# five years ago



## Setwale_Charm

Can smb help translate it? The dicitonary is being a bit inconclusive on it.


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## Jana337

Pięć lat temu, I think.


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## dn88

Yes, "pięć lat temu".


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## Setwale_Charm

Bardzo dzienkuje!!


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## slowik

I think you mean "Bardzo dzi*ę*kuję!!", right?


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## Setwale_Charm

yep, for lack of script I write what I hear


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## Lestat_198

Hi,
is "przed pięcioma latami" right, too??


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## dn88

Lestat_198 said:


> Hi,
> is "przed pięcioma latami" right, too??



No, it should be "przed pięcioma laty".


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## Lestat_198

what kind of declination is this??
i know only:
Nom. lata
Gen. lat
Dat. latom
Akk. lata
Instr. latami
Präp. latach


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## Jana337

Lestat_198 said:


> What kind of declination is this??
> I know only:
> Nom. lata
> Gen. lat
> Dat. latom
> Akk. lata
> Instr. latami
> Präp. latach


My guess: The instrumental case has two permissible endings, and "laty" is used with numerals.
Results *1* - *10* of about *12,400* *Polish* pages for *"przed * latami"*
Results *1* - *10* of about *1,040,000* *Polish* pages for *"przed * laty"*

Please use capitals properly.


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## Monica610

I think that we can treat it as a kind of exception. "Laty" would be an old declination form for today's "latami". But "przed pięcioma/sześcioma/siedmioma etc. laty" is just an accepted form of expressing "5/6/7 years ago" so you can't change it in this sentence. It would be understood, of course, but it sounds weird.


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## dn88

Yes, there are even more archaic forms that are accepted and used much more frequently than their "modern" equivalents. For example "innymi słowy", "ostatnimi czasy", etc. Perhaps if someone said "innymi słowami", it wouldn't sound so odd as "ostatnimi czasami". Hence I still opt for "przed pięcioma laty".


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## Thomas1

I think they simply function in some stock expressions, despite having more modern equivalents.

Hm... curious, what if lata would be employed in the meaning of lato: 
przed kilku latami/laty... 


Tom


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## dn88

Thomas1 said:


> I think they simply function in some stock expressions, despite having more modern equivalents.
> 
> Hm... curious, what if lata would be employed in the meaning of lato:
> przed kilku latami/laty...
> 
> 
> Tom



Nobody would guess that you meant "summer" I think (and I suppose that only the first type of declension exists here, talking about the plural of "lato" of course). 

Another question appears in my mind. Which one is preferred: "kilkoma" or "kilku" (I still mean "years")?


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## Thomas1

Well, I rather had in mind the plural form of Instrumental of lato.
_Dawnymi latami or dawnymi laty przejeżdzaliśmy tu co roku._

I'd use kilku laty.

Tom


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## dn88

Thomas1 said:


> Well, I rather had in mind the plural form of Instrumental of lato.
> _Dawnymi latami or dawnymi laty przejeżdzaliśmy tu co roku. _Do you mean "lato" as "summer" here?
> 
> I'd use kilku laty.
> 
> Tom



_przed kilku laty/kilkoma laty_ - either seems fine to me...


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## Thomas1

Yes, lato meaning summer, but what I'm really interested in is whether you would use two forms for lato as a year's season or just one of them.

I don't want to say that there's something wrong with "kilkoma laty" but that "kilku laty" is simply what I like more (and I guess what I'm used to more as well).

Thomas


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## dn88

Thomas1 said:


> Yes, lato meaning summer, but what I'm really interested in is whether you would use two forms for lato as a year's season or just one of them.
> 
> I don't want to say that there's something wrong with "kilkoma laty" but that "kilku laty" is simply what I like more (and I guess what I'm used to more as well).
> 
> Thomas



I think the real point is that we hardly ever use the plural form of "lato".  Anyway, I believe that only "latami" is correct in this case. But when talking about "years" both forms are acceptable.


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