Calendar dates and holidays
Daty i święta kalendarzowe
- The basic dates and holidays
This lesson introduces key Polish calendar dates and holidays such as Boże Narodzenie (Christmas), Wielkanoc (Easter), and Dzień Matki (Mother's Day). You'll learn essential vocabulary and phrases to discuss dates, celebrations, and traditions, including words like dzień (day), miesiąc (month), and świętujemy (we celebrate).
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Assign the given words to the appropriate categories: calendar dates or holidays.
Daty kalendarzowe
Święta
Ćwiczenie 4: Conversation exercise
Instrukcja:
- Say the name of the holiday and it's date. (Say the name of the holiday and it's date.)
- What are your plans for the holidays? With whom are you going to spend it? (What are your plans for the holidays? With whom are you going to spend it?)
- What day is today? (What day is today?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Boże Narodzenie jest dwudziestego piątego grudnia. Christmas is the twenty-fifth of December. |
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Wakacje letnie są w lipcu i sierpniu. Summer holiday is in July and august. |
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Wielkanoc zawsze wypada innego dnia. Easter is always on another date. |
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Planuję świętować Boże Narodzenie z rodziną. I plan to celebrate christmas with my family. |
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Zamierzam świętować Nowy Rok z przyjaciółmi. I am going to celebrate new year's with my friends. |
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Dziś jest czternasty lutego 2025 roku. Today is the forteenth of february of 2025. |
| ... |
Exercise 5: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 6: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Walentynki _ 14 lutego i to jest dzień zakochanych.
(Valentine's Day _ February 14th and it is the day of lovers.)2. W Polsce Boże Narodzenie _ 25 grudnia.
(In Poland, Christmas _ on December 25th.)3. Latem temperatura zwykle _ bardzo wysoka.
(In summer, the temperature usually _ very high.)4. W poniedziałek my _ do pracy, a potem spotykamy się z przyjaciółmi.
(On Monday we _ to work, and then we meet with friends.)Exercise 7: Dates and Holidays at Work and at Home
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Rozmawiać - Talk
Czas teraźniejszy
- ja rozmawiam
- ty rozmawiasz
- on/ona/ono rozmawia
- my rozmawiamy
- wy rozmawiacie
- oni/one rozmawiają
Świętować - Celebrate
Czas teraźniejszy
- ja świętuję
- ty świętujesz
- on/ona/ono świętuje
- my świętujemy
- wy świętujecie
- oni/one świętują
Przynosić - Bring
Czas teraźniejszy
- ja przynoszę
- ty przynosisz
- on/ona/ono przynosi
- my przynosimy
- wy przynosicie
- oni/one przynoszą
Planować - Plan
Czas teraźniejszy
- ja planuję
- ty planujesz
- on/ona/ono planuje
- my planujemy
- wy planujecie
- oni/one planują
Kupować - Buy
Czas teraźniejszy
- ja kupuję
- ty kupujesz
- on/ona/ono kupuje
- my kupujemy
- wy kupujecie
- oni/one kupują
Chodzić - Go
Czas teraźniejszy
- ja chodzę
- ty chodzisz
- on/ona/ono chodzi
- my chodzimy
- wy chodzicie
- oni/one chodzą
Dzwonić - Call
Czas teraźniejszy
- ja dzwonię
- ty dzwonisz
- on/ona/ono dzwoni
- my dzwonimy
- wy dzwonicie
- oni/one dzwonią
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About This Lesson: Calendar Dates and Holidays in Polish
This A1 level lesson introduces you to talking about calendar dates and important holidays in Polish. You will learn key vocabulary related to dates like styczeń (January), piątek (Friday), dzień (day), rok (year), and miesiąc (month). In addition, you will explore common Polish holidays such as Boże Narodzenie (Christmas), Wielkanoc (Easter), and Nowy Rok (New Year). The lesson also covers how to describe when events happen, including celebrations like Dzień Matki (Mother's Day) and personal events such as birthdays.
Key Language Points
- Dates and Days: Learn to name months, days of the week, and how to state specific dates (e.g., "Moje urodziny są 10 czerwca." meaning "My birthday is June 10th.").
- Holidays: Vocabulary to discuss Polish holidays, their typical dates, and common customs (e.g., "Świętujemy Boże Narodzenie w Polsce 25 grudnia.").
- Simple Present Tense Verbs: Practice everyday verbs connected to holiday and date conversations, such as świętujemy (we celebrate), dzwonię (I call), kupuję (I buy), and their conjugations.
- Conversational Phrases: Use common dialogues to ask and answer questions about dates and holidays, supporting real-life communication.
Examples of Useful Expressions
- "Kiedy masz urodziny?" — "When is your birthday?"
- "Boże Narodzenie jest 25 grudnia." — "Christmas is on December 25th."
- "Dzień Matki obchodzimy w maju." — "Mother's Day is celebrated in May."
- "Wielkanoc jest dwudziestego pierwszego kwietnia." — "Easter is on April 21st."
Differences Between English and Polish for Talking About Dates and Holidays
Polish language expresses dates by placing the day before the month and uses the genitive case for months and dates, unlike English which usually uses the cardinal number and month name directly. For example, "10 czerwca" literally translates as "10th of June." Polish months and days of the week are always lowercase. Another important difference is that Polish often uses verb forms with personal endings to express time-related actions, such as świętujemy (we celebrate), which is straightforward and direct.
Here are some practical words and phrases to help you with English-Polish differences:
- Calendar Terms: January — styczeń, day — dzień, year — rok.
- Holiday Names: Christmas — Boże Narodzenie, Easter — Wielkanoc, New Year — Nowy Rok.
- Verbs in Present Tense: we celebrate — świętujemy, I call — dzwonię, I go — chodzę.
- Common Questions: "Kiedy jest... ?" means "When is...?" useful for asking about dates.
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