How You Say?: Recent Episodes
Julia Tutko-Balena
If you've got a hankering to surprise your Polish-speaking friends or family, check out this 5-minute podcast and pick up a funny phrase or two!
Leje jak z cebra!
English Phonemes: “LEH-yeh yahk z TSEH-brah”
Literal Translation: It pours like from bucket.
Elegant Translation: It’s pouring like from a bucket.
English Equivalent: It’s raining cats and dogs.
This is a colloquialism very similar to the English equivalent. You use it the same way. When it’s really raining hard, you can imagine that it’s not far from a waterfall like stream you’d get from pouring water directly out of a bucket.
So the next time you’re hanging out with a Polish-speaking friend or family member, and you get caught in an absolute deluge outside, you can delight them by busting this little number out :-)
Leje = he/she/it pours [verb, 3rd p. s. present tense]
Jak = like, how [depending on context]
Z = from [preposition]
Cebra = bucket, pail [noun, masc. obj. form]
Also: Please note the pre-show announcement!! “How You Say?” will be taking a 2-month break because your illustrious host with the most is about to deliver a baby! Feel free to follow us on Twitter for updates, but other than that, new shows will be back in July or August! Thanks and hugs!
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Miód Na Duszy
English Phonemes: “myood nah DOO-[sz]ih”
Literal Translation: Honey on soul.
Elegant Translation: Honey on the soul.
English Equivalent: Heartwarming.
This is a lovely way of saying something warms your heart. Gives you the warm and fuzzies. Like someone pouring honey onto your soul. Sweet and all-enveloping.
It’s a nice idiom to know! Enjoy!
Miód = honey [noun, masc. s. subj. form]
Na = on/onto [preposition]
Duszy = soul [noun, fem. s. obj. form]
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To fraszka!
English Phonemes: “toh FRA[SZ]-kah”
Literal Translation: This poem.
Elegant Translation: This is a poem.
English Equivalent: It’s a snap.
A “fraszka” is a very specific type of poem. It’s a two-line poem where both lines rhyme and match rhythm almost perfectly. The purpose of it is to convey a witticism or a joke. A lot of people think this is easy, but it takes a real wit to come up with a good one.
Sometimes, you’ll see a longer poem like this, where you have two rhyming lines, then two more, and so on. But that’s more of a proper poem in the fraszka style. Kind of like a haiku is 5 7 5 and if you see a longer poem that harkens back to that shape, that’s fine, but it’s not technically a haiku.
Examples of this kind of poem include:
“Ulepił Pan Bóg figurę z błota,
tak przyszedł na świat pierwszy idota.”by Lech Niekarz
Which means: “Lord God clumped a figure out of mud, that’s how the first idiot came to the world.”
Or
“Czasem się trafia taka parafia,
gdzie anioł z diabłem to jedna mafia!”by Jan Bester
Which means: “Sometimes, you chance on a parish where angel and devil are all one mafia.”
Anyway, to say something is “to fraszka” is to say that it’s a snap. Easily done. This idiom can be said about any task that you think is simple. In this idiom, you don’t need a verb because the word “is” is implied.
Enjoy!
To = this, then [depending on context]
Fraszka = specific name for the 2-line rhyming poem [proper noun, fem. s. subj. form]
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Chcesz mnie nabrać?
English Phonemes: “htseh[sz] myneh NAH-brahch”
Literal Translation: You want me to take on?
Elegant Translation: You want to take me on?
English Equivalent: Are you pulling my leg?
Bouncing off from last week’s April Fool’s episode, this is a different way to challenge a potential trickster! You can say this to anyone you have an informal relationship with. It’s basically a question form of last week’s episode. (I wanted you to have the variety.)
Also, fun fact, if you change the tone, you can absolutely use this as a statement! So, if feel free to adjust the tone to your wishes!
Chcesz = you want [verb, 2nd p. s. informal, present tense]
Mnie = me [pronoun, s. obj. form]
Nabrać = to take on (slang for trick, or fool) [verb, infinitive]
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Ty mnie nie nabierzesz!
English Phonemes: “tih myneh nyeh nah-BYEH-[rz]e[sz]”
Literal Translation: You me not you will take on!
Elegant Translation: You’re not gonna take me on!
English Equivalent: To pull a fast one on someone.
Happy April Fools’ Day!
So today I’m going to equip you with one of many ways to say that you’re not going to fall for anyone’s trick! A good defensive phrase for a day like today! So if someone tries to pull a fast one on you, slam back with this phrase!
Ty = you [pronoun, s. subj. form, informal]
Mnie = me [pronoun, s. obj. form]
Nie = not/no [negating word]
Nabierzesz = you will take on [verb, 2nd. p. s. future tense, informal]
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Psi żywot!
English Phonemes: “pshee [Ż]IH-voht”
Literal Translation: Dogs’ life.
Elegant Translation: Dog life.
