# You're a good friend



## curlyboy20

Hello!

My suspervisor at work is Polish and he's a very nice fellow. I'd like to tell him that he's a good friend. How would I say it? This is from a younger male to a 30-somthing year old male.


Thanks!


----------



## NotNow

Jesteś dobrym kolegą.


----------



## .Jordi.

Or "_jest pan dobrym kolegą_".
NotNow's proposal is rather familiar and implies a close relation between you and your supervisor, and mine is a little bit more formal.


----------



## Oletta

You can also say: "jest pan dobrym przyjacielem" (it's more formal than "kolegą", and more precise as it comes to the friendship between a student and his/her supervisor. Once the student graduates he/she might become the supervisor's "kolega" - it's the savoir-vivre of my university, at least.)


----------



## majlo

Oletta said:


> You can also say: "jest pan dobrym przyjacielem" (it's more formal than "kolegą", and more precise as it comes to the friendship between a student and his/her supervisor. Once the student graduates he/she might become the supervisor's "kolega" - it's the savoir-vivre of my university, at least.)


May I ask what's your university?

I wouldn't advise using the word "przyjaciel" unless he's really your "przyjaciel" (it doesn't seem so from the context). Fortunately, the Polish language hasn't got to the point where any chap accidentally bumped into on the street is your friend...


----------



## curlyboy20

He's not a university professor. I work in a bilingual call center and he's the supervisor for the call center during my shift. We (the people at work) do have a very genuine friendship, however. We all go out and have fun and stuff.


----------



## arturolczykowski

I would go for "Dobry z ciebie kumpel". As for, "Jest pan dobrym kolega/przyjacielem" , it seems to me that "pan" and "przyjaciel" are at odds with each other....


----------



## Oletta

curlyboy20 said:


> He's not a university professor. I work in a bilingual call center and he's the supervisor for the call center during my shift. We (the people at work) do have a very genuine friendship, however. We all go out and have fun and stuff.



So "_dobry z ciebie kolega/kumpel_" or "_jesteś dobrym kolegą/kumplem_" is okay. 

"_Pan_" and "_przyjaciel_" would be okay in an academic context.


----------



## majlo

I disagree that _przyjaciel _would be okay in an academic context. What's more, I don't see anything academic about this word. It's about human interrelationship, not being a student or a non-student...



curlyboy20 said:


> We (the people at work) do have a very genuine friendship, however. We all go out and have fun and stuff.



That's the problem with the Polish-English relationship. You see, in Polish friendship is not just going out and having fun. In Polish friendship (_przyjaźń_) is far and away something more. Otherwise, it's "just" _koleżeństwo_.


----------



## Oletta

Well, it's because seeing the word supervisor I automatically thought about an MA thesis supervisor whereas curlyboy20 specified it precisely: "My suspervisor at work". I can assure you that now my own supervisor is a friend of mine, my "przyjaciel" even if I always call her "pani" just to honour her. Majlo, you simply misinterpreted my words, looked at it from different viewpoint. 

Yes, "in Polish friendship is not just going out and having fun. In Polish friendship (_przyjaźń_) is far and away something more. Otherwise, it's "just" _koleżeństwo_", and if anyone translates the word _FRIEND_ or _FRIENDSHIP_ into Polish must know how deep the "_friendship_" is, if it isn't deep enough it's "_koleżeństwo_", if it's deepit's for sure "_przyjaźń_".


----------



## majlo

Then, our definitions of "friendship" might differ. To me, a friend isn't simply someone I like very much and I get on with very well.

By the way, supervisor at work and supervisor at the university are different people, so your connotation is quite odd, I'd say.

Nevermind, though. I think it's been acknowledged that the best translation would be _Jest pan dobrym kolegą._


----------



## Oletta

majlo said:


> .
> 
> By the way, supervisor at work and supervisor at the university are different people, so your connotation is quite odd, I'd say.



Yup, it was my mistake. I didn't somehow see that he meant  a supervisor "at work". 

Surely I agree with you that _Jest pan dobrym kolegą _sounds all right.


----------



## Poncjusz Grzybiarz

"Jest pan dobrym kolegą" ?? Why so formal? They go out and stuff...why emphasize the ranking gaps? Especially at telling a compliment... 
I'd never do that. But then again, some choose to be easy some choose to be formal.
I'd say "Jesteś dobrym kolegą" - it's highly appropriate even if formal way.
"Jesteś dobrym przyjacielem" to your own boss/supervisor at work would be a bit of an exaggeration, I agree on that.


----------



## mundosnuevos

"Jesteś dobrym przyjacielem" -- is this the same for a female friend?


----------



## BezierCurve

"Jesteś dobrą przyjaciółką" is what you need, although both these sound somehow awkward (to my ears, at least).

Try "Dobra z Ciebie przyjaciółka" or wait to see more options.


----------

