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Whats with "u"...?



cjjcThreads: 37
Posts: 463
Joined: Jul 26, 08 		  Oct 30, 08, 07:40 /  #
Hi/Cześć,

I'm curious about the letter "u" being added to the end or words, is there a general rule used in determining if you should add it? for instance the other day I told my Polish friend "Nie mam czas" and she told me that I have to add a "u" in this situation I didn't have time (obv ;D) to ask her why so here I am.

Please if I'm opening up a can of worms at my basic level and this is complicated tell me to hush!

Thanks in advance.

:D
sausageThreads: 25
Posts: 1,053
Joined: Sep 21, 07 		Edited by: sausage   Oct 30, 08, 07:41 /  #
cjjc:

opening up a can of worms at my basic level

yes for some negated verbs you need to use the genitive case (not always simply adding a u)
cjjcThreads: 37
Posts: 463
Joined: Jul 26, 08 		  Oct 30, 08, 08:24 /  #
sausage:


yes for some negated verbs you need to use the genitive case (not always simply adding a u)



Ok I think I shouldn't go there....yet.

;P
MufasaThreads: 24
Posts: 445
Joined: Oct 21, 07  Pictures: 1 		Edited by: Mufasa   Oct 30, 08, 08:27 /  #
cjjc:

Ok I think I shouldn't go there....yet.


Wise... ;P

PS - It might help if you remember such phrases in their correct form though. You'll sometimes be able to fool people, so that they think that you're better than you actually are. From one non-Polish native to another. Good luck.
Aramroth   Nov 1, 08, 15:36 /  #
Nominative: czas, Dative: czasu.
Nie mam (kogo? czego?) czasu.
Aramroth   Nov 1, 08, 15:39 /  #
Oops, fail: dopełniacz is genitive, not dative.

en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Polish/Masculine_noun_declension
Look at "Table (inanimate-masculine)".
MarekThreads: 4
Posts: 1,120
Joined: Feb 15, 07 		  Nov 3, 08, 09:26 /  #
It's a little more complicated, unfortunately. 'u' is sometimes used in the masculine genitive singular, other times 'a'. For example 'gośćiU', 'zamkU', 'budynkU', 'stołu' etc..., yet 'panA', and numerous examples of each. With names of foreign origin, the genitive 'a' is usually employed, e.g. 'książka Ernsta Theodora Hoffmanna etc.

Books have even been devoted to just this phenomenom in Polish. Above but a measely attempt at illustration.
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