Episode 03 · What's Your Name?

Welcome back to Kazimierz. Yesterday, Tom finally cracked the code of the street. He learned how to say hello, and how to say goodbye.

The only problem? Once he successfully says hello, people naturally assume he speaks Polish, and they keep talking. Which leaves him right back where he started: staring at his shoes.

Today, Tom is leaning against the cafe wall, nursing a cappuccino, trying to blend in. Enter Kuba. Kuba never blends in. He's got an undercut, a faded denim jacket, a tote bag full of vinyl records, and he talks a mile a minute.

Siema! Co tam?

Ah, the classic casual hello we learned yesterday! Kuba just threw a fast siema, and asked co tam? How are things?

Tom is paralyzed. But Kuba isn't the type to let an awkward silence sit. He realizes Tom is the new guy from out of town, and he decides right then and there to adopt him as a project.

Jak masz na imię?

Jak masz na imię? — What's your name? · YAK mash nah EE-myeh

Jak masz na imię? This is it. The single most important bridge you can build when you arrive in Poland. It literally means, how do you have for a name?

Jak masz na imię? — What's your name? · YAK mash nah EE-myeh

Notice the tricky letter at the end of the last word. That little tail on the e makes a soft nasal sound, though in casual speech, it often just softens the end of the word. Listen closely: imię.

Jak masz na imię? — What's your name? · YAK mash nah EE-myeh

Say it with me, nice and steady. Jak masz na imię?

Jak masz na imię? — What's your name? · YAK mash nah EE-myeh

And again, a little more naturally. Jak masz na imię?

Jak masz na imię? — What's your name? · YAK mash nah EE-myeh

Tom knows this one. He practiced it on the train. To reply, he just mirrors Kuba's sentence structure, swapping 'masz' meaning 'you have', for 'mam' meaning 'I have'.

Mam na imię Tom. A ty?

Mam na imię Tom. A ty? — My name's Tom. And you? · MAM nah EE-myeh Tom. ah TIH

Mam na imię Tom. A ty? He says his name, then bounces the ball right back with A ty? which means 'And you?' It's the easiest way to keep a conversation alive.

Mam na imię Tom. A ty? — My name's Tom. And you? · MAM nah EE-myeh Tom. ah TIH

Let's try Tom's line. Just insert your own name when we get there. Ready? Mam na imię... A ty?

Mam na imię Tom. A ty? — My name's Tom. And you? · MAM nah EE-myeh Tom. ah TIH

One more time, all together. Mam na imię Tom. A ty?

Mam na imię Tom. A ty? — My name's Tom. And you? · MAM nah EE-myeh Tom. ah TIH

Kuba grins, happy that his new project can actually speak.

Kuba.

Just then, Ola walks out of the cafe with her tea. She sees Tom, who she rescued from a panic attack yesterday, chatting with Kuba, the neighborhood's unofficial mayor.

O, super! Tom, to jest Kuba.

To jest Kuba. — This is Kuba. · TOH yest KOO-bah

To jest Kuba. This is Kuba. It's the simplest and most common way to introduce someone. Just two words, to jest, followed by the person's name.

To jest Kuba. — This is Kuba. · TOH yest KOO-bah

The J in jest sounds like an English Y. Yest. Say it with me: To jest Kuba.

To jest Kuba. — This is Kuba. · TOH yest KOO-bah

Try introducing Tom now. To jest Tom.

To jest Kuba. — This is Kuba. · TOH yest KOO-bah

We are halfway through, and Tom is officially no longer a stranger. Let's lock in those introductions. Jak masz na imię? Jak masz na imię? What's your name?

Mam na imię Tom. A ty? Mam na imię Tom. A ty? My name's Tom. And you?

To jest Kuba. To jest Kuba. This is Kuba. Perfect. Now, back to our new friends.

Kuba has decided that since they've swapped names, they are officially mates. And mates need to be able to text each other. He pulls out his cracked smartphone and readies his thumb over the keypad.

