Episode 11 · At Pan Zbyszek's Market

Welcome back to Kazimierz. Yesterday, Tom crossed a massive threshold: he walked into Pani Basia's café, ordered his own coffee, and became a regular. But a man can't live on coffee alone, no matter how good it is.

So today, Tom is tackling the local outdoor market, Plac Nowy. And you can't shop at Plac Nowy without dealing with Pan Zbyszek. Flat cap, grey moustache, fingerless gloves even in summer—and he has an opinion on absolutely everything.

Tom just wants a few apples and some carrots. But to get them, he needs the single most important survival skill in any language: how to ask about money.

Ile to kosztuje?

Ile to kosztuje? — How much is this? · EE-leh toh kosh-TOO-yeh?

There it is. The golden phrase for shoppers everywhere. Ile to kosztuje? It literally means 'How much this costs?'

Ile to kosztuje? — How much is this? · EE-leh toh kosh-TOO-yeh?

The tricky part here is the middle of kosztuje. The s-z makes a 'sh' sound, right before a crisp 't'. Kosztuje. Say it with me, a little slower: Ile to kosztuje?

Ile to kosztuje? — How much is this? · EE-leh toh kosh-TOO-yeh?

Let's hear Tom try it again, at a natural pace. Ile to kosztuje?

Ile to kosztuje? — How much is this? · EE-leh toh kosh-TOO-yeh?

Pięć złotych. A tamto — dwa złote.

Pięć złotych. A tamto — dwa złote. — Five złoty. And that one — two złoty. · PYENCH ZWO-tikh. ah TAHM-toh — DVAH ZWO-teh.

Listen to that! Kuba already taught Tom the numbers back in episode three, and they're paying off. Pięć is five. Dwa is two. Pięć złotych. Dwa złote.

Pięć złotych. A tamto — dwa złote. — Five złoty. And that one — two złoty. · PYENCH ZWO-tikh. ah TAHM-toh — DVAH ZWO-teh.

But notice how Pan Zbyszek pointed. He said 'a tamto', meaning 'and that over there'. To is this thing right here. Tamto is that thing over there. Say it with me: A tamto — dwa złote.

Pięć złotych. A tamto — dwa złote. — Five złoty. And that one — two złoty. · PYENCH ZWO-tikh. ah TAHM-toh — DVAH ZWO-teh.

Tom looks at the sad, two-złoty apples. He's on a budget, but he's not desperate. He knows what he wants.

Poproszę to, nie tamto.

Poproszę to, nie tamto. — I'll take this one, not that one. · poh-PROH-sheh toh, N'YEH TAHM-toh.

Do you hear that? Tom just carried poproszę right out of the café and into the market. It works for coffee, it works for apples. Poproszę to, nie tamto. I'll take this, not that.

Poproszę to, nie tamto. — I'll take this one, not that one. · poh-PROH-sheh toh, N'YEH TAHM-toh.

It's a perfect chunk of survival Polish. Let's practice. Say it with me: Poproszę to, nie tamto. And once more, naturally: Poproszę to, nie tamto.

Poproszę to, nie tamto. — I'll take this one, not that one. · poh-PROH-sheh toh, N'YEH TAHM-toh.

Of course, Pan Zbyszek is a salesman. You don't just buy apples. Before Tom can stop him, Zbyszek is tossing a heavy bag of potatoes and some onions onto the scale.

dziesięć, dwadzieścia, pięćdziesiąt, sto

dziesięć, dwadzieścia, pięćdziesiąt, sto — ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred · JEH-shyench, dvah-JESH-chah, pyench-JEH-shyont, STOH

Whoa, the numbers just jumped. We left the safe zone of one to ten. But don't panic, there's a rhythm to it. Dziesięć is ten. Dwadzieścia is twenty. Pięćdziesiąt is fifty. And sto is one hundred.

dziesięć, dwadzieścia, pięćdziesiąt, sto — ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred · JEH-shyench, dvah-JESH-chah, pyench-JEH-shyont, STOH

Let's take fifty. It's built on five, pięć, but the ending is heavy. Pięćdziesiąt. Say it slowly with me: pięćdziesiąt. And a hundred is beautifully short: sto. Try the whole sequence: dziesięć, dwadzieścia, pięćdziesiąt, sto.

dziesięć, dwadzieścia, pięćdziesiąt, sto — ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred · JEH-shyench, dvah-JESH-chah, pyench-JEH-shyont, STOH

Tom pats his pockets. He has a few coins. He definitely doesn't have sto złotych. He starts reaching for the potatoes to give them back.

Zapłacisz następnym razem. Na zeszyt.

Zapłacisz następnym razem. Na zeszyt. — Pay next time. On the tab. · zah-PWAH-cheesh nah-STEMP-nim RAH-zem. nah ZEH-shit.

Oh, this is huge. You don't understand. Tom just received the highest honor in a Polish neighborhood. Pan Zbyszek pulled out the notebook. The zeszyt.

Zapłacisz następnym razem. Na zeszyt. — Pay next time. On the tab. · zah-PWAH-cheesh nah-STEMP-nim RAH-zem. nah ZEH-shit.

Zapłacisz następnym razem means 'you will pay next time.' Na zeszyt literally means 'on the notebook.' It's the local tab. If you're in the zeszyt, you aren't a stranger anymore. You belong here.

Zapłacisz następnym razem. Na zeszyt. — Pay next time. On the tab. · zah-PWAH-cheesh nah-STEMP-nim RAH-zem. nah ZEH-shit.

The hard sound here is the sz in zapłacisz. Try it with me: Zapłacisz następnym razem. Na zeszyt. One more time, proudly: Zapłacisz następnym razem. Na zeszyt.

Zapłacisz następnym razem. Na zeszyt. — Pay next time. On the tab. · zah-PWAH-cheesh nah-STEMP-nim RAH-zem. nah ZEH-shit.

Tom is stunned. He never asked for credit. But you can't refuse the zeszyt. He nods, taking his massive bag of vegetables.

Tom owes money, but he finally owns a piece of the neighborhood. Let's review everything we learned today at the market stall!

Well, Tom's fridge will be full tonight. He better not forget to pay Zbyszek back next week! We drop new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. See you next time!