A batch with defects in Polish
A storekeeper and a driver work out what to do with a batch of goods with a defect in Polish. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «List przewozowy mam, ale cała partia towaru z usterką.» — I have the delivery note, but the whole batch of goods has a defect; «Pokażcie jeden wyrób, sprawdźmy, o czym mówimy.» — Show one item, and we will see what it is about.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: a storekeeper and a driver work out what to do with a batch of goods with a defect. First the whole conversation, then each line on its own, with a translation.
- List przewozowy mam, ale cała partia towaru z usterką.I have the delivery note, but the whole batch of goods has a defect.
- Pokażcie jeden wyrób, sprawdźmy, o czym mówimy.Show one item, and we will see what it is about.
- Proszę, ten róg. Wytwórca zapewne źle ustawił obrabiarkę.Here, this corner. Probably the manufacturer set the machine badly.
- Wtedy wyrób nie odpowiada normie i nie mogę zrobić odbioru.Then the item does not meet the standard, and I cannot accept the delivery.
- Zleceniodawca czeka, termin realizacji się kończy w piątek.The customer is waiting; the delivery deadline ends on Friday.
- Więc ekspediujcie nową partię, a tę wróćcie producentowi.Then ship a new batch, and return this one to the manufacturer.
- Zapiszę na dokumencie, że odbiór się nie odbył.I will write in the document that the acceptance did not take place.
- Dobrze. A ja poinformuję dział zaopatrzenia o wadzie.All right. And I will report the defect to the supply department.
Lines one by one
| Polish | Translation |
|---|---|
| List przewozowy mam, ale cała partia towaru z usterką. | I have the delivery note, but the whole batch of goods has a defect. |
| Pokażcie jeden wyrób, sprawdźmy, o czym mówimy. | Show one item, and we will see what it is about. |
| Proszę, ten róg. Wytwórca zapewne źle ustawił obrabiarkę. | Here, this corner. Probably the manufacturer set the machine badly. |
| Wtedy wyrób nie odpowiada normie i nie mogę zrobić odbioru. | Then the item does not meet the standard, and I cannot accept the delivery. |
| Zleceniodawca czeka, termin realizacji się kończy w piątek. | The customer is waiting; the delivery deadline ends on Friday. |
| Więc ekspediujcie nową partię, a tę wróćcie producentowi. | Then ship a new batch, and return this one to the manufacturer. |
| Zapiszę na dokumencie, że odbiór się nie odbył. | I will write in the document that the acceptance did not take place. |
| Dobrze. A ja poinformuję dział zaopatrzenia o wadzie. | All right. And I will report the defect to the supply department. |
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?
“List przewozowy mam, ale cała partia towaru z usterką.” — I have the delivery note, but the whole batch of goods has a defect. 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.