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<TITLE> Polish Language Course - Lesson 1</TITLE>
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<H5><A HREF="lessidx.htm">Main Page</A>&nbsp&nbsp<A HREF="less0.htm">Lessons</A></H5>
<H1 ALIGN=CENTER>Polish Language Course</H1>
<H1 ALIGN=CENTER>Lesson 1</H1>

<H3>Contents</H3>
<UL>
<LI><A HREF="#D123">Dialogues 1,2,3. Greetings and introductions. Nationalities.</A>
<LI><A HREF="#D45">Dialogues 4,5. Greetings and introductions (continued).</A>
<LI><A HREF="#G">Grammar</A>
<OL>
<LI><A HREF="#G1">Conjugation of the irregular verb by� (to be).</A>
<LI><A HREF="#G2">Omission of personal pronouns.</A>
<LI><A HREF="#G3">Stress and pronunciation.</A>
<LI><A HREF="#G4">Gender of nouns.</A>
<LI><A HREF="#G5">Declension of nouns: nominative case.</A>
<LI><A HREF="#G6">Declension of nouns: instrumental case of masculine and feminine nouns.</A>
</OL>
<LI><A HREF="#A">Exercises A (more nationalities)</A>
<LI><A HREF="#B">Exercises B</A>
</UL>

<H4><A NAME="D123"></A>Dialogue 1 (let us assume that it is 8 a.m. now)</H4>

Monika: - Dzie� dobry. Jestem Monika Kowalska. Jestem Polk�.[<A HREF="../audio/zz01l1.mp3">audio file</A>] 
John: - Dzie� dobry. Nazywam si� John Smith. Jestem Anglikiem.[<A HREF="../audio/zz01l2.mp3">audio file</A>] 
Robert: - Dzie� dobry. Jestem Robert Nowak. Jestem Polakiem. 
Diana: - Dzie� dobry. Nazywam si� Diana Porky. Jestem Angielk�. 

<H4>Dialogue 2 (let us assume that it is 4 p.m. now)</H4>

Barbara: - Dzie� dobry. Nazywam si� Barbara. Jestem Polk�. 
Jacek: - Dzie� dobry. Jestem Jacek. Jestem Polakiem. 
 
Adam: - Cze��. Jestem Adam. 
Monika: - Cze�� Adam! Jestem Monika. 

<H4>Dialogue 3 (let us assume that it is 7 p.m. now)</H4>

Monika: - Dobry wiecz�r.[<A HREF="../audio/zz01l3.mp3">audio file</A>] Jestem Monika Nowak. Jestem Polk�. 
John: - Dobry wiecz�r. Nazywam si� John Smith. Jestem Anglikiem. 
Robert: - Dzie� dobry. Jestem Robert Kowalski. Jestem Polakiem. 
 
Adam: - Cze�� Monika! 
Monika: - Cze�� Adam! 

<H3>Vocabulary</H3>
dzie� dobry - good morning, good afternoon, good evening, hello
(a formal greeting, can be used all day) 
dobry wiecz�r - good evening (a formal greeting, should be used only in the evening) 
cze�� - hi (an informal greeting, used by young people and friends) 
dzie� - day (noun) 
dobry - good (adjective) 
jestem - am, I am 
nazywam si� - my name is 
jestem Angielk� - I am an Englishwoman, I am English (feminine form) 
jestem Anglikiem - I am an Englishman, I am English (masculine form) 
jestem Polk� - I am a Pole, I am Polish (feminine form) 
jestem Polakiem - I am a Pole, I am Polish (masculine form) 

<H4><A NAME="D45"> Dialogue 4</H4>

Robert: - Dzie� dobry. 
Barbara: - Dzie� dobry. 
R: - Nazywam si� Robert Kowalski i jestem Polakiem. 
B: - Ja jestem Barbara i te� jestem Polk�. 
R: - To jest pan John Smith. On jest Amerykaninem.[<A HREF="../audio/zz01l4.mp3">audio file</A>] 
John: - Mi�o mi pani� pozna�.[<A HREF="../audio/zz01l5.mp3">audio file</A>] 
B: - Mnie te� mi�o pana pozna�. 
R: - Do widzenia.[<A HREF="../audio/zz01l6.mp3">audio file</A>] 
B&J: - Do widzenia. 