English Equivalent: Not fit for a dog. Going to the dogs. For the Birds.
This phrase describes the idea that life is sub-optimal (unless you’re a dog). You have most of your basic needs met, but you’re not happy. Either you’re working too hard, you don’t get paid enough, your health isn’t 100%, or something. Something is preventing you from having a comfortable day-to-day.
Usage-wise, one usually hears this phrase as a response to something in conversation. For example, someone is telling you about how their health care plan has a million and a half hoops to go through, or your friend is describing never-ending overtime at a job they need, or their house keeps having things break and break…. Basically, all of 2020 was barely fit for a dog. You can use this phrase to empathize with a friend, or put a button on your own story of sub-optimal circumstances. Either way, you will impress your Polish speaking friends/family for knowing it!
Psi = dogs’ [adj., neutral subj. form]
Żywot = life, lifestyle [slang, noun, neutral s. subj. form]
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Ale mu nawalił w czapkę!
English Phonemes: “AH-leh moo nah-WAH-leew v [CZ]AHP-keh”
Literal Translation: How to him he did dump into hat.
Elegant Translation: How he dumped into his hat!
English Equivalent: To stun someone into silence.
This phrase is one of my childhood favorites. It’s a bit naughty without being outright vulgar. And yet, it paints a pretty clear and vivid picture of what’s going on.
This phrase is a funny way to say that someone has done something so unexpected to someone else, that that other person has a face that looks as if the person took a poop into their hat. The closest English equivalent here is too broad and doesn’t really cover the exact facial expression this phrase connotes.
You may be wondering about whether or not the theoretical hat-owner deserved it. Usage-wise, it can be either scenario. It can be said about a good person who had the perfect comeback to a long-time bully, and it can apply to a frequent trouble-maker who really pulled a nasty move on someone undeserving. It’s mostly about the expression on the receiving person’s face.
The last thing I’ll say about this phrase is: don’t mess it up! Nawalić and walić and przywalić and powalić all stem from the same word but depending on their context, take on different meanings. Today’s phrasing intimates one action, but if you change too much around, you’ll distort the meaning completely.
Lastly, speaking of changes, here are a couple alternatives in case you are dealing with different genders:
If the person who is doing the dumping is female, you need to change the verb ending to “nawaliła” which is the “she” option of the he/she/it construction.
If the person who is holding the hat is female, you need to change the “mu” to a “jej” which is the pronoun “her”.
Ale = how, what, but [interjection word]
Mu = short for ‘jemu’ = to/for him [pronoun, s. obj. form]
Nawalił = he did dump [verb, 3rd p. masc. s.past tense]
W = in/into [preposition]
Czapkę = hat [noun, s. obj. form]
Jej = to/for him [pronoun, s. obj. form]
Nawaliła = she did dump [verb, 3rd p. fem. s.past tense]
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Pierwsza liga!
English Phonemes: “PYEHR-v[sz]ah LEE-gah”
Literal Translation: First league.
English Equivalent: Top notch. First place.
This week, let’s learn a cute, positive phrase! Something you can use as a compliment or an exclamation of joyous support. This phrase is used the same way we would say some event or thing was/is “top notch” or “top shelf”, or even “gold medal” or “blue ribbon”. It should be said with passion and gusto!
Pierwsza = first [adj., f. s. subj. form]
Liga = league [noun, f. s. subj. form]
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Podłożyć świnię.
English Phonemes: “pohd-WOH-[ż]ihch SHFEEN-y[ę]”
Literal Translation: To put under pig.
Elegant Translation: To plant a pig.
English Equivalent: To trip someone up.
This is another fun phrase loosely related to mud-slinging. Picture putting a pig right under someone’s feet. They’d trip, cause quite a hullabaloo, and look silly. That visual should tell you just what’s going on here. It’s more than just trash talking, it’s about deliberately setting someone up to look like an a$$ - especially at work where opinions about outward appearances and performance matter more.
Usage Example: Say your friend tells you they keep early hours at their job because they have to leave early to pick up their kids from school. Now picture that they have a coworker who deliberately schedules important meetings late in the day in the hope of making your friend look negligent and bad at their job. That coworker is trying to downright sabotage your friend’s professional reputation - and this phrase applies perfectly to describe what’s going on.
I can think of other examples in and outside of work, like how to make someone’s Significant Other look bad in front of a group of friends, or teammates on a team, etc., but the idea is the same all over: Sabotage.
Options: you can add the word “komuś ” (someone) or “pod nogi ” (under legs) to be more specific, but that’s not necessary.
Podłożyć = to put under [verb, infinitive]
Swinię = pig [noun, f. s. obj. form]
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Powiesić na kimś psy.
English Phonemes: “poh-VYEH-sheech nah keemsh psih”
Literal Translation: To hang on someone dogs.
Elegant Translation: To hang dogs on someone.
English Equivalent: To sling mud.
