Dajesz, dajesz!
- Thread starter Encolpius
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You might have encountered Czech "To dáš" in the sense "You will surely suceed" (e.g. pass an exam), or maybe "To nedávám" "I cannot cope with the situation".
I too am rather puzzled by the verb to give taking this specific meaning (to manage/achieve something), however.
I too am rather puzzled by the verb to give taking this specific meaning (to manage/achieve something), however.
Yes it's used for encouragement and it's a very common phrase. You can say it once or twice.
For example, someone's trying to learn to ski and is afraid to make the first move, just keeps standing on the spot. I'll tell them 'dajesz' or 'dajesz, dajesz', expecting them to start moving down the slope.
For example, someone's trying to learn to ski and is afraid to make the first move, just keeps standing on the spot. I'll tell them 'dajesz' or 'dajesz, dajesz', expecting them to start moving down the slope.
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I have never heard that. Sounds strange for me. Must be quite new.
Nevertheless people of my generation don't use it, and I don't participate in events where I could hear it.
Probably yes.
In some contexts "dać/dawać" means: to do something.Does it mean something like: Come on! come one!
- Dawać nauczkę.
- Dawać radę.
- Dawać czadu
So, it can mean:
- You're doing it!
- You're doing great!
But informally we sometimes say "lecisz!" (you are flying!), to order somebody to "leć!" (fly!).
So, it can mean also:
- Do it!
- Go!
- Go! Go! Go!
I use it. And as far as I am aware, I'm your generation. 😉
The only thing, in general I use this kind of words of spontaneous encouragement less often than half a century ago.
I am more conservative than you, and less exposed to younger generations of Polish speakers.
For me, both 'dawaj, dawaj!' and 'dajesz!' look like direct loanwords from Russian, but if 'dawaj, dawaj!' was already used in the 1940s (if not earlier), especially in central and eastern Poland, I have never heard the expression 'dajesz!' before 1990s, which is surprising due to almost non-existent impact of Russian language on Polish at that time. The Russian "даёшь" used to be very popular in Soviet slogans, e.g. Даёшь пятилетку за три года! or in the ominous and in a way "prophetic" song from 1920: "Даёшь Варшаву, дай Берлин, уж врезались мы в Крым!"
I have learned about dajesz only in 2022, but I don't live permanently in Poland, and I meet mostly the same people there under my visits. I don't think Polish "dawaj" or "dajesz" came from Russian. Languages can develop similar features idependently from each other.
I sorted through the sources accessible on the net and saw that the authors still categorize the expression dawaj! as russianism, especially because in this expression most Poles preserved a stress placed on the final syllable (dawáj!). 'Dajesz', as a relatively new expression, hasn't been described yet. https//www.dagatlumaczy/rusycyzmy-w-jezyku-polskim/ Rusycyzm – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia
I have never heard anybody using "dawaj" with stress on the last syllable in Poland, except in situations in which Poles were impersonating or mocking Russians in jokes.
Well, I have - it probably depends on the region of Poland and maybe generation gap (compare the dialogues in "Wilcze echa"). Still, our philologists consider them to be the loanwords from Russian, even if we adapted the stress to our accentual system.
I think that as a words of encouragement is connected to „dasz radę” (encouraging before the effort) and „dajesz radę” (encouraging during the effort). So my humble understanding is that after shortening „dajesz” evolved from happened-optics into will-happen one (i.e. cheering to continue further effort).