<H4> Dialogue 5</H4>

Monika: - Cze�� Adam. 
Adam: Cze��. 
Monika: - To jest Diana. Ona jest Amerykank�. 
Diana: - Cze��. Nazywam si� Diana. Jestem Amerykank�. 
A: - Ty jeste� Amerykank�, a ja jestem Polakiem. Mi�o mi Ciebie pozna�. 
D: - Mnie te� mi�o Ciebie pozna�. 
A: - Cze��. 
D: - Cze��. 
M: - Do zobaczenia.[<A HREF="../audio/zz01l7.mp3">audio file</A>] 

<H3>Vocabulary</H3>

i - and 
a - and (when comparing two different things), but 
ja - I 
ja jestem - I am 
ty - you (singular) 
ty jeste� - you are 
on - he 
ona - she 
jest - is 
te� - also, as well, too 
to jest - this is, here is 
pan John Smith - Mr. John Smith 
pani Barbara Kowalska - Mrs./Ms. Barbara Kowalska 
jestem Amerykank� - I am (an) American (feminine form) 
jestem Amerykaninem - I am (an) American (masculine form) 
mi�o mi pani� pozna� - (it is) nice to meet you (talking to a woman, formal) 
mi�o mi pana pozna� - (it is) nice to meet you (talking to a man, formal) 
mnie te� mi�o pani� pozna� - nice to meet you, too (talking to a woman, formal); 
mnie = mi, (but mi should not be used at the beginning of a sentence) 
mnie te� mi�o pana pozna� - nice to meet you, too (talking to a man, formal) 
mi�o mi Ciebie pozna� - nice to meet you (informal) 
mnie te� mi�o Ciebie pozna� - nice to meet you, too (informal) 
do widzenia - good-bye (formal) 
do zobaczenia - see you later, bye-bye (half-formal) 
cze�� - hi, bye-bye (informal) 

Notice that dialogue 4 is formal and dialogue 5 is informal. 

<H3><A NAME="G">Grammar</H3>

<H4><A NAME="G1">1. Conjugation of the irregular verb by� (to be).</H4>


<TABLE BORDER=5 CELLPADDING=5 CELLSPACING=5 WIDTH=60%>
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=30%>to be<TD ALIGN=CENTER>by�
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>I am<TD ALIGN=CENTER>ja jestem
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>you are<TD ALIGN=CENTER>ty jeste�
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>he/she is<TD ALIGN=CENTER>on/ona jest
</TABLE>

<H4><A NAME="G2">2. Omission of personal pronouns.</H4>

Since Polish verbs conjugate, personal pronouns are usually omitted.
For example, you may say jestem or ja jestem, jeste�
or ty jeste�, etc.

<H4><A NAME="G3">3. Stress and pronunciation.</H4>

There are some words which have no stress. They are called enclitics
and proclitics. A proclitic is pronounced as a prefix of
the following word and enclitics behave like a suffix.
In this lesson you can see a proclitic word do:
<UL>
<LI>do widzenia [d o w' i dz e � a]
<LI>do zobaczenia [d o z o b a cz e � a]
</UL>
These expressions should be pronounced as one word.

The name Monika [M o � i k a] is stressed normally
on the next to the last syllable (not the third from the end, as you may think).
There is a difference in pronunciation of the name Diana [D j a n a]
in Polish vs. English.

<H4><A NAME="G4">4. Gender of nouns.</H4>

Polish nouns can be either masculine, feminine or neuter. In this lesson we
only deal with masculine and feminine ones. Gender is the main subject of lesson 2,
so please be patient.

<H4><A NAME="G5">5. Declension of nouns: nominative case.</H4>

Nouns and personal pronouns decline for case. This means that a word has several forms and
each of them is used in a different grammatical context.
Specifically, declension affects the ending and, for a noun,
reflects the case that noun has in a particular grammatical context.
 
There are 7 cases in Polish. The first
one is called nominative and indicates the subject of a sentence. For example, in the
sentence Ja jestem Polakiem (I am a Pole), ja (I) is a subject and it is in
nominative form.
 Dictionaries give only nominatives and you should know how to obtain other cases
from this main case.

<H4><A NAME="G6">6. Declension of nouns: instrumental case of masculine and feminine nouns.</H4>

In the sentence Ja jestem Polakiem (I am a Pole), a noun Polakiem (Pole) is
in instrumental case. The nominative form of this word is Polak. Analogously the
instrumental of Anglik (Englishman) and Amerykanin (American) is
Anglikiem and Amerykaninem, respectively.
The table below shows how to obtain an instrumental from the nominative. The hyphen
mark '-' seperates a stem from an ending. If there is no ending I put a zero '0' to point it out.