Bouncing off of of last week’s lesson, we’ve got another idiom that describes and calls out good, ol’-fashioned mud-slinging. As with last week, we’re learning the infinitive form, so you have more flexibility of use without worrying about grammar applicable to only one situation.
A special note about grammar here: Last week we saw the object form of someone is “kogoś” and today we’re seeing “kimś”, so you have every right to ask the question: What gives?
As I’ve mentioned only a couple times before, Polish grammar is more complex than I teach on the show. If you want to learn about Nominative, Dative, Genitive, Accusative, Vocative, and so on, that level of detail is covered in a comprehensive language course. I’m trying to keep it short and sweet, so as well as translating the words into English, I’m also drawing quick parallels to English grammar. In English, we have sentence subjects and objects, (and even that’s a bit reductive), so that’s how I translate my lessons to keep them light and consumable in 5 minutes.
Let me know if you ever want a special Megasode or Video about the bigger nitty gritty. In the kogoś/kimś example here, I could discuss how the idea of mixing someone in mud needs a different part of speech than hanging dogs on someone, because effectively, Polish grammar recognizes that those activities USE that “someone” object in different ways, and the way the word looks reflects that.
Anyway, special note over.
Enjoy!
Powiesić = to hang [verb, infinitive]
Na = on/onto [preposition]
Kimś = someone [noun, masc. s. obj. form]
Psy = dogs [noun, masc. pl. obj. form]
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Zmieszać kogoś z błotem.
English Phonemes: “ZMYEH-[sz]ahch KOH-gohsh z BWOH-tehm”
Literal Translation: To mix someone with mud.
Elegant Translation: To coat/cover someone in mud.
English Equivalent: To sling mud.
A Pole won’t take you apart – he’ll mix you with mud or hang dogs on you (next week’s episode).
This week, instead of guessing at scenarios, I wanted to teach you the most generic way to say this so you could repeat it in any number of scenarios where someone is slinging mud at someone else. For the lack of specificity, you’re gaining flexibility. I trust your judgement!
Zmieszać = to mix [infinitive]
Kogoś = someone [noun, masc. s. obj. form]
Z = with [preposition]
Błotem = mud [noun, neut. s. obj. form]
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Jeśli nie potrafisz nie pchaj się na afisz.
English Phonemes: “YEHSH-lee nyeh poh-TRAH-fee[sz] nyeh phahj shyeh nah AH-fee[sz]”
Literal Translation: If not you are able, not shove self onto poster.
Elegant Translation: If you’re not able, don’t push yourself onto the poster.
English Equivalent: Have you got the skills to pay the bills?
This is a hilarious phrase. You’re basically saying, if you haven’t got what it takes, don’t get on the stage. The “poster” in the phrase specifically refers to an advertisement for a show (or film, in the modern sense).
Other equivalent phrases include:
“If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
“Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.”
The voice and tone of this phrase is 100% informal, definitely don’t use this with someone you have a more distant or professional relationship with. Even if you frame it as “well, you know what they say…” and then use that phrase, unless you know the person, you might accidentally insult them.
For friends/family, however, this is hilarious. And deployed skillfully, it could even be a bit of wisdom as well as a playful jab.
Jeśli = if
Nie = not, no [negates what comes next]
Potrafisz = you are able [verb, 2nd p. s. present tense]
Pchaj = shove, push [verb, 2nd p. s. present tense - also the imperative instructive form]
Się = self [reflective helper word]
Na = on, onto [preposition]
Afisz = poster [noun, masc. s. obj. form]
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Gruszki na wierzbie!
English Phonemes: “GROO[SZ]-kee nah VYE[Ż]-byeh”
Literal Translation: Pears on willow.
Elegant Translation: Pears on a willow tree.
English Equivalent: To promise the moon.
In Polish, we don’t promise the moon or the world, we promise to deliver pears on a willow tree. You can use this phrase the same way as the English counterparts :-)
Enjoy!
Gruszki = pears [noun, f. pl. subj. form]
Na = on/onto [preposition]
Wierzbie = willow tree [noun, f. s. obj. form]
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Chcesz pozjadać wszystkie rozumy?
English Phonemes: “htseh[sz] poh-ZYAH-dahch F[SZ]IHS-tkyeh roh-ZOO-mih”
Literal Translation: You want to eat all brains?
Elegant Translation: You want to eat up all the brains?
English Equivalent: To be smarter than the average bear.
This is just a funny way of asking someone if they aim to surpass every brain out there. The phrasing implies part ambition, part inflated ego. There’s nothing wrong with ambition, but too much ego leads to trouble! You you can use this phrase with a friend (it’s informal!) as a friendly supportive ribbing.
Chcesz = You want/do you want [verb, 2nd p. s., present tense]
Pozjadać = Eat [verb, infinitive]
Wszystkie = All [adj. m. pl. obj. form]
Rozumy = brains [noun, m. pl. obj. form]
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Pada deszczyk pada
Pada sobie równo
Raz wpadnie na kwiatek
Raz wpadnie na... bratek!
