Polish words that do not translate
Carnival, coffeehouse — words a dictionary can only give as a description in brackets, because the thing is not part of everyday life here. All such Polish words are collected here: 2 words with an explanation of what it is and what it is for.
Words and what stands behind them
The season from Epiphany to Ash Wednesday: balls, ostatki and Fat Thursday — the day of pączki. The school masked ball is bal karnawałowy; the closest relative of the Shrovetide festivals.
A coffeehouse the Polish way: coffee, cakes, newspapers, and the right to sit with one cup for as long as you like. In the coffeehouses of Kraków and Warsaw people meet friends, go on dates and work on laptops — this is the city's main salon, and nobody hurries you off your table.
Why such words are in the course
These are a language's ID marks: they cannot be translated because the thing they name is not part of everyday life here, and they are exactly what you hear on day one. There are few of them on purpose — 2 words out of 4011 words in the course. A course where every seventh word is a local curiosity would teach local studies, not a language.
Every word here has its own page, with pronunciation, a look at the spelling and an example of use.
Frequently asked
Why can't these words simply be translated?
A translation assumes the thing exists here too and is just called differently. Not in this case: the nearest English word names only the kind of thing — “a dish”, “a holiday”, “a dance” — and you would not recognize it from that. An explanation answers the question about the thing, not the word.
Do you have to learn them?
Not before everything else. But you will meet them early: local food is offered on the first day, and a festival is named without explanation. Knowing what stands behind a word is more useful than being able to translate it.