# they (have) cut it in two...



## Wordspin18

Hello!

Please imagine you work in the kitchen of a French restaurant - in Poland.
There is this fragrant French bread, the _baguette_.
You need it to serve a customer who has ordered the soup of the day.
The baguette has been cut in two identical pieces.

*How would you say in Polish to a fellow worker:*

- they have cut it in two equal pieces
- they have cut it in two
- they cut it in two ......................................... past tense. ................. I apologize for the dots: they are necessary to create columns.
- they cut it in two ......................................... present tense.

Yes, I have a problem with the polish verb "to cut".

Many thanks in advance!


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## lukis421

1. Przekroili ją na dwie równe części.
2. Przekroili ją na pół.
3. Przekroili ją na pół*
4. Przekrawają**/kroją ją na pół.

*Polish doesn't differentiate between these two tenses.
** This verb is less common.


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## Wordspin18

Thank you very much!


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## Wordspin18

How does one say _baguette_?

Is "zostala/o/zostal cieta/ciety/cieto w 2 czesci" understandable - even though not correct, or does it make no sense at all to a Polish reader?


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## jasio

Wordspin18 said:


> How does one say _baguette_?


Bagietka



Wordspin18 said:


> Is "zostala/zostal/zostało *prze*cięta/*prze*cięty/*prze*ciet*e* *na* 2 czesci" understandable - even though not correct, or does it make no sense at all to a Polish reader?


"Została przecięta na dwie części" - is both gramatically correct, and understandable - although it does not imply that the two parts are equal (most of the cases they are, but it leaves some room for ambiguity). Besides, at least in my spheres, the typical word for cutting food is "kroić", not "ciąć" (the latter being more often used with mechanical and engineering works), though "ciąć" is also acceptable. If the two parts must be equal, we usually say "ciąć / kroić na pół". Unless you discuss math or geometry, because in that case you would say "przecięta na dwie równe części".


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## Wordspin18

Thank you very much!

It dawned upon me that I could ask my initial question in / at / on this forum - another problem here (I always think of "al mercato, na targu, auf dem Markt", only *after* I had written to a Polish friend earlier today. I use the expression regularly anyway, so from next time on it will be in correct Polish..


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## Lorenc

How about 
1.pokroili bagietkę na pół
2.rozkroili bagietkę na pół
3.skroili bagietkę na pół


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## Wordspin18

Thank you!

What difference in meaning or connotation comes with _prze_- _po_- and _roz_? (I surmise _s_- has to do with _dokonany _and _niedokonany_.)
Somehow to my "tong" _prze- _is the first in line (most likely because of its sound - so very Polish and the easiest to pronounce).

The Polish verb feels like walking on thin ice.


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## Lorenc

Wordspin18 said:


> What difference in meaning or connotation comes with _prze_- _po_- and _roz_?


That's the 1M$ question 

I can answer only on the basis of the dictionaries in my possession [PWN-Oxford and Kościuszkowski PL/EN, Meisels PL-IT, PWN Szymczak PL-PL]. 
According to this _przekroić_ and _rozkroić_ both indicate specifically cutting in two parts. Often the _prze-_ prefix indicates 'through, until the end' while the _roz-_ often prefix indicates 'separation in various directions'. _Pokroić _is indicates by some sources (PWN-Oxford and by the Słownik gramatyczny języka Polskiego by Z. Saloni et al) as the aspectual pair of _kroić_; in other words in this case _po-_ is the so-called "empty" prefix (ie, it doesn't add any specific nuance of meaning to _kroić_ other than changing its aspect). This would indicate that _pokroić_ has a rather generic meaning of 'to cut' (not necessarily in two), just as _kroić_ does. 
Note that Poles tend to cut their bread in slices so _chleb pokrojony_ generally indicates sliced bread (ie, a big loaf sliced in many slices), but I suppose it's not _wrong_ in your situation.



Wordspin18 said:


> (I surmise _s_- has to do with _dokonany _and _niedokonany_.)



I think you're implying that _s-_ is the empty prefix (as described above), but this is not the case in this case (at least with this meaning of cutting bread). 
Skroić has several specialized meaning: 
1) cut off the external part of something, usually because unwanted: 
_Skroić spieczoną skórkę z chleba.
Skroić tłuszcz z szynki. _Cut off the fat from (a slice of) ham.
2) To tailor, to cut material in order to produce clothes:
_Skroić suknię. _To cut a dress
3) To cut into pieces, to slice
_Skroić cały bochenek chleba._ to slice the whole loaf of bread
4) to whip
_skroić konia batem _to whip a horse
_skroić komuś skórę/tyłek _
5) To steal, to rob
_skroić komuś portfel_ to steal someone's wallet


Because of meaning 3) it seems to me that it could possibily work in your case too (although not as a first, nor second, nor third choice).