Literal Translation:
It falls, little rain, it falls
It falls itself evenly
Once it will fall onto flower
Once it will fall onto ... Pansy
Elegant Translation:
The little rain falls, it falls
It falls [everywhere] evenly
Once falling on a flower
Once falling on a ... pansy
I thought I’d celebrate episode 150 and also close out the year with a song! This is a bit naughty, also, as it subverts expectations. At the end of the song, when you pause before delivering the word “bratek”, you have set the rhyme up to be a swear word that starts with ‘g’ and rhymes with ‘równo’. I’m not going to say the word itself, but suffice it to say the “S” in the English abbreviation of “B.S.” is exactly what it means.
It’s a funny little song about rain falling uniformly, and unbiased, on all the pretty things and horrible things alike. It’s a cheerful tune, and it’s just a funny joke. I thought I’d share. It’s a pretty popular song.
Thank you all for 150 awesome episodes.
Have a fun and safe holiday season.
I’ll see you all in 2021!
Pada (PAH-dah) = he/she/it is falling [verb, 3rd p. s., present tense]
Deszczyk (DEH[SZ][CZ]-ihk)= rain [noun, s. masc. subj. form, diminutive]
Sobie (SOH-byeh) = itself [reflective word, obj. form]
Równo (ROOV-noh) = evenly [adv.]
Raz (rahs) = once
Wpadnie (FPAHD-nyeh) = he/she/it will fall (onto/into) [verb, 3rd p.s., future tense, needs a preposition to follow]
Na (nah) = onto/on [preposition]
Kwiatek (KFYAH-tehk) = flower [noun, s. masc. obj. form, diminutive]
Bratek (BRAH-tehk) = a Pansy, a specific breed of flower [noun, s. masc. obj. form]
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Jeść nie woła.
English Phonemes: “yehshch nyeh VOH-wah”
Literal Translation: To eat not calls.
Elegant Translation: This doesn’t call out for food.
English Equivalent: This can wait.
This is an old idiom, and very popular. It perfectly captures the idea that something is not desperate for you attention, like, say, a baby calling out for food would be. It’s used to say “take it easy”, that you can be relaxed and approach a given item/task at your convenience.
Jeść = to eat [verb, infinitive]
Nie = not/no [negating word]
Woła = he/she/it calls [verb, 3rd p. s., present tense]
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Nie nabijaj mnie w butelkę.
English Phonemes: “nyeh nah-BEE-yahy mnyeh v boo-TEHL-k[ę]”
Literal Translation: Not you stuff me into bottle!
Elegant Translation: Don’t stuff me into a bottle!
English Equivalent: Stop pulling my leg.
This is the perfect Polish phrase to encompass the mischief of trying to pull a fast one on someone or in any way trying to pull someone’s leg.
Nie = not/no [negating word]
Nabijaj = (you) stuff [verb, s. imperative, informal]
Mnie = me [obj. form]
W = into/in [preposition]
Butelkę = bottle [noun, fem. s. obj. form]
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Mucha nie siada!
English Phonemes: “MOO-hah nyeh SHYAH-dah”
Literal Translation: Fly not sits!
Elegant Translation: A fly doesn’t sit!
English Equivalent: Flawless. Perfection.
This is a really fun phrase to express that something is beyond reproach. Something is so clean, or beautiful, or excellently executed that there is no place a fly could find to sit. I love this phrase.
Mucha = fly [noun, fem. s. subj. form]
Nie = not, no [negates whatever comes next]
Siada = he/she/it will sit [verb, 3rd p. s., present tense]
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Trzeba brać nogi za pas!
English Phonemes: “T[SZ]EH-bah brahch NOH-gee zah pahs”
Literal Translation: It’s necessary to take legs behind belt!
Elegant Translation: It’s time to take your legs behind your belt!
English Equivalent: To leg it. To take to one’s heels.
Like last week, this phrase means it’s time to run away, turn tail, and beat it.
Sometimes, the simple advice is the best advice. Enjoy!
Trzeba = it is necessary, there is need [slang, shortened from ‘jest potrzeba żeby’]
Brać = to take [verb, infinitive]
Nogi = legs [noun, pl. f. obj. form]
Za = behind, after [preposition]
Pas = belt [noun, s. masc. obj. form]
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Trzeba dać nogę!
English Phonemes: “T[SZ]EH-bah dahch NOH-g[ę]”
Literal Translation: It’s necessary to give leg!
Elegant Translation: It’s time to give a leg!
English Equivalent: Make a run for it!
This is one way to say that it’s time to escape, to make a run for it, to hoof it, to leg it, to run away. (Next week we’ll do another phrase for the same thing!)
Sometimes, it’s the best advice you can give someone. Enjoy!
