"Jacek ma chłopaka."

Translation: Jacek has a boyfriend.

[AndRL82]

Thumbs up for Jacek! Please, keep him having a boyfriend in the final version of the course... ;-)

Something more on topic perhaps: does the name "Jacek" really translate as English "Jack"? So, is "Jacek" a diminutive of "Jakub"?

[tadjanow]

'Jacek' and 'Jakub' are two different names.

[ascay]

Jakub = Jacob

[AndRL82]

thanks, so the Polish name 'Jacek' would not necessarily translate as 'Jack' (which seems to derive from 'Jacob')

[tadjanow]

The closest English counterpart of 'Jacek' is 'Jack'.
According to wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_(given_name)

'In English it is traditionally used as the diminutive form of the given name John, though it is also often given as a proper name in its own right.'

[AndRL82]

It seems that 'Jacek' has a different etymology than 'Jacek': https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacek

"Jacek is a Polish given name of Greek origin coming from Hyacinth, through the archaic form of Jacenty."

'Jacek' to me seems a nice sounding, quite typically Polish, first name in its own right. I would rather not anglicise it into something as bland as 'Jack'.

[anothernobody]

Is there a difference between Jackiem and Jacek? I think I've seen both as "Jack". Can people's names be declined?

[Vengir]

Funny thing is that English "Jack" and Polish "Jacek" share the same instrumental form: "Jackiem". It's just differently pronounced in each case.

And yes, that means that you don't need to change foreign names into Polish equivalents (and you usually don't), but you still should declinate them according to Polish rules. Probably all female names that don't end with "-a" look the same in all seven cases (in other words, they don't decline), which might be a good thing for learners, but might make writing unambiguous sentences difficult.

[elbose86]

Yep, jesteś TheDeeplyBrokeniem (or something...)

[Vengir]

I see no reason to soften it, so maybe more like "TheDeeplyBrokenem".

[MichaelNie276572]

Jacek = Hyacinth in English, which is a name nobody uses in English but exists in other languages. Jacinda in Spanish for instance.

Meanwhile, in English, Jack is derived from John, which is Jan in Polish (and unrelated to Jacek).

But every Jacek I know goes by Jack in English to the point that it may as well be the commonly accepted translation.

[SaraDiez5]

I don't know about other Spanish speaking countries, but in Spain is Jacinta, never heard it with a "d".

[KevinDetry]

Definitely not expected to see this in Polish course.

[Dirack]

Our loss, Captain Harkness.

[bluthbanana87]

Would you really need to translate the name? I guess itd be up to personal preference, but in English this could also be "Jacek has a boyfriend", right?

[Jellei]

Both work. I would personally put "Jacek" as the main version and just accept "Jack", but whoever wrote this sentence had a different opinion.

[mihxal]

If you want to translate the name, it should be "Hyacinth".

[Jellei]

True, I even did mention it somewhere else. I guess I will put it as an accepted answer, although the chances that someone will actually put it (without reading our comments) are miniscule ;)

[bluthbanana87]

Oh, also, is 'chłopaka' an inflected form of 'chłopiec' or a different word entirely? What would 'girlfriend' be?

[immery]

chłopaka is inflected form of chłopak.

chłopiec and chłopak (and chłopczyk) all mean boy, but chłopczyk is little boy, chłopiec is standard word for boy = from little child to adolescent, and chłopak is young man (or boyfriend)

dziewczyna and dziewczynka both mean girl, but dziewczynka is for little girl, dziewczynka is female teenager or young woman (or girlfriend)

[cynthiajaworski]

As for Hyacynth: remember the female lead in the British sitcom "k]Keeping up Appearances"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/keepingupappearances/

[KaterinaRuud]

Who, Placek? :P