By the way, _przy okazji_ it may be interesting to note that the same root of _kroić_ `to divide' is found in many other words such as _kraj_, _kraina (=_country_, =~_subdivisions of a territory_)_, the name of the country Ukraina, skraj (=edge, border), krawędź (=edge), krawężnik (=kerb), krój (=cut of a dress), krawiec (=taylor), skrawek (=small patch), skrajny (=extreme).

The verb _kroić_ probably comes from an indo-european root which also lead to the Latin (and old-fashioned Italian) verb cernĕre (NB 'c' was pronounced as 'k' in Latin) meaning 'to separate, to distinguish' which then lead to Italian (and English) verbs such as discernere, concernere. It seems that Latin took a figurative meaning (to separate in one's mind, hence to distinguish, to understand) while Slavic languages chose a very practical one in this case (to cut bread, ham...). But we all started in the same place once.


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## Wordspin18

Thank you for the very instructive explanations and the interesting etymology at the end.



Lorenc said:


> That's the 1M$ question


1M$?? I thought that on your large island especially after Brexit you and your fellow Robinson Crusoes would disdain US currency and hold so fast to the pound sterling that it would grow through the flesh into the bone, hahaha.



Lorenc said:


> I can answer only on the basis of the dictionaries in my possession [PWN-Oxford and Kościuszkowski PL/EN, Meisels PL-IT, PWN Szymczak PL-PL].


Only many years after I returned from my delightful stay in Poland I found more extensive Polish/Italian Dictionaries, but I may have seen the PWN-Oxford you mention - in a university library, some 10-15 years ago. It was brandnew. An enormous, wonderful dictionary but - I am afraid - very expensive. 



Lorenc said:


> ... while the _roz-_ often prefix indicates 'separation *in various directions*'.


The only words with *roz-* in my _default dictionary _are *roz*pęd and *roz*czarowanie. I wonder if I guess right that the verbs from which they are derived mean respectively dispersion in various directions of not completely burnt fuel and exhaust gasses when one starts the car and the engine still has to warm up and (figuratively) the shattering in various directions of the hopes the disappointed person held previously?  



Lorenc said:


> I think you're implying that _s-_ is the empty prefix (as described above)


As a matter of fact, I did.



Lorenc said:


> Skroić has several specialized meaning:
> 1) cut off the external part of something, usually because unwanted:
> _Skroić spieczoną skórkę z chleba.
> Skroić tłuszcz z szynki. _Cut off the fat from (a slice of) ham.
> 2) To tailor, to cut material in order to produce clothes:
> _Skroić suknię. _To cut a dress
> 3) To cut into pieces, to slice
> _Skroić cały bochenek chleba._ to slice the whole loaf of bread
> 4) to whip
> _skroić konia batem _to whip a horse
> _skroić komuś skórę/tyłek _
> 5) To steal, to rob
> _skroić komuś portfel_ to steal someone's wallet
> 
> Because of meaning 3) it seems to me that it could possibily work in your case too (although not as a first, nor second, nor third choice).
> 
> By the way, _przy okazji_ *it may be interesting to note  [*bold type added by Wordspin18*]* that the same root of _kroić_ `to divide' is found in many other words such as _kraj_, _kraina (=_country_, =~_subdivisions of a territory_)_, the name of the country Ukraina, skraj (=edge, border), krawędź (=edge), krawężnik (=kerb), krój (=cut of a dress), krawiec (=taylor), skrawek (=small patch), skrajny (=extreme).
> 
> The verb _kroić_ probably comes from an indo-european root which also lead to the Latin (and old-fashioned Italian) verb cernĕre (NB 'c' was pronounced as 'k' in Latin) meaning 'to separate, to distinguish' which then lead to Italian (and English) verbs such as discernere, concernere. It seems that Latin took a figurative meaning (to separate in one's mind, hence to distinguish, to understand) while Slavic languages chose a very practical one in this case (to cut bread, ham...). But we all started in the same place once.


Absolutely interesting - I had no idea._ This is a treat! _Thank you!