Trzeba = it is necessary, there is need [slang, shortened from ‘jest potrzeba żeby’]
Dać = to give [verb, infinitive]
Nogę = leg [noun, s. f. obj. form]
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On/Ona leje wodę!
English Phonemes: “nyeh lej VOH-d[ę]”
Literal Translation: He/She pours water!
Elegant Translation: He/She is pouring water!
English Equivalent: To waffle. To be noncommittal.
When a person speaks without substance, they water down the point, they waffle, they avoid a definitive statements, they give evasive answers to questions, this phrase is perfect to call them out on it. Best applied to politicians and writers. :-)
On/Ona = He/She [noun, masc./fem., s. subj. form]
Leje = he/she/it pours [verb, 3rd p. s., present tense]
Wodę = water [noun, f. s. obj. form]
If you want the “they” (plural) version of this phrase, it’s “*Oni leją wodę.”
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Gdy kota nie ma, myszy harcują.
English Phonemes: “gdih KOH-tah nyeh mah MIH-[sz]ih har-TSOO-y[ą]”
Literal Translation: When cat not has, mice are playing.
Elegant Translation: When there is no cat, the mice play.
English Equivalent: When the cat's away, the mice are at play.
This is a popular phrase. It means that when the authority figure is out, the subordinates break the rules. It’s most commonly used in Polish when parents step out to run errands and their kids make mischief in their absence.
Gdy = when, if, as
Kota = cat [noun, masc. s. obj. form]
Nie = no, not
Ma = he/she/it has [verb, 3rd. p. s., present tense]
Myszy = mice [noun, pl. f. subj. form]
Harcują = they are playing, frolicking, prancing [verb, 3rd. p. pl., present tense]
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Śmieje się jak głupi do sera!
English Phonemes: “SHMYEH-yeh shyeh yahk GWOO-pee doh SEH-rah”
Literal Translation: He/She/It laughs itself how idiot to cheese!
Elegant Translation: He/She/It laughs like an idiot to cheese!
English Equivalent: To laugh inappropriately.
This is a great saying for a situation where someone laughs without a good reason. Either they don’t know what’s going on, they feel awkward, they feel nervous, or a myriad of other scenarios. The end result being that they laugh without a reason. They look and sound bonkers.
Extra bonus usage case: If you find yourself in a scenario where someone says “Say cheese” before taking a picture, your sweet come-back could be “jak głupi do sera” and I guarantee any Polish speakers in the group will laugh outright. :-)
Śmieje = he/she/it laughs or is laughing [verb, 3rd p. s., present tense]
Się = himself/herself/itself [reflective helper word]
Jak = how, like
Głupi = idiot, stupid person [noun, masc. s. subj. form]
Do = to [preposition]
Sera = cheese [noun, masc. s. obj. form]
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Robimy dobrą minę do złej gry.
English Phonemes: “roh-BEE-mih DOHB-r[ą] MEE-n[ę] doh zwehy grih”
Literal Translation: We are making good face to bad game.
Elegant Translation: We are putting on a good face for a bad game.
English Equivalent: Grin and bear it.
This is a nice way to say “put on a brave face” or “grin and bear it” or even “put on a Poker face”. You can use today’s Polish saying the same way.
In terms of grammar usage, you can manipulate the verb to make it singular or speak in the third person, but I figured the “we” conjugation would be a good catch-all for the average listener, since, you can use it in the most situations, and who doesn’t like a bit of empathy?
Robimy = we are making [v., 1st person plural, present tense]
Dobrą = good [adj. f. s. obj. form]
Minę = face, facial expression [n. f. obj. form]
Do = to, for [directional preposition]
Złej = bad [adj. s. f. obj. form]
Gry = game [n. s. f. obj. form]
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W Sam Akurat!
English Phonemes: “v sahm ah-KOO-raht”
Literal Translation: In alone exactly.
Elegant Translation: Exactly right.
English Equivalent: Nailed it.
This is a neat little way to say that you did something, or something happened, exactly and perfectly so.
Think of the literal translation as meaning “in the one and only perfect spot!”
The best way to think about this phrase’s usage is that you can say this in any situation you would use the word “perfectly” in English. So, you arrived home perfectly in time for dinner. Or you spiced your favorite dish perfectly. Or you delivered your prepared monologue perfectly, exactly the way you wanted.
This sentence can stand on its own, or be part of any bigger sentence. Up to you and your comfort level.
Enjoy!
W = in [preposition]
Sam = alone [s. masc. adj., obj. form]
Akurat = exactly [adv.]
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Jak kto głupi, to aż miło!!!
English Phonemes: “yahk ktoh GWOO-pee toh ah[sz] MEE-woh”
Literal Translation: If who stupid, then until nice.
Elegant Translation: When someone’s stupid, then it’s nice.
English Equivalent: Not the sharpest tool in the shed.