Tom freezes again. He knows zero is just zero. But handing over nine digits of Polish numbers feels like defusing a bomb. Kuba sighs good-naturedly, turns his phone around, and decides he'll just dictate his own number to Tom instead.

jeden, dwa, trzy, cztery, pięć...

jeden, dwa, trzy, cztery, pięć — one, two, three, four, five · YEH-den, DVA, T-SHIH, CH-TEH-rih, PYEN-CH

Here we go, the foundation of every transaction and phone number in the country: one through five. jeden, dwa, trzy, cztery, pięć.

jeden, dwa, trzy, cztery, pięć — one, two, three, four, five · YEH-den, DVA, T-SHIH, CH-TEH-rih, PYEN-CH

Don't let the spelling scare you. Three is spelled t-r-z-y, but that r-z just makes a 'sh' sound. T-shih. And five ends with that soft nasal sound again, followed by a soft ch. Pięć.

jeden, dwa, trzy, cztery, pięć — one, two, three, four, five · YEH-den, DVA, T-SHIH, CH-TEH-rih, PYEN-CH

Let's count to five together. Say them slowly with me: jeden, dwa, trzy, cztery, pięć.

jeden, dwa, trzy, cztery, pięć — one, two, three, four, five · YEH-den, DVA, T-SHIH, CH-TEH-rih, PYEN-CH

And one more time, with a bit of rhythm. jeden, dwa, trzy, cztery, pięć.

jeden, dwa, trzy, cztery, pięć — one, two, three, four, five · YEH-den, DVA, T-SHIH, CH-TEH-rih, PYEN-CH

Tom punches the first five digits into his phone, feeling a tiny surge of victory. But a phone number needs a few more digits. Kuba doesn't skip a beat.

...sześć, siedem, osiem, dziewięć, dziesięć.

sześć, siedem, osiem, dziewięć, dziesięć — six, seven, eight, nine, ten · SHESH-CH, SHEH-dem, OH-shem, JEV-yench, JESH-yench

And there's the rest of the dial! Six through ten. sześć, siedem, osiem, dziewięć, dziesięć. Notice how many of these sound soft and hushed.

sześć, siedem, osiem, dziewięć, dziesięć — six, seven, eight, nine, ten · SHESH-CH, SHEH-dem, OH-shem, JEV-yench, JESH-yench

Six is sześć. It starts with a hard 'sh' sound and ends with a soft 'ch'. Nine and ten, dziewięć and dziesięć, rhyme with each other and end with that same soft 'ch' sound.

sześć, siedem, osiem, dziewięć, dziesięć — six, seven, eight, nine, ten · SHESH-CH, SHEH-dem, OH-shem, JEV-yench, JESH-yench

Let's climb the rest of the ladder together. Nice and slow. sześć, siedem, osiem, dziewięć, dziesięć.

sześć, siedem, osiem, dziewięć, dziesięć — six, seven, eight, nine, ten · SHESH-CH, SHEH-dem, OH-shem, JEV-yench, JESH-yench

You're doing great. Once more, seamlessly. sześć, siedem, osiem, dziewięć, dziesięć.

sześć, siedem, osiem, dziewięć, dziesięć — six, seven, eight, nine, ten · SHESH-CH, SHEH-dem, OH-shem, JEV-yench, JESH-yench

Tom hits save. He decides to be brave, pulling up his own contact card and handing his phone to Kuba.

Kuba types the number, hits dial, and a second later, Tom's phone buzzes in his hand. Kuba points at the buzzing screen.

To jest Kuba.

Siema, Kuba.

A perfect callback. Before we leave Tom and his very first local friend, let's lock in everything from today. jeden, dwa, trzy, cztery, pięć. jeden, dwa, trzy, cztery, pięć. One, two, three, four, five.

sześć, siedem, osiem, dziewięć, dziesięć. sześć, siedem, osiem, dziewięć, dziesięć. Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

Tom actually has a reason to be here tomorrow now. Kuba mentioned a place down the street, and if Tom can navigate numbers, who knows, maybe he can handle ordering a drink.

Join us next time to find out. New lessons drop every Tuesday and Friday. Keep listening, keep speaking, and I'll see you in Kazimierz!