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## Lorenc

Wordspin18 said:


> 1M$?? I thought that on your large island especially after Brexit you and your fellow Robinson Crusoes would disdain US currency and hold so fast to the pound sterling that it would grow through the flesh into the bone, hahaha.



On the contrary, the "plan" is to deepen our special relationship with our big, uncouth big brother. And from this perspective the Crusoes, cut off from civilization, it's the Europeans 



Wordspin18 said:


> Only many years after I returned from my delightful stay in Poland I found more extensive Polish/Italian Dictionaries, but I may have seen the PWN-Oxford you mention - in a university library, some 10-15 years ago. It was brandnew. An enormous, wonderful dictionary but - I am afraid - very expensive.



The PWN-Oxford is indeed a very good dictionary, although IMO a notch below the best Italian-English dictionaries (Zanichelli and Picchi). It's not so expensive, really. I bought the CD-ROM version (from 2006) years ago second-hand for ~15 euros on allegro. Apparently PWN offers it as a smartphone app for €25, as well as a version on pendrive for €20 and internet version using a subscription model. You can also find the paper version on allegro at ~20 euros per volume (the two volumes, Polish-English and English-Polish are sold separately).
Perhaps it is of interest to you that Wiedza Powszechna in collaboration with the Accademia della Crusca published recently (2001-2010) a large, four-volume Italian-Polish dictionary. It costs ~100 euros. I've never had the change of consulting it. There is no Polish-Italian section and there is no electronic version (a completely absurd choice). The publisher REA also offers a Polish-Italian and Italian-Polish dictionaries (sold separately, as it seems to be the custom in Poland for large dictionaries); I've never consulted them (again, no electronic version...) but they should be fairly good. The only Polish-Italian dictionary in my possession is by Wojciech Meisels (latest update from 2008); it's an okay dictionary but very far from PWN-Oxford in terms of completeness, phraseology etc; it used to be sold on CD by a company called Lexland, which is now defunct. You can still find it on allegro, ebay etc.



Wordspin18 said:


> The only words with *roz-* in my _default dictionary _are *roz*pęd and *roz*czarowanie. I wonder if I guess right that the verbs from which they are derived mean respectively dispersion in various directions of not completely burnt fuel and exhaust gasses when one starts the car and the engine still has to warm up and (figuratively) the shattering in various directions of the hopes the disappointed person held previously?



Then change dictionary 
The PWN-Oxford dictionary lists ~620 verbs with the _roz-_ prefix. As to the meaning of the various prefixes, don't try to read to much into them. Consider that many of these verbs were formed already at the proto-Slavic stage (between ~500 B.C. to ~700 C.E.) and therefore the meaning in modern Polish may have mutated and evolved so much that it is difficult to point to a specific meaning due to a prefix. That said, Swan says:
QUOTE:
*roz-* : in various directions, destruction, expansion, dissipation, into bits, throughout or all-encompassing, undo; Latin _dis-_, _un-_
UNQUOTE
Some examples are: *rozdać *hand out, *rozdzielić *divide, *rozebrać* undress, *rozwodzić *to divorce.

*rozczarować* is the exact analogous of  Latin-based 'to disenchant' (disincantare, disincantato etc); *czarować *means 'to charm, to enchant' and both Latin and Slavic use the _dis- / roz-_ prefix. I cannot give you a clear, logical reason why this prefix is used, neither for Polish nor for Italian. Perhaps indicates that the charm is being dispersed away, so that the person is disappointed.

*Rozpęd *can mean 'running start, run-up' (=rincorsa) for a person and can mean 'speed, momentum' for a vehicle (tracić rozpęd - to lose momentum). NB in physics the word for 'momentum' (eg in Newton's second law of dynamics) is just pęd. It's derived from (the root of) the verb *pędzić* (to move quickly, to rush). For this verb too we can find cognates in Latin (through indo-European), namely the verb _pendere_ (to hang, to oscillate) and words such as pendulum. *Rozpędzić* can mean 'to disperse (eg people at a manifestation)' and we find a similar meaning and structure in the Italian dispèndio (waste of money). Note that indo-European languages have been creating verbs using suffixes for thousands of years, although we may not always realise that (eg spendere was formed from s+pendere, just like Polish spędzić is s+pędzić)


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## Poland91pl

Lorenc said:


