Useful Polish vocabulary for Erasmus students

Hello ladies and gentlemen! My name is Antonio Valle, I study politics and law in Pablo Olavide university in Sevilla, Spain, but this year I'm studying in Łódź, a city in the center of Poland. I'm writing a Spanish blog, but I thought that it would be a great idea to translate some articles to help everybody. So, I'll translate a few articles, only the most useful to any student that is going to be in Poland for Erasmus.

First of all, I think that the most important thing when you visit a new country (in this case, it's more important, because you are going to stay here for six or twelve months) is knowing basic expressions and words that will be useful during the period.

In this case, my first article will be entitled "Useful Polish vocabulary for Erasmus students". So, I'm ready to start:

1º- When you arrive in a new country, the most important thing is meeting new people, because being alone is not considered a good idea. For this reason, it is necessary to translate this dialogue:

• “Hi! ” - “Cześć” (“chesht ["e" like in "pen"]”)

• “Good morning” - “Dzień dobry" (“geen dobre”)

• “My name is Antonio, and you? - “Mam na imię Antonio, a ty? ” (it´s same to literal reading, but with “a te” at the end)

• “My name is Marta” - “Mam na imię Marta” (literal pronounciation)

• “Nice to meet you” - “Miło mi” (“Miwo mi”)

• “So do I” - “Mnie też” (“Menie tesh ["e" like in "pen"]”)

2º- On the other hand, there are two questions that are important when you start a conversation:

• “What´s your name? ” - “Jak masz na imię? ” (“Yak mash na imie ["e" like in "pen"]”)

• “How are you? ” - “Jak się masz? ” (“Yak she ["e" like in "pen"] mash”)

When you are able to meet new people, you should know how to greet people everyday:

3º- Greetings:

• “Good morning/ good afternoon” - “Dzień dobry” (“Geen dobre”)

• “Good evening” - “Dobry wieczór” (“Dobre Viechoor”)

• “Good night” - “Dobranoc” (literal pronounciation)

• “Hello/ good bye” - “Cześć” (“chesht”)/ “Do widzenia” (“Do vidsenia”)

4º- Expressions that you are going to use everyday:

• “Excuse me/ I´m sorry” - “Przepraszam” (“Psheprasham ["e" like in "pen"]”)

• “Please” - “Proszę” (“Proshe ["e" like in "pen"]”)

• “Thank you” - “Dziękuję” (“Ginkuie ["e" like in "pen"]”)

• “Yes/No” - “Tak/nie” (literal pronounciation)

• “I don´t understand you” - “Nie rozumiem” (“Nie rosumiem ["e" like in "pen"]”)

• “I don´t know” - “Nie wiem” (“Nie viem ["e" like in "pen"]”)

• “I don´t speak polish” - “Nie mowię po polsku” (“Nie moovie po polsku”)

• “Can you repeat please? ” - “Czy możesz powtórzyć? ” (“che moshesh poftoosech ["s" like in "usually"]”)

Ok, right now you can meet new people, greet them and be polite when you don´t understand polish people. Now, I think it´s necessary for us to learn the end of the verbs, and of course, some important ones that we are going to use very often (In english, the end of the verb doesn´t change if you change the person; but it does in polish, spanish and french).

5º- Ending of verbs and some of them:

• “To be” - “Być” (“Bich”)

“I am” “Ja jestem” (“Ya yestem”)

“You are” “Ty jesteś” (“Te yestesh”)

“He/ She/ It is” “On/ona/ono jest” ("On/ Ona/ Ono yest")

“We are” “My jesteśmy” (“Me yesteshme")

“You are” “Wy jesteście” (“Ve yesteshche")

“They are” “Oni/one są” (“Oni/one song”)

• “To have” - “Mieć” (“Miech”)

“I have” “Ja mam” (“Ya mam”)

“You have” “Ty masz” (“Te mash”)

“He / She / It has” “On/ona/ono ma” (literal pronounciation)

“We have” “My mamy” (“Me mame”)

“You have” “Wy macie” (“Ve mache”)

“They have” “Oni/one mają” (“Oni/one mayo”)

• “To speak” - “Mówić” (“Muvich”)

“ I speak” “Ja mówię” (“Ya muvie”)

“You speak” “Ty mówisz” (“Te muvish”)

“He / She/ It speaks” “On/ona/ono mówi” ("On/ Ona/ Ono muvi")

“We speak” “My mówimy” (“Me muvime”)

“You speak” “Wy mówicie” (“Ve muvishe”)

“They speak” “Oni/one mówią" (“Oni/one muvio")

6º- Numbers. Why? First of all, because I love numbers, but also because everyday you are going to use it (for example: when you say your number room in reception, or when you want to buy something):

• One: “Jeden” (“Yeden”) - Eleven: “Jedenaście” (“Yedenashche”)

• Two: “Dwa” (“Dva”) - Twelve: “Dwanaście” (“Vanashche”)

• Three: “Trzy” (“Che”) - Thirteen: “Trzynaście” (“Chenashche”)

• Four: “Cztery” (“Chtere”) - Fourteen: “Czternaście” (“Chternashche”)

• Five: “Pięć” (“Piench”) - Fifteen: “Piętnaście” (“Pietnashche”)

• Six: “Sześć” (“Sheshch”) - Sixteen: “Szesnaście” (“Shesnashche”)

• Seven: “Siedem” (“Shiedem”) - Seventeen: “Siedemnaście” (“Shiedemnashche”)

• Eight: “Osiem” (“Oshiem”) - Eighteen: “Osiemnaście” (“Oshiemnashche”)

• Nine: “Dziewięć” (“Jeviench”) - Nineteen: “Dziewiętnaście” (“Jevientnashche”)

• Ten: “Dziesięć” (“Jeshiench”)- Twenty: “Dwadzieścia” (“Dvajeshcha”)

• Thirty and fourty you pronounce with the end “dzieści” (“jeshchi”). For example: “Trzydzieści” (“Chejeshchi”) = thirty.

• Fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety you pronounce with the end “dziesiąt” (“Jeshiont”) For example: “Pięćdziesiąt” (“Pienchjeshiont”) = fifty.

• One hundred: “Sto” (literal pronunciation) - 200: “Dwieście” (“Dvieshche”)

• Three hundred you pronounce with the end “Sta” (literal pronunciation); for example: “Trzysta” (“Chesta”)

• Four hundred, five hundred, etc you pronounce with the end “Set” (literal pronunciation); for example: “Siedemset” (“Shiedemset”)

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