Pan or Pani? Do we have to be formal in the UK?

Ok. I understand the need for formalities, but if Polish folks come to the UK, must we always use Pan or Pani. Can we use the informal way of asking questions?

e.g jak sie masz?

instead of

jak sie pan ma?

thanks

Justanya

Who to? To other Poles? Or to English people?

To other Poles..Are they really offended if we dont use Pan or Pani?

I think you should do the same in the UK as you would in Poland.

Well, its easier for me not to be too formal, because i have many polish friends, but i dont want to offend ppl i meet for the first time. A polish friend of mine said that as the polish have come to the UK, they dont mind so much if english ppl are informal as they appreciate us trying to learn the lingo.

What do ppl think?

Sorry, I thought you were a native Polish speaker. I think it is ok for a learner.

It really annoys me when people call me at work and call me sir, Its far to impersonal and a somewhat german way of thinking.

What he said ;)

catsoldier

Sorry Cat,

I should've mentioned I am learning. I know that on many language courses you always learn the polite form, but when i use that wth my polish friends they say, "Please dont say Pan/Pani". I say, "I'm sorry" and I learn the informal way, which is mush easier to remember and formulate the sentences. I suppose in the UK many polish are young and dont mind as much as the older folk.

You've answered your own question - you don't use it because they are your friends.

OsiedleRuda

Yeah i know, but because I am learning i forget to use pan/pani and i wondering whether it's really necessary in the UK, but only in Poland?

Pan/Pani should be used while addressing somebody you don't know or who you want to show your respect ( for example because he/she is older ). Sometimes fi. you call somebody "Przepraszam Pana" (excuse me Mr) he can answer "Oh don't call me "Pan" you can call me Tomas" or smth like. It's a usual pleasentry between people who are of the same age.. of course you shouldn't add Pan/Pani while calling your friends..

And after you've done this, you have to find a crumbling wall to sit on (usually next to a tyre remoulding garage), drink a bottle of wine each, shake hands, and then you can start calling each other "Ty" as well.

;)

Depends on the situation. If you meet someone you don't know in your own age at a party, you can probably be rather informal.

Thanks for all your replies. I think I understand more clearly now when to use the formal and informal.

justanya

I'm just starting out in learning Polish, but I must say I like the idea of a language with a built in respect mechanism. Oh, I know in English we could say sir, or mister, or some such, and in times gone by we probably did so more, but I mean it's nice to find a language where such respect is still important.

I wonder if it will continue in Polish, or in this age of text messages and Twitter will such grammatical constructs become eroded (I flinch when in English I see people email R U OK and the like)?

steve

3m sie
pzdr
Cze
looknij

and here you have the modern Polish speech:P

the temporary language of Polish teenagers :

Yo ziomale ! 0oo.. !!
Tracham sobie dziś bryką jak wporzo umcyk, z ziomalem pingpongiem.
Nagle lookam, a tu śmiga dojara, szmaty ma cool, aż widać jej majtki z uzdą, na gałach matriksy, normalnie
zajebaszczo.
Koleś szybko zlepil balwana i pyta - sciemniamy ?
Nie chciałem, bo z niego przygas i zawsze trzodę robi.
No i widać że to blachara, a moja bryka to Trabant po tuningu.
Chciałem ją wziąć na K3, ale nawinęła że nie lubi trojki, a ziomal juz ja oblukał, że ma pizze na puzonie.
Mi to tito ziomal - mówię, palimy trampki, jutro tejknę od zgreda fure i posciemniamy, zresztą dziś nie mam genów nawet na ciurlanie dropsa.

Poza tym mam jutro pogrzeb, a ja czeski jestem i nie chcę rano schizować.
Ziomal walnął karpia i looka na mnie jakbym miał errora, ale gada; MTV brachu - sobie możesz nawet bić Niemca po kasku - jak lubisz !!

Uderzyliśmy jeszcze do Maca i wrzuciliśmy po wieśmaku, a potem na chawire.
Yo! Spox! Pozdro!

