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"do I" usage in a question?


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JustysiaSThreads: 15
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Joined: Oct 14, 07  Pictures: 2  Gold Member MEMBER ♀ 		 Aug 15, 10, 20:45    #31
zetigrek:

That is exactly what I've meant by saying that czy is equivalent of whether (but some can argue with that)


whether = if = czy
SeanBMThreads: 41
Posts: 8,727
Joined: Mar 10, 08 ♂ 		Edited by: SeanBM  Aug 15, 10, 20:48    #32
zetigrek:
If there is a mixed gender group (men and women together) we use male form.

Although I have learned a lot of Polish through humour, one I will always remember is asking a friend, if there were a million women on an Island it's 'były' but if you just put one man, it all changes to 'byly'.
She replied, "Well of course a million women on an island and then along comes one man, it would change everything". :)
zetigrekThreads: 59
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Joined: May 20, 10 ♂ 		 Aug 15, 10, 20:49    #33
JustysiaS:
whether = if = czy


but if means also jeśli (or jeżeli) that's why I used word whether.
SeanBMThreads: 41
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Joined: Mar 10, 08 ♂ 		Edited by: SeanBM  Aug 15, 10, 20:51    #34
JustysiaS:
whether = if = czy

zetigrek:
but if means also jeśli (or jeżeli) that's why I used word whether.


Not always though.

Czy masz papeirosy?

One thing though is, "czy" always makes the sentence a question.
zetigrekThreads: 59
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Joined: May 20, 10 ♂ 		Edited by: zetigrek  Aug 15, 10, 20:51    #35
SeanBM:
Although I have learned a lot of Polish through humour, one I will always remember is asking a friend, if there were a million women on an Island it's 'były' but if you just put one man, it all changes to 'byly'.
She replied, "Well of course a million women on an island and then along comes one man, it would change everything". :)


unless you want to castrate the poor guy ;D
SeanusThreads: 22
Posts: 30,158
Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂ 		 Aug 15, 10, 20:54    #36
If should be combined with a negative to make it like whether, e.g I don't know if he'll come. It isn't always the case that if = whether.
SeanBMThreads: 41
Posts: 8,727
Joined: Mar 10, 08 ♂ 		Edited by: SeanBM  Aug 15, 10, 20:54    #37
zetigrek:

unless you want to castrate the poor guy ;D

Ouch!
That is many men's idea of hell, all those women and no toy to play with.

But back on topic, would it change the verb? :)
zetigrekThreads: 59
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Joined: May 20, 10 ♂ 		Edited by: zetigrek  Aug 15, 10, 20:55    #38
SeanBM:

Czy masz papeirosy?


I'd like to ask you whether you have cigarettes?

I know that sounds lame but it's the way I consider (as a polish native) such language structure... it's like a shortcut, you just drop the first part of sentence.


SeanBM:
But back on topic, would it change the verb? :)


yes. :)
SeanBMThreads: 41
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Joined: Mar 10, 08 ♂ 		Edited by: SeanBM  Aug 15, 10, 20:59    #39
zetigrek:
I know that sounds lame but it's the way I consider (as a polish native) such language structure... it's like a shortcut, you just drop the first part of sentence.

I used to think of czy as a useless word, kind of like the auxiliary 'do' but only used for questions and now I try not to think of it at all... :) but Okay, I see where you are coming from.

zetigrek:
yes. :)

:D
JustysiaSThreads: 15
Posts: 2,869
Joined: Oct 14, 07  Pictures: 2  Gold Member MEMBER ♀ 		 Aug 15, 10, 21:03    #40
zetigrek:
but if means also jeśli (or jeżeli) that's why I used word whether.


whether and if used in a question mean czy
SeanusThreads: 22
Posts: 30,158
Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂ 		 Aug 15, 10, 21:06    #41
True, jeśli or jeżeli are more like the 1st conditional in English (the open conditional) and are used for making statements. Czy is a question marker.
zetigrekThreads: 59
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Joined: May 20, 10 ♂ 		 Aug 15, 10, 21:13    #42
Oh, I have also another good example of word czy usage:

Nie ma znaczenia czy użyjesz prezerwatywy (czy nie), ona i tak nie zajdzie w ciążę (if we are still in sexual theme ;)

It doesn't matter whether you use a rubber or not, she won't get pregnant ;)
JustysiaSThreads: 15
Posts: 2,869
Joined: Oct 14, 07  Pictures: 2  Gold Member MEMBER ♀ 		 Aug 15, 10, 21:41    #43
whether, or - czy, czy
neither, nor - ani, ani

:)
chazaThreads: 49
Posts: 266
Joined: Dec 21, 09  Pictures: 1 ♂ 		 Sep 18, 10, 11:21    #44
i have been reading some polish text, ant they have used the words,' nie chce' for don't. i thought it was ' robi nie' an explanation please.



chaza
mafketisThreads: 17
Posts: 1,880
Joined: Mar 31, 08 ♂ 		 Sep 18, 10, 11:31    #45
chaza:
ant they have used the words,' nie chce' for don't. i thought it was ' robi nie' an explanation please.


robie nie doesn't mean anything.

Polish doesn't use robić (do, make) as an auxiliary the way that English does.

In answering questions, you just use tak or nie or you repeat the verb from the question.

Chcesz piwo? (do you want a beer?)

Chcę. (I do, lit. I want)

Nie Chcę. (I don't)

Znasz go? (do you know him?).

Znam.

Nie znam.
chazaThreads: 49
Posts: 266
Joined: Dec 21, 09  Pictures: 1 ♂ 		 Sep 18, 10, 11:46    #46
im still not clear, i thought if i wanted to ask a question i would use czy, so; chcesz piwo, would be czy chcesz piwo. you say robi nie doesnt mean anythying, i undertsood that to mean 'i do not'

i have visited poland two weeks ago, do the suffixes uję, esz, ect apply to most words, i wanted to say 'i miss you both' so i would say' tęsknuję oboje' i have upto now been saying' tęsknota cię'


thanks


chaza
mafketisThreads: 17
Posts: 1,880
Joined: Mar 31, 08 ♂ 		 Sep 18, 10, 12:41    #47
chaza:
i thought if i wanted to ask a question i would use czy


you can, but it's often dropped in everyday usage (the same way that English speakers might say 'you know him?' instead of 'do you know him'

chaza:
i undertsood that to mean 'i do not'


nie robię (I don't do/make that)

chaza:
i wanted to say 'i miss you both' so i would say' tęsknuję oboje'


Tęsknię za wami. (I miss you(plural)) is enoug, both in this context would be obydwoma (after wami)
chazaThreads: 49
Posts: 266
Joined: Dec 21, 09  Pictures: 1 ♂ 		 Sep 18, 10, 13:58    #48
thanks undertsood


chaza
musicwriterThreads: 7
Posts: 110
Joined: Jan 7, 10 ♂ 		 Apr 4, 12, 06:03    #49
chaza:
do i need to hold that.do i know you.do i go this way.


[hold that] = Czy muszę trzymać tego?
[know you] = Czy my się znamy?
[go this way] = Czy muszę iść tą drogą?
Stacey25Threads: -
Posts: 4
Joined: Apr 4, 12 ♀ 		 Apr 4, 12, 12:49    #50
just simply form the question, for example do i need this, or do i want to go there. use""i" as you would you""you"" lets say':)

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