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Category Archives: Dla Polaków
How to translate “termin” (time expression)
The Polish word “termin” can mean a period of time or a point in time. In English, the word “term” can also mean a period of time or a point in time. But “term” has very specific uses (relating to … Continue reading
How to translate “przedsiębiorca”
“Przedsiębiorca” is usually translated as “entrepreneur”. Although this is one of several possible translations, 99% of the time it is the wrong word. First of all, look at a Polish definition of “przedsiębiorca”: Zgodnie z definicją zawartą w art. 431 kodeksu … Continue reading
How to translate “nie później niż w ciągu”
I often see the literal translation of this phrase – not later than within. This is always wrong. Here’s an example: POLISH Płatności należy dokonać nie później niż w ciągu pięciu dni od daty otrzymania niniejszego pisma. WRONG The payment … Continue reading
How to translate “ujawnić”
“Ujawnić” seems to have various meanings and can be translated into numerous different words in English. Unfortunately most people regularly choose the wrong word. Here’s a typical example: POLISH W dziale I-Sp księgi wieczystej nr WA4M/00847639/5 ujawnione zostało prawo użytkowania … Continue reading
Comma before “that”
Different languages have different rules about how to use commas. You cannot use the punctuation rules of your native language when you write in English – you must use English rules. Putting a comma before “that” is a very common … Continue reading
How to translate “ekspertyza”
WRONG Please send us an electronic version of the Purchaser’s technical expertise dated 29 November 2014. RIGHT Please send us an electronic version of the Purchaser’s technical opinion dated 29 November 2014. Do NOT translate ekspertyza as expertise. These words … Continue reading
The difference between “consist of” and “consist in”
Until relatively recently I was not aware of the difference between “consist of” and “consist in”. This is probably because among native English speakers “consist in” is very infrequently used in comparison to “consist of”, which is relatively common. In … Continue reading