Glossary:

lepić bałwany- zażywać amfetaminę
bić Niemca po kasku- onanizować się
blachara- dziewczyna, której podobają się chłopcy mający dobre auta
bez trzody chlewnej- spokojnie, bez zbędnego pośpiechu
czeski jestem- nic nie umiem
dojara- kobieta z dużymi piersiami
dzień zagłady- wywiadówka
K3- określenie randki: kino, kolacja, kopulacja
kanarinios- kontrolerzy biletów
kaszlaki- papierosy Klubowe
karmić łabędzie- wymiotować
mac- Macdonald's
majtki z uzdą- stringi
matriksy- okulary
mieć error- mieć trudności ze zrozumieniem czegoś
mi to tito- nic mnie to nie obchodzi
MTV- skrót od: mnie to wali
na Irak- na pewno
nie mieć genów- być zniechęconym do wszystkiego
paćkarnia- plastyka
palić trampki- uciekać z lekcji
pinpong- o kims niewielkiego wzrostu
pizza- trądzik
na puzonie- na twarzy
pogrzeb- praca klasowa
przygas- mało rozgarnięty chłopak
robić trzodę- zachowywać się niestosownie (po wiesniacku)
RWD - skrót od: ratuj własną dupę- uciekamy
schizować- panikować
sorka- ogólnie o nauczycielce, siostra, 'przepraszam !'
Spox ! - spokojnie !
szczańsko- radość, śmiech
szmalarny- człowiek bogaty
tejknąć- wziąć, często bez pozwolenia
umcyk- mężczyzna, który jeździ samochodem, słuchając muzyki techno
uderzyc do Maca- pojechac do MacDonald's
wiesmiak- hamburger typ 'wiejski' w Macdonald's
walnąć karpia- zdziwić się
wiesław- człowiek ubierający się niegustownie, niemodnie
wporzo- w porzadku, fajny
wygib- osoba uważana za dziwną
zajebaszczo/zajebiaszczo/zajebiście - doskonale, dobrze, świetnie
zarzucić- zjeść
zdzisiu?- czy coś cię dziwi?

i got it from a friend on my mail and it seems polish people should also update their knowledge of polish:P

wow this list of slang is funny and brilliant, very entertaining, thanks.

Don't exeggarate! Although some of the expressions are common, in general we don't speak that way!

I have recently heard (and used) expressions taken from English slang.
- Fail
- Epic failure
- Sorry
- LOL (in Poland 'lol' is quite ironical, so be aware of using it)
- ROTFL
- What's up?

And the last thing - it is more and more popular to write 'łał' instead of 'wow'.

if you are English then you could be excused for not using Pan/Pani - just use it when you use Mr, Mrs or sir, madame - most Poles won't feel offended (even if in Polish the situation would call for using Pan/i) - it is good to show Polish people the question is approached differently in English language and culture

Justanya,

If you speak Polish when meeting your frends' parents for the first time or any older person, or if you are in any Polish office (in Poland, or Polish embassy/consulate here, for example), use it the way you'd use English. Nice to meet you sir/madam (milo Pania poznac). Excuse me sir/madam, where can I find this/do that etc (Przepraszam Pana/Pania, gdzie moge znalezc to/zrobic tamto etc).

I don't go to Polish shops over here, but if I happen to be there and a girl behind the counter is half my age and I speak Polish to her, I tend to use the formal one also - excuse me Miss, do you have X/can I have Y (Przepraszam Pania, czy macie X/czy moge prosic o Y).

In any other situation just don't stress, really. And when you meet other people, socially, for the first time, go for 'jak sie masz' instead of 'jak sie pan ma'.

We will appreciate you make an effort of speaking in our language :)

gumishu

Yeah that's what I was thinking.. Its hard enough speaking polish at the best of times. However of course i would use Pan or Pani, the same way i would use sir/madam in england