The Polish language is a West Slavic language. It is a native language of Poland. Other than Poland the Polish diaspora also speaks this language all over the world where they are settled. Polish is the language with up to 50 million speakers and is the 6th most spoken language when it comes to the languages of the European Union. The Polish language comprises regional dialects and also maintains T-V distinction pronouns and honorifics. Polish has 7 grammatical cases and is a fusional and synthetic language. It resembles the Slovak and Czech Republic mostly.
Talking about English, the English language is one of the most spoken languages in the world. English is a West Germanic language that comes from the Indo-European language family. English also happens to be the second language that speakers of other languages learn and speak fondly. The experts also state that second-language speakers of the English language are more than native speakers of this language. Also, this is the official language of more than 59 sovereign states.
When it comes to the differences between English and Polish, the basic ones are between case and gender. The English speakers struggle a lot while looking at the sentences that Polish people write and the order of the words with the case and gender gets confusing. The word could have the same meaning with a slightly different pronunciation in the Polish language.
When it comes to the Polish to English translation services, the translators have to face certain challenges. Only native speakers can deal with the translation services professionally. It is important that they understand the important components of both languages and as a whole.
A few of the important components that differentiate both languages are:
Alphabet
While working on Polish to English translation services, it is imperative to be mindful of the alphabet. The Polish alphabets have 32 letters, whereas there are 26 letters in the English language. There are 9 more additional letters that are not available in the English language. These are ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, and ź.
Pronunciation
Often languages get tough and complex in terms of pronunciation. Polish pronunciation is quite complex and varies with certain factors. Moreover, many pronunciations and sounds that they make in Polish do not exist in the English language. ‘sz’ and ‘cz’ are two of these.
Grammar
Polish nouns like many of the fellow languages have three genders which are masculine, feminine, and neuter. English language, however, has only two genders, which are masculine and feminine. The conjugation system of the Polish language is also complex as compared to that of the English verbs. It is extremely imperative that the translators are well aware of the grammar of both languages. At the same time, while working on the Polish to English translation services they should also understand the differences between both.
Vocabulary
The Polish language has many words which are cognates of English words. However, many words are also unique to each language. For instance, the ‘dog’ is for an animal and is a common word in the English language. Whereas it is ‘pies’ in the Polish language.
Cultural differences
There are many cultural differences between the English and Polish cultures. Cultural factors have a great influence on the translation of every language regardless of the factor whether it is English, Polish, or Ukrainian translation services. The translators have to consider cultural references to avoid conflicts and conspiracies. The different aspects of human life, be it language, business, education or profession family, and social layering have been influenced by culture. The corporate culture has a great impact on the people too. Culture is something that people learn and transmit to others.
English and Polish people though have a lot in common including historical inheritance however are different in terms of social life and these differences do affect the languages and translation services.
English people are more polite and Polish people don’t even ask you how are you if they don’t mean it. Likewise, like every nation, Polish people also complain a lot about their government, political issues, weather, education, and job system. However, they can get infuriated and angry if they find a foreigner complaining about such issues. They don’t allow them to bash themselves. Whereas English people are quite open in this matter. They don’t mind even if a foreigner complains about the system. You can even find them start complaining with them with an open mind and heart.
All these differences are important to consider while working on the expansion in Poland or the region where Polish people are settled. Going against these norms and cultural values can make them distract from your business and your products. Therefore, it is important that as a business you understand not only the language of your targeted audience but also the market norms and cultural values to an extent that these don’t affect your business.
A language is a representation of a whole culture and vice versa. As a business, you must start with a recce of both nations and cultures. If you are from Ukraine and want to expand your services to Poland, it is important that you educate people about Ukraine as a country and language. Ukraine translation services can also help in this regard.
Conclusion
Polish and English are two poles apart languages. Professional translation services can only be delivered by native speakers. The languages are different in terms of the alphabet, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Both languages are also different when it comes to cultural values.