> That's the 1M$ question
> 
> I can answer only on the basis of the dictionaries in my possession [PWN-Oxford and Kościuszkowski PL/EN, Meisels PL-IT, PWN Szymczak PL-PL].
> According to this _przekroić_ and _rozkroić_ both indicate specifically cutting in two parts. Often the _prze-_ prefix indicates 'through, until the end' while the _roz-_ often prefix indicates 'separation in various directions'. _Pokroić _is indicates by some sources (PWN-Oxford and by the Słownik gramatyczny języka Polskiego by Z. Saloni et al) as the aspectual pair of _kroić_; in other words in this case _po-_ is the so-called "empty" prefix (ie, it doesn't add any specific nuance of meaning to _kroić_ other than changing its aspect). This would indicate that _pokroić_ has a rather generic meaning of 'to cut' (not necessarily in two), just as _kroić_ does.
> Note that Poles tend to cut their bread in slices so _chleb pokrojony_ generally indicates sliced bread (ie, a big loaf sliced in many slices), but I suppose it's not _wrong_ in your situation.
> 
> 
> 
> I think you're implying that _s-_ is the empty prefix (as described above), but this is not the case in this case (at least with this meaning of cutting bread).
> Skroić has several specialized meaning:
> 1) cut off the external part of something, usually because unwanted:
> _Skroić spieczoną skórkę z chleba.
> Skroić tłuszcz z szynki. _Cut off the fat from (a slice of) ham.
> 2) To tailor, to cut material in order to produce clothes:
> _Skroić suknię. _To cut a dress
> 3) To cut into pieces, to slice
> _Skroić cały bochenek chleba._ to slice the whole loaf of bread
> 4) to whip
> _skroić konia batem _to whip a horse
> _skroić komuś skórę/tyłek _
> 5) To steal, to rob
> _skroić komuś portfel_ to steal someone's wallet
> 
> 
> Because of meaning 3) it seems to me that it could possibily work in your case too (although not as a first, nor second, nor third choice).
> 
> By the way, _przy okazji_ it may be interesting to note that the same root of _kroić_ `to divide' is found in many other words such as _kraj_, _kraina (=_country_, =~_subdivisions of a territory_)_, the name of the country Ukraina, skraj (=edge, border), krawędź (=edge), krawężnik (=kerb), krój (=cut of a dress), krawiec (=taylor), skrawek (=small patch), skrajny (=extreme).
> 
> The verb _kroić_ probably comes from an indo-european root which also lead to the Latin (and old-fashioned Italian) verb cernĕre (NB 'c' was pronounced as 'k' in Latin) meaning 'to separate, to distinguish' which then lead to Italian (and English) verbs such as discernere, concernere. It seems that Latin took a figurative meaning (to separate in one's mind, hence to distinguish, to understand) while Slavic languages chose a very practical one in this case (to cut bread, ham...). But we all started in the same place once.


We say "chleb krojony" when it comes to the kind of bread we buy. We say proszę jeden chleb krojony or poproszę chleb and the shop assistant asks " cały czy krojony"?

As to peeling off the burnt skin we rather say "odkroić " OD gives the meaning of separation.


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## Wordspin18

Lorenc said:


> On the contrary, the "plan" is to deepen our special relationship with our big, uncouth big brother. And from this perspective the Crusoes, cut off from civilization, it's the Europeans


Thank you for your reply, instructive as always and this time in more than one way.
You remind me of just how cautious one (read: I) must be when making a joke with someone who lives in another country. As difficult as learning a foreign language at times may be, it is the easiest part of the whole endeavour.
Monetary systems and international relationships are just two of the innumerable things I have not the least understanding of.
It never occured to me that my remark could strike an unpleasant cord. Otherwise I would never have made it.

Perhaps I should add that Robinson Crusoe was a book I read as a child. I liked it very much. Not so for Gulliver's travels. Apparently both were not meant for children. To someone immersed in British culture they contain references that I do not grasp. To me they merely evoke a very happy childhood.

I did not intend in any way to be rude nor did I mean any harm with regard to you or anyone else reading this forum.
As the refrain of one of my many favourite songs goes - the 1964 Tom Paxton song (although I prefer Peter, Paul & Mary's version): "That was the last thing on my mind".

And, if need may be, I wholeheartedly *apologize*.



Lorenc said:


> The PWN-Oxford is indeed a very good dictionary, although IMO a notch below the best Italian-English dictionaries (Zanichelli and Picchi).


I agree with your evaluation of Zanichelli. It publishes marvellous stuff. Unfortunately someone at a certain point decided to reduce the dimensions of the print. Every time I see their editions- even in the supermarket they sell them at times - I think. "What a pity..."



