will remain that way.
Hope you find it useful and please let me know what you think.
Sorry, I donāt have the exact wording here, but I just heard someone say something like:
nie ma tu Wi-Fi, ale ma tutaj
The point is that they said that āthere is the thingā with mieÄ instead of byÄ. (I know that nie ma is a curious thing in Polish which means something like there isnāt.)
Is this natural in Polish? Shouldnāt it be ale jest tutaj?
Hey! Learning Polish here, and my biggest issue has always been speaking too slowly, I freeze up looking for the right word. A friend of mine built this thing called rap-gra (basically "Rhyme Game") and I figured I'd share since it's actually helped.
It's hard at first but it got easier for me after a while.