Learning a new language and the faux pas that go with it...

As many of you know my husband, Brad and I have been trying to learn Polish from a variety of different sources. We started with apps on our iPad which we still practice with, then started  Rosetta Stone, then Berlitz training, and we also ask a lot of questions when we get the chance to speak to a bilingual Polish speaker. We have been mighty proud of ourselves when we have been out in public and we remember to say Dzień dobry, proszę, dziękuję, or do widzenia (i.e. Good Day, please, thank you and goodbye).



Upon our first visit to Poland, before moving here permanently, I had also learned the word "Cześć" from one of the programs on the iPad. I was excited to use my new word when we got here so when we first met our new move liaison I waived and said "Cześć!" with a big cheesing grin. She said nothing in return. I thought, "hhhmmm, how strange... maybe I said it wrong." I went back to our hotel that night pulled out the iPad and checked. Nope, I said it right. The app says this is what people in Poland say to say "Hi". Hhhhhmmm. I decided to do some observing the next day. Not one person said "Cześć" to one another. They all said, "Dzień dobry" meaning good day. Alright I thought, I don't know what is going on, but I will follow suit and save my Cześć's for when we move here. lol About two months later we received access to Rosetta Stone. Within the first couple lessons I learned that people only say "Cześć" if they are speaking to a child or if a child is speaking to another child. :-P Thankfully we had a really nice move liaison who went though similar language faux pas when she moved to the US for 4 years and knew as little English as we know Polish.

Recently I have had more and more opportunities to ask questions of fluent Polish speakers. For example I finally asked, Why do people respond with "Prosze" (please) when I tell them thank you? Imagine my confusion, 

me: "Thank you" 

Checkout Lady: "Please" 

me: (looking around) "Did I forget something?" 

Checkout Lady: Now looking at me as if I have lost my mind. lol 

me: "Ok, Thank you" 

Checkout Lady: "Please" 

me: Now, speaking English because I don't know any more Polish... "Allllrrrighty then, I am just going to go now" (walking away slowly). 

Checkout Lady: (thinking to herself... AY, YI-YI, foreigners!) 

Well apparently, Proszę (please) is used interchangeably with "you're welcome". (Me slapping hand to forehead, as many of the above scenes play out in my mind LOL).

Speaking of words that are used interchangeably, I found out yesterday that the word I used in a formal situation when it should only be used in informal situations, you know "Cześć", is also used in informal conversations as "goodbye". OY VEY! That is not confusing! ;-) I am glad not many people say "Cześć" to each other. 

I can see this play out hypothetically in my head...

me: "Ok, it was nice to see you again, do widzenia!" 

friend:"Cześć" 

me: "Oh, ok Hello! With a big cheesy grin, ok I really do have to go though, it was great seeing you." 

friend: "Cześć!" 

me: "Yes, HI and now goodbye... this is getting weird!" Hahaha!

I also learned not long ago that another word I know and use regularly also has a double meaning. "Przepraszam". It means, "excuse me". I later learned that it also means "I am sorry". When I found this out I said to my fluent Polish speaking friend, "Wait I thought, I am sorry is "Przykro mi"". To which she replied, ""Oh, Przykro mi does mean I am sorry, but it is only used for things like "I am sorry your dog died". It is more of a condolence."" To which I start laughing. She asks if I am ok and I say, ""yes, ok so when I have said to people, "Trochę Mówię polskiego, Przykro mi." I basically said to them, "I speak little Polish, My Condolences!"" LOL The unfortunate truth is, I have actually said that sentence quite a lot in the last month. To which I can only say, "Eh!, what can you do?" (shrugging shoulders) ;-)

Many people have said to me, "Why don't you just type what you need to say in English into google translate and switch it?"  Wallah! How simple is that.  So I decided to give this a go since I need to get my dog's nails trimmed at a local vet and knew I would never make it through that whole conversation in Polish.  I sent the translated request to the vet via email.  It took longer than I expected to receive a reply and when I translated their email to me (also using Google Translate) it read a bit funny.  This made me curious about my email to them.  I was slapping the table with laughter when I read that I sent them an email stating "I need my dogs nails trimmed, but she says little Polish currently". 

Today, I have the fun job of walking my non-Polish speaking dog to this same vet to get her nails trimmed.  Maybe they won't draw the connection???? lol