Fablingo / Fablingo Polish / Level pre-A1
Episode 12 · Days and Wants
Duration: 6:55
After this lesson you can:
Name the days of the week, say what you want, say a basic mood.
In this episode
Tom trades his first words with Magda — the one he'd watched across the courtyard, forever mapping something in a planner — and she asks the question no one else did: not where you're from, but what you want (masz ochotę na kawę? · chcę iść do parku. w sobotę?). Days, an honest mood (jestem dziś zmęczony), and her real question, czego tu szukasz? — the first spark of the slow-burn, two planners finding common ground one chcę at a time.
Welcome back to Kazimierz. Over the last few days, Tom has started carving out a little life here. He has a regular coffee order with Pani Basia, and even a completely unasked-for credit tab at Pan Zbyszek's market stall. The neighbourhood is slowly letting him in.
But settling into a new country is exhausting. It's late afternoon. Tom is sitting on the courtyard bench, staring blankly at a brick wall. Across the yard, Magda is sitting on her own step, as usual, writing in her heavy planner.
Jestem dziś zmęczony.
Jestem dziś zmęczony. — I'm tired today. · YES-tem jeesh zmen-CHO-nih
We've all had those days. Tom just sighed, Jestem dziś zmęczony. I am tired today.
Let's break that down. Jestem means I am. Dziś is today. Notice that soft s with a line over it at the end? It's a very soft sh sound. Dziś. And zmęczony means tired, for a man. Try saying it: Jestem dziś zmęczony.
Jestem dziś zmęczony. — I'm tired today. · YES-tem jeesh zmen-CHO-nih
If you are a woman, the word changes at the very end to an a. You would say, zmęczona. Let's try the whole target sentence. Say it with me, nice and slow: Jestem dziś zmęczony.
Jestem dziś zmęczony. — I'm tired today. · YES-tem jeesh zmen-CHO-nih
Magda looks up from her planner. She's seen Tom around, always looking a bit lost, but they haven't really spoken yet. She closes her notebook and walks over.
Masz ochotę na kawę?
Masz ochotę na kawę? — Do you fancy a coffee? · mash o-HO-teh nah KAH-veh?
A breakthrough! She asked, Masz ochotę na kawę? Literally, do you have a desire for coffee, but it's exactly how we say 'Do you fancy a coffee?' in Polish.
Masz ochotę na kawę? — Do you fancy a coffee? · mash o-HO-teh nah KAH-veh?
The key word here is ochotę. The ch is a soft, breathy h sound, just like the h in 'hello'. Ochotę. Masz ochotę na... do you fancy... and then kawę. Notice it's not kawa, but kawę, because it's the target of her offer.
Masz ochotę na kawę? — Do you fancy a coffee? · mash o-HO-teh nah KAH-veh?
Let's practice this. It's a great way to invite someone out casually. Say it with me: Masz ochotę na kawę? Once more, naturally: Masz ochotę na kawę?
Masz ochotę na kawę? — Do you fancy a coffee? · mash o-HO-teh nah KAH-veh?
Ochotę... na kawę? Tak. Poproszę kawę. Lubię kawę.
Tom immediately falls back on his survival phrases from Pani Basia's café. But it works! Magda smiles, and they start walking toward the corner. She's carrying her planner.
Let's take a quick breath and review what we've just learned. Tom expressed his mood: Jestem dziś zmęczony. I am tired today. And Magda made an offer: Masz ochotę na kawę? Do you fancy a coffee?
They sit outside Pani Basia's. Magda opens her planner. She points at the packed columns, shaking her head. She's trying to explain her work schedule to Tom.
