Fałszywi przyjaciele II
Ten more where the Russian cognate walks you confidently into the wrong room.
zapamiętać
verb · perfective
- EN
- to memorize, to commit to memory
- RU
- запомнить
Nie mogę zapamiętać jego nazwiska.
I can't remember his surname.
The partner to zapomnieć, and the one that actually means RU запомнить. Learn the pair together or you will keep reaching for the wrong one.
dworzec
noun · masculine
- EN
- station (train, coach)
- RU
- вокзал
Spotkajmy się na dworcu głównym.
Let's meet at the main station.
RU дворец is a palace. A Polish palace is a pałac; a dworzec has departure boards.
pensja
noun · feminine
- EN
- salary
- RU
- зарплата
Dostaję pensję piętnastego.
I get paid on the fifteenth.
RU пенсия is a pension. Polish for a pension is emerytura — mixing these up in a salary conversation is memorable for everyone present.
rozbierać się
verb · reflexive, imperfective
- EN
- to undress
- RU
- раздеваться
Proszę się rozebrać do pasa.
Please undress to the waist.
RU разбираться is to sort something out or get the hang of it. Polish rozbierać się is to take your clothes off, and at the doctor's it is meant literally.
lustro
noun · neuter
- EN
- mirror
- RU
- зеркало
Popatrz w lustro, zanim wyjdziesz.
Look in the mirror before you leave.
RU люстра is a chandelier. Both hang on the wall and only one shows you your face.
kwas
noun · masculine
- EN
- acid
- RU
- кислота
Kwas cytrynowy jest w każdej kuchni.
Citric acid is in every kitchen.
RU квас is the drink. Polish for that drink is kwas chlebowy — literally bread acid, which is the whole joke in one phrase.
pukać
verb · imperfective
- EN
- to knock
- RU
- стучать
Zapukaj, zanim wejdziesz.
Knock before you come in.
Completely innocent in Polish: knocking on a door. The Russian near-homophone is obscene, and the collision arrives at exactly the wrong moment.
zdanie
noun · neuter
- EN
- sentence; opinion
- RU
- предложение; мнение
Moim zdaniem to zły pomysł.
In my opinion that's a bad idea.
RU здание is a building. Polish zdanie is a sentence — and moim zdaniem, literally 'by my sentence', is how you give an opinion.
ordynarny
adjective
- EN
- coarse, vulgar
- RU
- грубый, пошлый
Nie bądź ordynarny przy dzieciach.
Don't be crude in front of the children.
RU ординарный means ordinary. Calling somebody's work ordynarna is not the mild criticism you intended.
zakład
noun · masculine
- EN
- a bet; a plant, works
- RU
- пари; предприятие
Zakład, że nie zdążysz na ten pociąg.
Bet you don't make that train.
RU заклад is a pledge or pawn — distantly related and no help at all. In Polish it is a wager, and also an industrial plant.
Drill these ten · earlier morning · later morning
Drill these ten