"Why are you not taking a bag?"

Translation: Dlaczego nie bierzesz torby?

[flootzavut]

It's taken me all this time to catch on that dlaczego is like dla czego which, at least to my Russian speaking brain, reads as 'for what?' and so makes complete sense as 'why?' So maybe this will help someone else, too!

[Gerardd88]

It's also very similar in some non-Slavic languages especially Romance, like French 'pourquoi/parce que', Italian 'perche' etc.

[flootzavut]

I honestly can't figure out how it took me so long to spot in Slavic languages!

[Carlos551800]

Or Spanish por qué/porque or Catalan per què/perquè

[nlyIyHk7]

The same is true in Yiddish (probably not offered at Duolingo): Far vos?=For what?=Why? and Hebrew: "Lama?"="L+ma?"="For what?"="Why?"

[Jellei]

The Yiddish course is 'coming soon': https://incubator.duolingo.com/courses/yi/en/status

[nlyIyHk7]

Dziekuje bardzo, Marek, za twoja pomoc. I was in contact with one of your Yiddish language representatives, and we will see what happens... With much gratitude, Pozdrawiam, Rivka Schiller

[nlyIyHk7]

Thanks for the update. I am glad to hear that. I am a professional Yiddish translator (for 20+ years). Is there some way that I could contribute professionally to your forthcoming Yiddish lessons? Incidentally, I have a website with info. about my past work as a translator: www.rivkasyiddish.com. I also have a resume, if you can please tell me whom to contact. Please feel free to email me privately at: [e-mail]. Thank you!

[Jellei]

I guess you can only apply here (https://incubator.duolingo.com/apply) and hope they will answer, but I will show this comment to the right people ;) I just deal with the Polish course after all.

[nlyIyHk7]

Dear Marek, thank you for sending me the link to Duolingo's incubator site. I filled out everything it requested -- both in Yiddish and English, but for some reason, when I click "submit," nothing happens. I have tried this already several times. I apologize for writing you here, but there is no other easy or obvious way to email anyone at Duolingo. Nor does the company have a telephone number, from what I can see online. If you are able to email me privately, I can email you the Yiddish and English material I attempted to submit, so that you can please pass it along to the proper people at Duolingo. Przepraszam, but I don't know what other action/s to take. Please feel free to email me at: [e-mail] or [e-mail]. Dziekuje bardzo za wszystko! Rivka

[gabe81]

To return a favour - Your зачем is a false friend of our 'za czym=po co' ('Зачем ты идёшь в магазин' looks for me like 'What are you going to the store for'). So the mechanism is lookin almost the same from the other side ;)

[flootzavut]

I only realised after writing this how зачем and почему must come from за чем and по чему. I really don't know how I didn't spot it before, kinda feel like an idiot LOL. dla czego makes dlaczego soooo much easier to remember.

[gabe81]

Sorry, I thought You are a Russian native.

But to tell the truth, I learned a lot about my language since this course started ;)

[flootzavut]

No, I studied it in uni and it is enormously helpful with other Slavic languages, but sadly I'm only a native speaker of English! :'(

(Honestly, most of the English grammar I know I learned through learning other languages, especially Slavic languages! ;))

[Oliver536732]

Is torebki a genetive diminutive form of torba?

[Jellei]

Yes. But it is so popular, that actually it often seems more (or at least equally) natural than "torba". That's why we decided to make it a starred answer as well.

[MeganKunze1]

As far as I know from speaking with Polish people, 'Czemu' is also often used to mean 'why', and 'czemu'='for what' ('co' in dative case)