# my son



## Encolpius

Hello, can I translate "my son, our son" into Polish as "nasz chłopiec, chłopak"? So can I say: Nasz chłopiec/chłopak uczy się źle. Thanks.


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## Thomas1

I woud use 'syn', because it sounds much more natural. I would be even more inclined to use the name: Mój/Nasz Piotrek interesuje się piłką nożną. 

You sometimes may come across 'chłopiec' used in the meaning 'son', but it is infrequent in my experience:
A possible scenario in which you could hear it:
Mam trójkę dzięci: dwie dziewczynki i (jednego) chłopca.


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## BezierCurve

Yes, although (as you surely know) "chłopak/chłopiec" means simply "a boy", "mój" is "my" and "nasz" is "our". 

So, "nasz chłopiec, chłopak" translates back as "our boy".

"Chłopiec" is a slightly higher register word than "chłopak".

EDIT: and I agree with Thomas that "syn" is used much more frequently in such contexts.


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## robin74

BezierCurve said:


> So, "nasz chłopiec, chłopak" translates back as "our boy".


Literally, yes, it does, but while "our boy" is normally used in English to mean "our son", "nasz chłopiec" does not have the same meaning in Polish.


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## BezierCurve

Yep, that's why I wrote about translating "back".


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## Ben Jamin

BezierCurve said:


> "Chłopiec" is a slightly higher register word than "chłopak".


 
What do you mean by "higher register" here? 
Is it so simple as to classify registers on a scale from low to high? I am afraid it will not work well enough.

In my opinion "Chłopiec" is a neutral (basic) word that can be used in any "register". "Chłopak" is colloquial, and has at least two meanings (just the same as "chłopiec", and "boyfriend". "Chłopak" is originally an augmentative (zgrubienie), but can be, paradoxically, used also as a term of endearment. Augmentatives, and other emotionally charged words are rarely used in formal language, so the word is informal. Lexically it means usually an older boy, usually more than 8-9 years old. It is a word more often used by males than females, and almost the only one of the two used by teenagers.


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## BezierCurve

> In my opinion "Chłopiec" is a neutral (basic) word that can be used in any "register".


 
and



> It is a word more often used by males than females, and almost the only one of the two used by teenagers.


 
are contradicting each other.


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## Ben Jamin

BezierCurve said:


> and
> 
> 
> 
> are contradicting themselves.


 
Well, they are not. The two sentences you have quoted concern two different words. The whole text after ""Chłopak" is colloquial..." is about chłopak.


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## BezierCurve

What I mean, is that if "chłopak" is the only one used by teenagers (and hardly ever the other), then it automaticaly means that "chłopiec" can't be used in "any 'register'".

Why do teenagers (and not only them) avoid using or being addresed to by "chłopiec"? Why does it often happen to hear that "chłopcy to u szewca" in reply? That word is perceived sort of "bookish", used mainly by teachers etc. That what made me think of it as a higher register word.

On the other hand, "chłopak" works OK for even new born babies ("chłopak czy dziewczyna?" can be hard as frequently as "chłopiec czy dziewczynka?"). I guess the latter tends to be used by older generation.

I agree that perception of words changes over time, and maybe it is the result of me dealing mostly with younger generation here (20 - 30 year old people).


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## marco_2

BezierCurve said:


> Why do teenagers (and not only them) avoid using or being addresed to by "chłopiec"? Why does it often happen to hear that "chłopcy to u szewca" in reply?


 
Because they want to be addressed *panowie. *


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## BezierCurve

That's very true  but "chłopaki" would usually suffice instead.


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## Ben Jamin

BezierCurve said:


> What I mean, is that if "chłopak" is the only one used by teenagers (and hardly ever the other), then it automaticaly means that "chłopiec" can't be used in "any 'register'".
> 
> Why do teenagers (and not only them) avoid using or being addresed to by "chłopiec"? Why does it often happen to hear that "chłopcy to u szewca" in reply? That word is perceived sort of "bookish", used mainly by teachers etc. That what made me think of it as a higher register word.
> 
> On the other hand, "chłopak" works OK for even new born babies ("chłopak czy dziewczyna?" can be hard as frequently as "chłopiec czy dziewczynka?"). I guess the latter tends to be used by older generation.
> 
> I agree that perception of words changes over time, and maybe it is the result of me dealing mostly with younger generation here (20 - 30 year old people).


I think that you confuse the speech register with the frequency of use in different social settings. I maintain that "chłopiec" can be used in colloquial language, even if it is unlikely that it could be used by a teenager about himself. I think, however that it is not unlikely that a teenager could use the word about a little boy of pre school age. On the other hand the word "chłopak" would never be used in a legal document (high formal register). "Dziecko płci męskiej" would be used there, not even chłopiec, which is, by the way, definitely not a bookish word (at least not yet), unless you expect a teenager use it about himself.


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## BezierCurve

Don't you think that frequency of use in colloquial speech is closely related to the register of a word? People tend to avoid more formal (or bookish) words in everyday speech and that's what is happening here.

The last time I recall someone I know using "chłopiec" was around 2 years ago, in a psychological assessment (of course, I might've not noticed it since, but I wouldn't have that problem with "chłopak"). 

I could agree with "chłopczyk" when addressing small kids though.

As for the teenagers, I don't remember any of my schoolmates using that word even when talking about younger kids (exluding the mockery like "chłopcze" etc.). "Mały chłopak" would be normally used there, unless when talking to teachers or headmasters. 

"Chłopiec" just wouldn't fit in everyday speech of young people. For them it is a more formal word, at least it always was in my "social setting".


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## Thomas1

I remember 'chłopiec' being used by teachers when I worked in a Polish _gimnazjum_. I don't think I used it, but my longer-serving (female) colleagues did. I have also a female friend who uses the word towards me and my friends (we are all in our twenties), I find it nice. When the word is used it is more likely to be employed by women than men.


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