Poniedziałek, wtorek, środa, czwartek, piątek...
poniedziałek, wtorek, środa, czwartek, piątek — Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday · po-nye-JAH-wek, VTO-rek, SHRO-dah, CHVAR-tek, PYON-tek
She just listed the work week. Poniedziałek, wtorek, środa, czwartek, piątek. Monday to Friday. Polish days don't end in the word 'day' like they do in English, so you just have to learn them as they are.
poniedziałek, wtorek, środa, czwartek, piątek — Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday · po-nye-JAH-wek, VTO-rek, SHRO-dah, CHVAR-tek, PYON-tek
Let's take them slowly. Say them after me: poniedziałek, wtorek, środa, czwartek, piątek. The nasal 'on' sound in piątek is like the French bon. Try it again.
poniedziałek, wtorek, środa, czwartek, piątek — Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday · po-nye-JAH-wek, VTO-rek, SHRO-dah, CHVAR-tek, PYON-tek
Magda sighs at the first five days. Then she taps the right side of the page, where there is blank space.
Nie. Chcę iść do parku. W sobotę?
Chcę iść do parku. W sobotę? — I want to go to the park. On Saturday? · htseh eeshch do PAR-koo. v so-BO-teh?
She has a plan. Chcę iść do parku. W sobotę? I want to go to the park. On Saturday?
Chcę iść do parku. W sobotę? — I want to go to the park. On Saturday? · htseh eeshch do PAR-koo. v so-BO-teh?
Chcę is a very useful word. It means I want. Iść means to go. Do parku is to the park. Say it with me: Chcę iść do parku. W sobotę?
Chcę iść do parku. W sobotę? — I want to go to the park. On Saturday? · htseh eeshch do PAR-koo. v so-BO-teh?
To suggest a day, she uses w followed by the day. W sobotę means on Saturday. Try saying the whole plan together: Chcę iść do parku. W sobotę?
Chcę iść do parku. W sobotę? — I want to go to the park. On Saturday? · htseh eeshch do PAR-koo. v so-BO-teh?
W sobotę. Tak. Chcę.
They sit quietly for a moment, drinking their coffee. Everyone else Tom has met so far has asked him where he is from. But Magda is looking at him differently. She isn't interested in geography.
A tak właściwie — czego tu szukasz?
A tak właściwie — czego tu szukasz? — So actually — what are you looking for here? · ah tahk vwash-CHEE-vyeh — CHEH-go too SHOO-kash?
That is a beautiful question. A tak właściwie means 'So actually', or 'By the way'. And then she asks, czego tu szukasz? What are you looking for here?
A tak właściwie — czego tu szukasz? — So actually — what are you looking for here? · ah tahk vwash-CHEE-vyeh — CHEH-go too SHOO-kash?
The verb szukać means to look for. Szukasz means you look for. Czego means what. So, czego tu szukasz? It’s a profound question when you move somewhere new. Say it with me: A tak właściwie — czego tu szukasz?
A tak właściwie — czego tu szukasz? — So actually — what are you looking for here? · ah tahk vwash-CHEE-vyeh — CHEH-go too SHOO-kash?
Tom doesn't have the Polish words to answer that yet. He might not even have the English words. But he smiles. Because for the first time since he arrived, someone is asking about who he wants to be, not just where he came from.
Before we find out what happens on Saturday, let's review today's phrases. We had the weekdays: poniedziałek, wtorek, środa, czwartek, piątek. Monday to Friday. Magda's plan: Chcę iść do parku. W sobotę? I want to go to the park. On Saturday? And her real question: A tak właściwie — czego tu szukasz? So actually — what are you looking for here?
You are doing incredibly well. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday, so you have just enough time to practice. See you in the park on Saturday. Do zobaczenia!
Vocabulary
| Phrase | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Masz ochotę na kawę? | Do you fancy a coffee? | |
| Chcę iść do parku. W sobotę? | I want to go to the park. On Saturday? | |
| Jestem dziś zmęczony. | I'm tired today. | |
| poniedziałek, wtorek, środa, czwartek, piątek | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday | |
| A tak właściwie — czego tu szukasz? | So actually — what are you looking for here? |
Grammar in this lesson
chcę + a verb — the wanting chunk now takes an action (chcę iść), seeding the L1 modal frame (item 9); masz ochotę na kawę? with the changed ending after na (item 5, felt); mood through być jestem zmęczony (item 3) — and Tom must say zmęczony (a man) where Magda would say zmęczona, the gendered ending met by ear; the days of the week (item 7). Magda's czego tu szukasz? — the first spark of the slow-burn and the season's real question.