Lorenc said:


> It's not so expensive, really. I bought the CD-ROM version (from 2006) years ago second-hand for ~15 euros on allegro.


Good to know. Just now through you I learned about the existence of allegro.


Lorenc said:


> Perhaps it is of interest to you that Wiedza Powszechna in collaboration with the Accademia della Crusca published recently (2001-2010) a large, four-volume Italian-Polish dictionary. It costs ~100 euros. I've never had the change of consulting it.


Wiedza Powszechna, that name rings a bell - a marvellous publisher. Some 15plus years ago here in Italy I came across two volumes, not in a bookstore. I vaguely remember they were (much) larger than the Wiedza Powszechna PL-I and I-PL I knew from my stay in Poland. This new large edition covered only part of the alphabet. If my memory doesn't play tricks on me, the second of the two volumes was much thinner.


Lorenc said:


> ... phraseology ...


IMO that's the big deal. Unfortunately dictionaries tend to dedicate less and less room to it.


Lorenc said:


> Then change dictionary


By _default dictionary_ I meant my own memory.


Lorenc said:


> The PWN-Oxford dictionary lists ~620 verbs with the roz- prefix. As to the meaning of the various prefixes, don't try to read to much into them. Consider that many of these verbs were formed already at the stage (between ~500 B.C. to ~700 C.E.)


Another *treat* upcoming here...


Lorenc said:


> ... rozdzielić divide ...


What is "to share"?
Do I remember correctly: "warzywa sztucznie *pędzone*"?


Lorenc said:


> the Italian dispèndio (waste of money). Note that indo-European languages have been creating verbs using suffixes for thousands of years, although we may not always realise that (eg spendere was formed from s+pendere, just like Polish spędzić is s+pędzić)


Hmm, who would have guessed that.
What is the Polish equivalent for "dispendio" and "dispendioso"?


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## jasio

Lorenc said:


> That's the 1M$ question



Not that much, actually, at least in terms of cutting. 

I didn't follow the whole recent discussion, but:

*prze*kroić - cut through, cut into two pieces (not necessarily in halves)

*po*kroić - slice; in terms of bread it does not necessarily mean slicing the whole loaf, but typically enough for eating
*roz*kroić - cut in a way that you can get inside; in terms of baguette you may think of a partial cutting, after which the two sides are still connected by a stripe of a skin, so that you can put a sausage inside to make a hot-dog
*s*kroić - in terms of bread, I would say it's synonymous to pokroić. 
It's not math though, there's some greay area between them. 



Lorenc said:


> 5) To steal, to rob
> _skroić komuś portfel_ to steal someone's wallet


This one is a slang. Perhaps even a criminal one.


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## Lorenc

Wordspin18 said:


> Thank you for your reply, instructive as always and this time in more than one way.
> You remind me of just how cautious one (read: I) must be when making a joke with someone who lives in another country. [...]



No worries, you have nothing to apologise about! We're all friends here 



Wordspin18 said:


> I agree with your evaluation of Zanichelli. It publishes marvellous stuff. Unfortunately someone at a certain point decided to reduce the dimensions of the print. Every time I see their editions- even in the supermarket they sell them at times - I think. "What a pity..."



Yes. I also have their Russian-Italian dictionary (Kovalëv) in electronic version and it's very good.



Wordspin18 said:


> Wiedza Powszechna, that name rings a bell - a marvellous publisher. Some 15plus years ago here in Italy I came across two volumes, not in a bookstore. I vaguely remember they were (much) larger than the Wiedza Powszechna PL-I and I-PL I knew from my stay in Poland. This new large edition covered only part of the alphabet. If my memory doesn't play tricks on me, the second of the two volumes was much thinner.



Yes, it was probably that (from the pictures online the four volumes have unequal size, and there is also a fifth smaller volume on grammar. It seems to me that Polish dictionaries tend to use larger fonts than Italian ones, which partly explains the multiple volumes. Perhaps that's a plus for you 



Wordspin18 said:


> What is "to share"?
> Do I remember correctly: "warzywa sztucznie *pędzone*"?



to share is 'podzielić' but it could also be rozdzielić especially with a distributive meaning (=distribute something among many people).



Wordspin18 said:


> What is the Polish equivalent for "dispendio" and "dispendioso"?