<TABLE BORDER=5 CELLPADDING=5 CELLSPACING=5 WIDTH=90%>
<TH></TH><TH COLSPAN=1>masculine</TH><TH COLSPAN=1>feminine</TH>
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>case
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>ends with a consonant
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>ends with a
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>nominative
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>-0 Amerykanin Polak
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>-a Amerykank-a Polk-a
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>instrumental
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>-em Amerykanin-em Polaki-em
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>-� Amerykank-� Polk-�
</TABLE>

Notes:
<OL>
<LI>If a stem of a masculine noun ends with k or g then this letter changes
to ki or gi, respectively.
</OL>

An instrumental form of a noun is always used when by� is the predicate (i.e.,
the main verb) and the subject is a noun or a personal pronoun.
The sentence pattern in this case is the following
noun/personal pronoun (nominative) + verb 'by�' + noun (instrumental)
In this lesson you can also find an example of another case. This case is called
accusative and is used in expressions mi�o mi pana/pani�/Ciebie pozna�.
It is now too early for you to understand how these expressions are constructed so please
just memorize them.

<HR>
<H1 ALIGN=CENTER>Exercises</H1>
<HR>

<H2><A NAME="A"></A>Exercises A</H2>
<OL>
<LI>Rewrite dialogues 4 and 5 to your exercise-book.
<LI>Find your nationality in the following list of nouns (European nationalities are sorted here
from west to east). If you cannot please <A HREF="mailto:[email protected]">mail
me</A> and ask. Then choose three more (preferrably not followed by * because
the stems of these words change) and write instrumentals for them. 

<TABLE BORDER=5 CELLPADDING=5 CELLSPACING=5 WIDTH=90%>

<TH COLSPAN=3>Nationalities</TH>
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>masculine
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>feminine
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>translation
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Portugalczyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Portugalka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Portuguese
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Hiszpan
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Hiszpanka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Spanish
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Bask
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Baskijka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Basque
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Islandczyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Islandka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Islander
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Irlandczyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Irlandka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Irish
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Szkot
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Szkotka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Scottish
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Walijczyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Walijka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Welsh
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Brytyjczyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Brytyjka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>British
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Francuz
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Francuzka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>French
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Belg
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Belgijka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Belgian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Holender*
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Holenderka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Dutch
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Szwajcar
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Szwajcarka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Swiss
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>W�och
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>W�oszka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Italian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Du�czyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Dunka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Danish
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Niemiec*
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Niemka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>German
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Austriak
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Austriaczka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Austrian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>S�oweniec*
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>S�owenka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Slovenian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Chorwat
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Chorwatka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Croatian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Bo�niak
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Bo�niaczka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Bosnian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Serb
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Serbka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Serbian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Macedo�czyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Macedonka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Macedonian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Alba�czyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Albanka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Albanian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Grek
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Greczynka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Greek
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Norweg
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Norwe�ka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Norwegian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Szwed
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Szwedka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Swedish
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Fin
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Finka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Finnish
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>W�gier*
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>W�gierka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Hungarian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Rumun
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Rumunka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Romanian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Bu�gar
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Bu�garka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Bulgarian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Turek*
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Turczynka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Turkish
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Brazylijczyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Brazylijka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Brazilian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Argenty�czyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Argentynka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Argentine
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Kanadyjczyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Kanadyjka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Canadian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Meksykanin
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Meksykanka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Mexican
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Australijczyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Australijka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Australian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Izraelczyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Izraelka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Israeli
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Hindus
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Hinduska
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Indian
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Tybeta�czyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Tybetanka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Tibetan
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Chi�czyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Chinka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Chinese
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Japo�czyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Japonka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Japanese
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Korea�czyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Koreanka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Korean
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>Indonezyjczyk
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Indonezyjka
<TD ALIGN=CENTER>Indonesian
</TABLE>

<LI>Write formal and informal dialogues (one each) similar to those
presented in the lesson and then read them aloud. Use the previously chosen nationalities.
<LI>Write the conjugation of the verb by�
(present tense, singular).
</OL>

<H2><A NAME="B"></A>Exercises B</H2>

<OL>
<LI>Translate into Polish.
'Good morning. My name is Barbara Kowalska. I am Polish.' 
'Good morning. My name is John Smith. I am English.' 
'It is nice to meet you.' 
'It is nice to meet you, too' 
 
