Breakdown of Proszę nie mówić po angielsku.
nie
no / not
mówić
to speak
proszę
please; here you are
po angielsku
in English
Questions & Answers about Proszę nie mówić po angielsku.
Why does this sentence use the dictionary form mówić (to speak) instead of a command?
Using proszę followed by an infinitive (the dictionary form of a verb, like mówić) is a very common, polite way to tell someone to do or not do something in Polish. It is much softer than a direct command.
Where does the negative word nie go in a sentence like this?
The word nie must always be placed directly before the verb it negates. Because it negates the action of speaking, it goes right before mówić.
Why do we say po angielsku instead of just angielski for "English"?
When you talk about speaking, writing, or understanding a language in Polish, you use the word po combined with a special form ending in -u. It translates literally to doing something "in the English way".
I know proszę means "please", but is it actually a verb here?
Yes, proszę is technically the "I" form of the verb prosić (to ask). So, the most literal translation of this sentence is "I ask not to speak in the English way." Polish uses this verb form as its standard way to say "please".
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