"dispendio" come 'consumo eccessivo o dannoso: d. di forze, di energie' is synonymous to `waste' (=sperpero, spreco) and could be translated as marnowanie, marnotrawienie, marnotrawstwo. `Dispendioso' usually refers to money, so it could be translated as _kosztowny_ or symply as _drogi. _In other situation one can certainly find other possibilities, eg un pranzo dispendioso could be a _wystawy obiad_ (a lavish lunch), un tenore di vita dispendioso could be translated, perhaps, as _rozrzutny tryb życia_.
But if you're interested in a cognate using the roz- prefix there is the word _rozchód_ (normally used in plural _rozchody_), which is an accountancy term which means (more or less) the same as _wydatki _(expenditures).


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## Wordspin18

Lorenc said:


> No worries, you have nothing to apologise about! We're all friends here


Thank you, I feel comfortable again now.


Lorenc said:


> It seems to me that Polish dictionaries tend to use larger fonts than Italian ones, which partly explains the multiple volumes. Perhaps that's a plus for you


Definitely. To know that there is so much knowledge available in the delightful Zanichelli publications and not to be able to access it because of the supersmall print, is extremely annoying.


Lorenc said:


> to share is 'podzielić' but it could also be rozdzielić especially with a distributive meaning (=distribute something among many people).


- How would one say: "She told the child to share the chocolate bar with her little brother"?
and the typical phrase
- "Dear friends, I'd like to share this event from my childhood with you.."?
and 
- "Dear friend - singular - I'd like to share ..."?


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## Lorenc

Wordspin18 said:


> Definitely. To know that there is so much knowledge available in the delightful Zanichelli publications and not to be able to access it because of the supersmall print, is extremely annoying.



A possibility is to get the electronic version on a tablet, so that you can zoom in as much as you want  
Electronic versions also make searches much faster and allow full-text searches.



Wordspin18 said:


> - How would one say: "She told the child to share the chocolate bar with her little brother"?
> and the typical phrase
> - "Dear friends, I'd like to share this event from my childhood with you.."?
> and
> - "Dear friend - singular - I'd like to share ..."?



My attempts:
Poprosiła dziecku, żeby podzieliło się tabliczką czekolady ze swoim braciszkiem. [assuming we're talking about the child's little brother, not the speaker's]
Drodzy przyjaciele, chciałbym podzielić się z wami pewnym wydarzeniem ze swojego dzieciństwa.
Drogi przyjacielu, chciałbym podzielić się z Tobą...


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## jasio

Lorenc said:


> My attempts:
> Poprosiła dzieck*o*, żeby podzieliło się tabliczką czekolady ze swoim braciszkiem. [assuming we're talking about the child's little brother, not the speaker's]


Poprosiła + neuter accusative = "dziecko". 
Indeed, "her" pronoun is ambiguous in this phrase, at least as long as we're not sure that the child is actually a boy. On the other hand, in Polish there's no ambiguity, and the posessive pronoun is in fact excessive.

Poprosiła dziecko, żeby podzieliło się tabliczką czekolady z braciszkiem (the child's brother, implicit)
Poprosiła dziecko, żeby podzieliło się tabliczką czekolady ze *swoim* braciszkiem (the child's brother, explicit)
Poprosiła dziecko, żeby podzieliło się tabliczką czekolady z *jej* braciszkiem (the woman's brother)
Please note that "podzielić się _czymś_ (instrumental)" in this type of sentences is reflexive - you share something, which is only yours. Also possible is "podzielić _coś_ (accusative)" (active voice), and then it means split or cut into pieces*). And "podzieliłem tort" does not necessarily imply that I "podzieliłem się tortem" - I could have cut the cake into pieces, and then eat all of them by myself.


EDIT: *) in fact, some other related meanings are also possible. You can "podzielić" a bag of cookies or candies into several heaps or among several persons. This verb can also be used with abstract terms, with a meaning varying from "categorise" ("podział owoców" = types of fruit) to "split" (a task into subtasks, for example) and divide (in math, or in politics: divide et impera = dziel i rządź).


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## Wordspin18

My question was unintentionally ambiguous, but for that very reason it is giving rise to so much extra information.
Thanks to you both and to all the interlocutors on this thread..


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## Wordspin18

Lorenc said:


> A possibility is to get the electronic version on a tablet, so that you can zoom in as much as you want
> Electronic versions also make searches much faster and allow full-text searches.


Splendid suggestion! May I ask you to send me, perhaps by private message - more than once my posts have been subject to the moderator approval procedure  - some links: Zanichelli electronic - anything they publish is very interesting to me, but especially of course everything which concerns Polish.  
Perhaps in your pm you can also illustrate how to get the electronic version on a tablet...
Thank you in advance.


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