'Hi, I'm Monika.' 
'Hi, my name is Adam. I'm English.' 
'And I'm Polish. Nice to meet you'. 
'Nice to meet you, too.'
<LI>Translate into your mother tongue.
- Dzie� dobry. 
- Dzie� dobry. 
- Nazywam si� Robert Kowalski i jestem Polakiem. 
- Ja jestem Monika Nowak i jestem Angielk�. To jest pani Diana Smith. Ona te� jest Angielk�. 
- Mi�o mi pani� pozna�. 
- Mnie te� mi�o pana pozna�. 
- Do widzenia.
</OL>

<HR>
<H1 ALIGN=CENTER>Answers</H1>
<HR>

<H2>Exercises A</H2>

2. Portugalczykiem/Portugalk� (Portuguese),
Hiszpanem/Hiszpank� (Spanish),
Baskiem/Baskijk� (Basque),
Islandczykiem/Islandk� (Icelander),
Irlandczykiem/Irlandk� (Irish),
Szkotem/Szkotk� (Scottish),
Walijczykiem/Walijk� (Welsh),
Brytyjczykiem/Brytyjk� (British),
Francuzem/Francuzk� (French),
Belgiem/Belgijk� (Belgian),
Holendrem*/Holenderk� (Dutch),
Szwajcarem/Szwajcark� (Swiss),
W�ochem/W�oszk� (Italian),
Du�czykiem/Dunk� (Danish),
Niemcem*/Niemk� (German),
Austriakiem/Austriaczk� (Austrian),
S�owe�cem*/S�owenk� (Slovenian),
Chorwatem/Chorwatk� (Croatian),
Bo�niakiem/Bo�niaczk� (Bosnian),
Serbem/Serbk� (Serbian),
Macedo�czykiem/Macedonk� (Macedonian),
Alba�czykiem/Albank� (Albanian),
Grekiem/Greczynk� (Greek),
Norwegiem/Norwe�k� (Norwegian),
Szwedem/Szwedk� (Swedish),
Finem/Fink� (Finnish),
W�grem*/W�gierk� (Hungarian),
Rumunem/Rumunk� (Romanian),
Bu�garem/Bu�gark� (Bulgarian),
Turkiem*/Turczynk� (Turkish),
Brazylijczykiem/Brazylijk� (Brazilian),
Argenty�czykiem/Argentynk� (Argentine),
Kanadyjczykiem/Kanadyjk� (Canadian),
Meksykaninem/Meksykank� (Mexican),
Australijczykiem/Australijk� (Australian),
Izraelczykiem/Izraelk� (Israeli),
Hindusem/Hindusk� (Indian),
Tybeta�czykiem/Tybetank� (Tibetan),
Chi�czykiem/Chink� (Chinese),
Japo�czykiem/Japonk� (Japanese),
Korea�czykiem/Koreank� (Korean),
Indonezyjczykiem/Indonezyjk� (Indonesian).


I do not think you need answers to other Exercises A.

<H2>Exercises B</H2>

- Dzie� dobry. Nazywam si� Barbara Kowalska. Jestem Polk�. 
- Dzie� dobry. Nazywam si� John Smith. Jestem Anglikiem. 
- Mi�o mi pana pozna�. 
- Mnie te� mi�o pani� pozna�. 
 
- Cze��, jestem Monika. 
- Cze��, nazywam si� Adam. Jestem Anglikiem. 
- A ja jestem Polk�. Mi�o mi Ciebie pozna�. 
- Mnie te� mi�o Ciebie pozna�.

I do not know what your mother tongue is but you can find here the English translation.
'Good morning/afternoon/Hello.' 
'Good morning/afternoon/Hello.' 
'My name is Robert Kowalski and I am Polish.' 
'I am Monika Nowak and I am English. Here/This is Mrs./Ms. Diana Smith. She is English, too.' 
'It is nice to meet you.' 
'Nice to meet you, too.' 
'Bye.'

<HR>
NOTE:
If you have found a mistake or anything that does not work properly please
<A HREF="mailto:[email protected]">send me an e-mail</A>.

<ADDRESS>Piotr Pikuta</ADDRESS>
<ADDRESS><A HREF="mailto:[email protected]">
[email protected]</A></ADDRESS>
Last updated: May 13th, 2001
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