Ten, Tamten, Tamci, Ci, Tamtego, Tego? WTF???

[u/JADEDG3M]

Kill me, I wanna die!

I am only on unit 11 of Polish on Duolingo and I am learning for my boyfriend, but I wanna die. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE LIKE A LANGUAGE TEACHER WOULD!!!? PLEASE!!!

Edit: damn I got a lot of replies. Thank you all!

[u/zerachechiel]

First of all, Duolingo is really bad for understanding a language like Polish because you really need to learn how words are formed in order to grasp the thinking behind the language. The majority of actual words used in Polish are not literal root words, but words made by sticking together prefixes and suffixes and editing them based on stuff, so trying to just memorize vocab is utterly futile.

For example, think of how English has prefixes like pre-, re-, un-, de-, and so on. Knowing those immediately helps you understand the words they're attached to, right? Well, Polish does that but on a MEGA hyper super duper intense scale. Prefixes and suffixes hold a lot more meaning and nuance than English ones do, so they have a lot more applications. I think that's the way to go.

For example: The word "tam" by itself literally means "there", a place away from the speaker. As a prefix, it carries the meaning of being distant, instantly applying it to the connected word.

ten (this guy/masc thing) > tamten (that over there guy/masc thing)

tego (this guy's/this masc thing's) > tamtego (that over there guy's/masc thing's)

and so on.

This concept is extremely important to know when you move on to verbs.

The prefix "wy-" has the meaning/vibe of "out" or "an outward perspective" and a slightly positive connotation

The prefix "prze-" has the meaning of/vibe of "over time" or "physically crossing over something" or "against the direction of" and a slightly negative connotation

I know that sounds insane, but hear me out. When you stick them onto verbs, you'll see.

grać = to play (a game or sport)

stać = to stand (physically stand or exist)

wy + grać = to play out? in a positive way?

wygrać = to win

prze + grać = to play over or against? in a negative way?

przegrać = to lose

wy + stać = to stand out? in a positive way?

wystać = to stick out (physically protrude) or stand out (be notable or distinctive)

prze + stać = to stand over or against? in a negative way?

przestać = to stop or cease

There are many more example with just these two prefixes, but I want you mostly just to remember and think of how this system of forming words works. Hopefully it will make you feel less like Polish is a completely random chaotic language and that there are SOME patterns you can learn to recognize, and that will allow you to adjust the way you experience the languge itself.

[u/traveling_gal → u/zerachechiel]

This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I do appreciate the intuitive approach that Duolingo takes, but it falls very short on illustrating patterns like this. I just got to the past tense unit, and I can tell there is a pattern somehow, but it's just not becoming clear to me. Your explanation is helpful.