11 Comments
Why is 'im" (DATIVE) used. I have seen próbować in a list of verbs that use the Genitive case.
It is Próbowałem -> infinitive pomóc
pomóc -> dative im.
But of "im" goes before pomóc, because it is a pronoun and pronoun should not be at the end of sentence if possible.
You can help "to somone". This idea is expressed in Polish by Dative: "Próbowałem im pomóc".
How do perfective and imperfective verbs work together exactly? Pomóc is perfective right? Could it be switched with pomagać? Maybe for a different meaning?
Próbowałam im pomagać, means that I've been repeatedly trying to help them over some period of time, such as months or years, for example.
why not 'I've tried to help them'? Or would it be 'spróbowałem im pomóc'?
Because próbowałem is an imperfective verb aspect in Polish, past continuous tense in English has an imperfective aspect. "I have tried..." is present perfect and is usually also imperfective aspect so shouldn't be wrong in this exercise. Although, in many contexts, the present perfect tense in English can have a perfective aspect as well or instead.
"Spróbowałem im pomóc," has a perfective verb, so it translates better as the simple past tense, "I tried to help them," referring to a specific event time and place.
Somewhat confusing - a rising tone, but this isn't a question (I'm trying to practice listening to understand without looking at the words).
Then sorry, but you're gonna have a hard time - the intonation of TTS is generally terrible and it may be more likely to be wrong than correct. (OK, maybe that's a bit too much but sometimes it feels like that).
It’s not bad 90% of the time. Hopefully it will help, as I find it difficult to understand spoken Polish, when I could often understand it when written down - not practical in conversation.
It does sound like a question in intonation, but logically, would I ask the question, "I tried to help them?"