This is an old and strange saying which means nothing like what the words actually say. The literal meaning paints a lovely picture of a stupid person obliviously and joyfully romping through their existence. But the meaning of the idiom is more direct: you’re actually saying “you are so dense, you don’t even notice what every basic idiot sees.” If you use this, don’t forget the sarcasm!
This saying is falling out of common language nowadays. A lot of Polish speakers out there might actually use it incorrectly. How nice is it that you have a leg up?
(Also, the word “is” is understood!)
Jak = if, when, how
Kto = who (but it’s actually shortened slang from “ktoś” meaning “someone”) [s. n. subj. form]
Głupi = stupid [adj. m. subj. form]
To = then
Aż = until, to the point of (also sometimes used as accenting word)
Miło = nice, pleasant [adj. s. neutral subj. form]
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Powiem prosto z mostu!
English Phonemes: “POH-wyehm PROHS-toh z MOHS-too”
Literal Translation: I will tell straight from bridge.
Elegant Translation: I will tell it straight from the bridge.
English Equivalent: To speak bluntly.
When a Polish person tells you something outright, they speak straight from the bridge. A great turn of phrase to use when you’re about to say something without beating about the bush.
Powiem = I will tell/say/speak [1st p. s., verb, future tense, gender agnostic]
Prosto = straight [adj. used as a direction]
Z = from [preposition]
Mostu = bridge [noun, s. neutral, obj. form]
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Co, myślisz o niebieskich migdałach?
English Phonemes: “tsoh MISH-lee[sz] oh nyeh-BYEHS-keeh meeg-DAHW-ahh”
Literal Translation: What, you are thinking about blue almonds?
Elegant Translation: What, are you thinking about blue almonds?
English Equivalent: To have your head in the clouds.
Polish people don’t daydream, they think about blue almonds! This phrase is perfect if you’re talking to a Polish speaker and they get that Thousand Mile Stare in the middle of a sentence. Also a useful phrase to use if someone is proposing an idea that is truly undoable or fantastical.
Co = what
Myślisz = you are thinking [2nd p. s., present tense, informal]
O = about, of [preposition]
Niebieskich = blue [f. pl. adj., obj. form]
Migdałach = almonds, tonsils [f. pl. n., obj. form]
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Ale naważyłem/naważyłam piwa!
English Phonemes: “AH-leh nah-vah-[Ż]IH-wehm(wahm) PEE-vah”
Literal Translation: Oh how I brewed beer!
Elegant Translation: Wow, did I brew some beer!
English Equivalent: Mess things up.
This is a funny way to say you messed things up. Other analogous English phrases include “poked the bear” or “stepped in it”. The phrase is a bit old, but it’s still very much in use!
This is very similar to Episode 91, from last year, where we learned “Ale narobiłem/narobiłam bigosu!” meaning Wow, did I make the cabbage stew! That lesson’s phrase is very similar in meaning. Give it a listen!
Ale = how, what, but [interjection word]
Naważyłem/Naważyłam = I brewed [1st p. s., past. Use ‘-em’ if you are male, ‘-am’ if you are female]
Piwa = beer [s. obj. form of ‘piwo’]
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Szukać dziury w całym.
English Phonemes: “[SZ]OO-kahch JYOO-rih v TSAH-wihm”
Literal Translation: To look for hole in whole.
Elegant Translation: To look for a hole in the whole.
English Equivalent: Nit-pick. Fault-find.
This phrase is used to say someone is looking for flaws where there are none.
I’ll discuss in this episode how you can modify this phrase to better fit your situation, but in essence, you can use this phrase as-is anywhere and be completely correct.
Enjoy!
Szukać = to look for, to seek [infinitive of the verb]
Dziury = a hole [s. f. obj. form]
W = in, inside of [preposition]
Całym = a whole [masc. s. obj. form]
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Nie mam sumienia.
English Phonemes: “nyeh mahm soo-MYEH-nyah”
Literal Translation: Not I have conscience.
Elegant Translation: I don’t have the conscience.
English Equivalent: I can’t in good conscience.
This phrase is used when you’re faced with a moral dilemma. A crisis of conscience. You want the last slice of pizza, but you see that 10 year old Molly wants it, too, and you just don’t have it in you to take it. You “don’t have the heart” to take it, as it were.
This phrase is perfect for those situations. When you have the option to do something selfish or naughty, but your better angels take over and you just don’t have enough evil in you to act on that compulsion. It’s a good thing!
Keying off from last week, if you say that “tamten nie ma sumienia“, you are actually saying they have no conscience. In other words, that they sided with the devil on their shoulder. But here, when you are speaking in the first person, you actually mean that you sided with the angel on your shoulder. You can use this phrase to mean that you have no conscience (like “dust” is its own antonym) but it is less common to use it this way.
So, back to the Molly and the pizza example, if you took that last slice, you could follow it up with this phrase. (But don’t be surprised if folks don’t want to be friends with you after pulling a move like that.)
