Breakdown of Mów dalej, słucham.
mówić
to speak
słuchać
to listen
dalej
further; go on (as in "keep talking", "and so on")
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Questions & Answers about Mów dalej, słucham.
Why does the sentence use dalej, which means 'further'?
While dalej literally means 'further', in Polish it is commonly used after a verb to mean 'continue' or 'keep doing it'. So mów dalej translates to 'keep speaking' or 'go on'.
How do we get the word mów from the verb mówić (to speak)?
Mów is the imperative, or command form, used when talking to 'you' (singular informal). For many verbs, you find this command form by taking the 'they' form of the verb (mówią) and dropping the ending, which leaves just mów.
Why doesn't the speaker say słucham cię to mean 'I am listening to you'?
You absolutely can say słucham cię, but Polish often drops pronouns like 'you' or 'me' when the context is obvious. In a short conversational phrase like this, leaving it out sounds very natural.
I've heard people say słucham when picking up the phone. Is it the same word?
Yes, it is exactly the same word! When answering the phone, saying Słucham? literally means 'I am listening', but it functions just like 'Hello?' in English. You can also use it to mean 'Pardon?' if you didn't hear what someone just said.