Let us check the figures in Polish
Two employees decide whether the figures in the report can be trusted in Polish. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Ta liczba wydaje mi się wątpliwa, spójrz na stosunek.» — This figure seems doubtful to me; look at the ratio; «Z jakiego źródła te dane?» — What source are these data from?
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: two employees decide whether the figures in the report can be trusted. First the whole conversation, then each line on its own, with a translation.
- Ta liczba wydaje mi się wątpliwa, spójrz na stosunek.This figure seems doubtful to me; look at the ratio.
- Z jakiego źródła te dane?What source are these data from?
- Z drugiej ręki. Nie mam wiarygodnego dowodu.By hearsay. I have no reliable proof.
- Wtedy musimy to zweryfikować albo obalić.Then we must double-check it or disprove it.
- Nowy pomiar pokaże, czy to błędne przekonanie.A new measurement will show whether it is a delusion.
- Opisz metodę w najdrobniejszych szczegółach, nie tylko w skrócie.Describe the method in the smallest detail, not just in brief.
- Na podstawie tych obserwacji uzasadnimy wniosek.On the basis of these observations we will substantiate the conclusion.
- Jak wyjdzie na jaw, poprawimy to.As it turns out, that is how we will fix it.
Lines one by one
| Polish | Translation |
|---|---|
| Ta liczba wydaje mi się wątpliwa, spójrz na stosunek. | This figure seems doubtful to me; look at the ratio. |
| Z jakiego źródła te dane? | What source are these data from? |
| Z drugiej ręki. Nie mam wiarygodnego dowodu. | By hearsay. I have no reliable proof. |
| Wtedy musimy to zweryfikować albo obalić. | Then we must double-check it or disprove it. |
| Nowy pomiar pokaże, czy to błędne przekonanie. | A new measurement will show whether it is a delusion. |
| Opisz metodę w najdrobniejszych szczegółach, nie tylko w skrócie. | Describe the method in the smallest detail, not just in brief. |
| Na podstawie tych obserwacji uzasadnimy wniosek. | On the basis of these observations we will substantiate the conclusion. |
| Jak wyjdzie na jaw, poprawimy to. | As it turns out, that is how we will fix it. |
How to prepare for a conversation like this
Memorizing the lines is not enough: the other person will say their own thing, not what is written. What helps more is catching the key words by ear and keeping three rescue phrases ready: “I don't understand”, “repeat, please”, “slower”.
And one more thing phrasebooks do not mention: awkwardness gets in the way more than not knowing the words.
- Fear of making mistakes gets in the way of learning a language, and noticeably so. The link turns up study after study, and together those studies cover almost twenty thousand people.checked many timesTeimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(2) · 19,933 participants from 23 countries; correlation with results r = −0.36.
- That fear can be dealt with — the methods have been tested and they work.checked many timesXiong et al., 2024, Journal of Language and Social Psychology · 37 studies, anxiety reduced by −0.61. Of the seven conditions examined, only age turned out to matter.
Frequently asked
How do you start a conversation in Polish in this situation?
“Ta liczba wydaje mi się wątpliwa, spójrz na stosunek.” — This figure seems doubtful to me; look at the ratio. The first line in such a conversation is almost always the same, and that is the one worth learning: the other person will carry it from there.
What if you did not understand the reply?
Say “I don't understand” and “repeat, please” — both are in the rescue set. Admitting your language is still shaky almost always makes the other person more patient.
Should you memorize the dialogue?
No. It is more useful to catch the key words by ear: the other person will say their own thing, and a memorized line will not always fit their reply.