Anyway, it’s a neat little phrase with lots of texture and meaning.
Enjoy!
Nie = not, no [negates whatever comes next]
Mam = I have [1st p. s.]
Sumienia = conscience [s. obj. form]
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Tamten/tamta jest bez sumienia.
English Phonemes: “TAHM-ten/TAHM-tah nyeh mah soo-MYEH-nyah”
Literal Translation: That one is without conscience.
Elegant Translation: That person has no conscience.
English Equivalent: They are without conscience.
This is a nice phrase to use to call out that someone did something unconscionable. The words tamten and tamta both mean that (tam) this (ten or ta), but it’s based on the gender of the person you are referring to. (See notes below.)
You can use it as a joke or in serious situations. Your call.
Enjoy!
Tamten/Tamta = that-this (that one) [s. masc./fem., subj. form]
Jest = he/she/it is [3rd. p. s.]
Bez = without [preposition]
Sumienia = conscience [s. obj. form]
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Nie owijaj prawdę w bawełnę.
English Phonemes: “nyeh oh-VEE-yahy PRAHV-deh v bah-VEHW-neh”
Literal Translation: Not wrap up truth in cotton.
Elegant Translation: Don’t wrap the truth in cotton.
English Equivalent: Don’t beat around the bush.
This is a fun phrase to ask someone to get to the point. Please note that this is informal phrasing, so be aware of whom you use this with.
Enjoy!
Nie = not, no [negates whatever comes next]
Owijaj = wrap up [s. informal imperative]
Prawdę = truth [s. f. obj. form]
W = in [preposition]
Bawełnę = cotton [s. f. obj. form]
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Czapka za kapelusz.
English Phonemes: “[CZ]AHP-kah zah kah-PEH-loo[sz]”
Literal Translation: Cap for hat.
Elegant Translation: A cap for a hat.
English Equivalent: Six of one, half a dozen of another.
This funny phrase is used exactly the same way as “six of one, half a dozen of the other” is in English. Enjoy!
Czapka = cap, hat, toque [noun, s. f. subj. form]
Za = for [preposition]
Kapelusz = hat, usually only a hat with a brim [noun, s. masc. subj. form]
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Wezmę coś na ząb.
English Phonemes: “VEHZ-meh tsohsh nah z[ą]b”
Literal Translation: I will take something on tooth.
Elegant Translation: I will take something on the tooth.
English Equivalent: I will nibble something.
Here’s a cute phrase for when you are feeling hungry. You could also say that you want something “on the tooth” or “for the tooth” and it conveys the same meaning. It’s slang for wanting to eat something. Usually in the sense of wanting a snack, in passing, although you can use it to indicate hunger for a meal, and you’ll be understood.
Wezmę = I will take [1st p. s. verb, future tense]
Coś = something
Na = on [preposition]
Ząb = tooth [noun, s. obj. form]
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O ty skubańcu!
English Phonemes: “oh tih skooh-BA[Ń]-tsooh”
Literal Translation: Oh you pecker!
English Equivalent: Hen pecker!
This is a gentle ribbing way to call someone out for being annoying, or even mischievous and sneaky. It is even sometimes used as a euphemism if you want to avoid using naughty grown-up words.
O = oh
Ty = you [noun, subj. form, informal]
Skubańcu = pecker, pincher, picker - one who does the pinching/pecking/picking [vocative singular form of the noun]
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Kiedy pies szczeka to nie gryzie.
English Phonemes: “KYEH-dih pyehs [SZ][CZ]EH-kah toh nyeh GRIH-[ź]yeh”
Literal Translation: When dog barks then not bites.
Elegant Translation: When a dog is barking, it’s not biting.
This is a funny phrase to say that that if someone is busy being loud, they don’t have time or energy to do much else. Including thinking, listening, hitting, anything. Wise words!
Kiedy = when
Pies = dog [s. masc. noun, subj. form]
Szczeka = he/she/it barks or is barking [3rd. p. sing. verb, present tense]
To = then, this [depending on context]
Nie = not, no [negates whatever comes after]
Gryzie = he/she/it bites or is biting [3rd. p. sing. verb, present tense]
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Przypomniała sobie babka dziewiczy wieczór.
English Phonemes: “p[sz]ih-poh-MNYAH-wah SOH-byeh BAHB-kah jyeh-VEECZ-ih VYEH-[cz]oor”
Literal Translation: She remembered herself grandmother virgin evening.
Elegant Translation: The grandmother remembered the virgin evening.
English Equivalent: You’ve outgrown something.
A “virgin evening” is the literal translation for a bachelorette party. Or a “hen do” for our British and Australian listeners.
This phrase is meant to joke about how a grandmother who has years of life experience and should know better, is suddenly regressing to a younger and more foolish time in her life. You use this phrase when someone says something silly or immature in conversation.
Enjoy!
