A12 min · 116 words
Pan Nowak
Mr. Nowak
Tom meets the neighbor, pan Nowak — and gets a live lesson in Polish formality: third-person verbs, proszę pana, and when cześć is a mistake.
You will practice: Formal address with pan + third-person verbs (czy pan mówi…?) versus ty among friends.
Words to know
Skim these before you read — they carry the story. Tap the star to add one to your saved words.
- sąsiadneighbor
- pansir, Mr.
- poznaćto meet, get to know
- mieszkaćto live
- długofor a long time
- pomagaćto help
- ciężkiheavy
- zakupyshopping, groceries
- uprzejmypolite, courteous
- emerytpensioner
- schodystairs
Did you get it?
3 quick questions — no grades, just a comprehension check.
1. How does Tom greet pan Nowak the first time — and why is it wrong?
2. How does one politely ask pan Nowak if he needs help?
3. What does pan Nowak say about the switch to first names?
Too hard? Pick an easier text in the Polish reading library. Understanding most of a text without translations is the goal — struggling through is not.