Episode 06 · This Is My Stork

Welcome back to Kazimierz. When we last saw Tom, he had just admitted the hardest truth of moving anywhere new: nie jestem stąd. I'm not from here. He has a few greetings, he can swap names, but the world around him is still just a blur of unlabeled objects.

Tom is sitting on a bench in the sunny courtyard of his building, staring at his notebook. He feels completely out of his depth. But luckily for him, the universe is about to send him a teacher who brooks absolutely no nonsense.

Enter Zosia. She's seven years old, fearless, and the daughter of one of the neighbors. She marches right up to Tom, hands on her hips. She can tell this grown-up is hopelessly lost and needs the world explained to him. At preschool pace.

Co to jest?

Co to jest? — What's this? · TSOH toh YEST?

Zosia isn't making small talk; she is demanding answers. Co to jest? This is the most powerful phrase you will ever learn in Polish: What is this?

The word co means what. Remember, the Polish c is always a crisp ts sound, like at the end of cats. Co. And to jest means this is. Co to jest?

Co to jest? — What's this? · TSOH toh YEST?

Say it with me. Co to jest? ... And again, naturally. Co to jest? Perfect for when you need to know a word, or when you find something mysterious in the fridge.

Co to jest? — What's this? · TSOH toh YEST?

Tom freezes. He knows she's pointing at his notebook, but he has no idea how to say 'notebook'. He just stares.

Zosia sighs. Clearly, this student needs to be spoon-fed. She grabs her own picture book, then points to Tom's cup.

To jest książka. A to kubek.

To jest książka. A to kubek. — This is a book. And this is a cup. · TOH YEST k-SHON-zh-kah. AH TOH KOO-bek.

Let's unpack that. She says To jest książka. We've used to jest to introduce people before, like to jest Kuba. Now we're using it to name the world.

The word for book is książka. Yes, it looks intimidating! The k-s-i combination makes a soft ksh sound. The a with a tail is a nasal on, and the z with a dot is a soft zh. Książka.

To jest książka. — This is a book. · TOH YEST k-SHON-zh-kah.

Then she points to his cup. A to kubek. The little word a is incredibly useful. It means and, but in a contrasting way, like 'whereas' or 'on the other hand'. And kubek is cup.

A to kubek. — And this is a cup. · AH TOH KOO-bek.

Say it slowly with me. To jest książka. A to kubek. ... Once more, a little smoother. To jest książka. A to kubek.

To jest książka. A to kubek. — This is a book. And this is a cup. · TOH YEST k-SHON-zh-kah. AH TOH KOO-bek.

Zosia decides to check if he at least knows his numbers. She starts pointing at the pens scattered on the table, counting them out just like Kuba counted his phone number: jeden, dwa, trzy... Tom nods. Okay, numbers he knows.

Satisfied that he's not entirely hopeless, she pats her book proudly. She wants to teach him colors now.

Ta książka jest czerwona.

Ta książka jest czerwona. — This book is red. · TAH k-SHON-zh-kah YEST cher-VOH-nah.

Ta książka jest czerwona. This book is red. Notice she didn't just say to this time, she said ta. Because in Polish, objects have genders. Książka ends in an a, making it feminine.

So 'this' becomes ta, and the adjective for red — czerwona — also takes that feminine a ending. The c-z sounds like a hard ch, and the w is a v. Czerwona.

Ta książka jest czerwona. — This book is red. · TAH k-SHON-zh-kah YEST cher-VOH-nah.

Let's try it. Say: Ta książka jest czerwona. ... Beautiful. You're speaking in full, descriptive sentences now.

Ta książka jest czerwona. — This book is red. · TAH k-SHON-zh-kah YEST cher-VOH-nah.

Let's take a quick breath and review what our strict new teacher has taught us so far. First, she asked: Co to jest? Then she showed us: To jest książka. A to kubek. And finally: Ta książka jest czerwona.

Tom is doing his best to repeat the words, but Zosia's attention suddenly shifts. She spots Tom's shiny metal keychain sitting on the bench. She points right at it.

Chcę tamto! Nie to — tamto!

Chcę tamto! Nie to — tamto! — I want that one! Not this — that! · HTSEH TAHM-toh! NYEH TOH — TAHM-toh!

Chcę tamto! Nie to — tamto! Zosia knows what she wants. The verb chcę means I want. The c-h is a breathy h, the c is a sharp ts, and that e with a tail gives it a nasal eh sound at the end. Chcę.

Chcę — I want · HTSEH

She says Chcę tamto. We know to means this. Tamto means that — something further away. Nie to — tamto! Not this, that!

Nie to — tamto! — Not this — that! · NYEH TOH — TAHM-toh!

Say it with some seven-year-old conviction. Chcę tamto! ... And now the correction: Nie to — tamto! Great. Very useful in bakeries.

Chcę tamto! Nie to — tamto! — I want that one! Not this — that! · HTSEH TAHM-toh! NYEH TOH — TAHM-toh!

Tom smiles and slides the keychain over to her. Zosia inspects it, nods in approval, and then rummages in her little yellow backpack. She decides a trade is in order.

She pulls out a slightly battered plush bird with long red legs and an impressive beak. She places it very solemnly on Tom's notebook.

To jest mój bocian. Ma na imię Bocian.

To jest mój bocian. Ma na imię Bocian. — This is my stork. His name is Bocian. · TOH YEST MOOY BOH-chan. MAH NAH EE-myeh BOH-chan.

To jest mój bocian. This is my stork. Mój means my, for masculine things. And bocian is a stork. The c-i makes a soft ch sound. Bocian.

To jest mój bocian. — This is my stork. · TOH YEST MOOY BOH-chan.

And what did she name her stork? Ma na imię Bocian. He has for a name... Stork. You might remember mam na imię from when Tom met Kuba. Here, ma na imię means he or she has the name.

Ma na imię Bocian. — His name is Bocian. · MAH NAH EE-myeh BOH-chan.

Try this wonderful introduction. Say: To jest mój bocian. ... Ma na imię Bocian. Storks are incredibly lucky in Poland. Tom has just been given a great honor.

To jest mój bocian. Ma na imię Bocian. — This is my stork. His name is Bocian. · TOH YEST MOOY BOH-chan. MAH NAH EE-myeh BOH-chan.

To jest... mój bocian. Ma na imię... Bocian.

To jest mój bocian. — This is my stork. · TOH YEST MOOY BOH-chan.

Zosia nods, grabs her new keychain, and skips away. Later that evening, Tom sits in his attic room. He sets Bocian on the corner of his desk. Suddenly, the strange world has names, colors, and a plush roommate who will stay with him for the next two years.

He isn't entirely alone anymore. But just as he picks up his pen to study, the loud, harsh buzz of the building's intercom echoes through the flat. Who on earth could be calling for him? We'll find out next time.

Before we get the door, let's review our phrases. We learned to demand things: Chcę tamto! Nie to — tamto! And we learned a very important introduction: To jest mój bocian. Ma na imię Bocian.

You are doing brilliantly. Remember, new episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday, so make sure to subscribe and come back to see who is at Tom's door. Do widzenia!