Przypomniała = he/she/it remembered [verb, 3rd p. s., past]
Sobie = (to) him/her/itself [reflective helper word, obj. form]
Babka = old woman, grandmother [n. fem. s. subj. form, diminutive]
Dziewiczy = young woman, virgin [s. masc. adj. obj. form]
Wieczór = evening [s. masc. noun, obj. form]
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Pod żadnym pozorem.
English Phonemes: “pohd [Ż]AHD-nihm poh-ZOH-rehm”
Literal Translation: Under no pretext.
Elegant Translation: Under no pretense.
English Equivalent: Under no circumstances.
This is a handy phrase to know. I used it earlier when my little one asked to walk the balance beam on the handrail between us and the river. You’ll hear many a Polish parent use this one with their kids to definitively squash a bad idea. I opened my mouth and my mother came out, so I had to share this with you all this week.
“Over my dead body” is another great English equivalent.
Enjoy!
Pod = under [preposition]
Żadnym = no, any [adj. masc. sing. obj. form]
Pozorem = guise, pretence, circumstance [noun masc. sing. obj. form]
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Wypchaj się sianem.
English Phonemes: “VIHP-haee shyeh SHYAH-nehm”
Literal Translation: Stuff self hay!
Elegant Translation: Stuff yourself with hay!
English Equivalent: Get lost! Beat it!
Another beautiful and colorful way to tell someone to hit the bricks. Harkening back to the first episode of this show - Idź krowie na ogon :-)
Enjoy!
Wypchaj = stuff, cram [singular imperative]
Się = self [reflective helper word]
Sianem = hay [n., singular neutral obj. form]
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Ale Mu/Jej/Im Się Udało
English Phonemes: “AH-leh moo yehy eem shyeh oo-DAH-woh”
Literal Translation: How to him/her/them itself it did succeed.
Elegant Translation: How did that work out for him/her/them.
English Equivalent: Well, that worked out!
Bouncing off of last week’s episode, this is a good phrase for you to describe something working out for someone in the past. It could be applied to a recent event or something long past.
Fun Reminder: The verb “uda” is very seldom seen not in the 3rd person singular form. It’s mostly used, in fact, in this type of context. If I want to say “I succeeded” at something, that thought is usually constructed in the form of “it succeeded for me”, which is kind of neat for those of us who subconsciously respond to having a hint of Destiny’s hand in our various doings.
I also wanted to present you with options for people for whom something worked out. So below, you’ll have a write up of how to say this for “him”, “her”, and “them”. (Hopefully you remember from last week’s episode that “me” would just be “mi” in Polish.)
Enjoy!
Ale = how, but [depending on intonation]
Mu = (to) him [slang, shortened from ‘jemu’, the obj. form of ‘on’ = he]
Jej = (to) her [obj. form of ‘ona’ = she]
Im = (to) them [obj. form of ‘oni’ = they]
Się = itself [reflective helper word]
Udało = it succeeded [past tense, 3rd p. singular]
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Może Mi Się Uda
English Phonemes: “MOH-[ż]eh mee shyeh OO-dah”
Literal Translation: Maybe to me itself it will succeed.
Elegant Translation: Maybe it will succeed for me.
English Equivalent: I hope this works!
This is a phrase I use often. When I’m attempting to do something, big or small, with no guarantee of success, sometimes I mutter this under my breath the same way we might say “you never know” or “let’s see if this works” or “here goes nothing” or “I hope this works” in English.
It’s a nifty little hopeful phrase. Enjoy!
Może = maybe
Mi = (to) me [singular obj. form]
Się = himself/herself/itself [reflective helper word]
Uda = it will succeed [future tense 3rd p. singular]
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To ostatni dzwonek.
English Phonemes: “toh ohs-TAHT-nee DZWOH-nehk”
Literal Translation: This last little bell.
Elegant Translation: This is the final little bell.
English Equivalent: Last call!
This phrase is the Polish way to say it’s the last chance to do something. “Final warning”, “last call”, and “last chance” are all valid equivalents. You can also remove the “to” part altogether and still maintain the meaning.
To = this
Ostatni = last [adj. masc. s., subj. form]
Dzwonek = bell [diminutive of noun, masc. s., subj. form]
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Gdzies tu sie kręci.
English Phonemes: “gjyehsh tooh shyeh KR[Ę]-chee”
Literal Translation: Somewhere here itself it is spinning.
Elegant Translation: He/she/it is spinning around here somewhere.
English Equivalent: [XYZ] is/are floating around here somewhere.
Whether you’ve temporarily lost track of a friend at a party, or you can’t find some object you just saw a moment ago, this is the phrase for you!
Gdzieś = somewhere
Tu = here
Się = himself/herself/itself [reflective helper word]
Kręci = he/she/it is spinning/turning [verb, 3rd p. s.]
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Same dobre!
English Phonemes: “SAH-meh DOH-breh”
Literal Translation: Only good.
Elegant Translation: All good.
English Equivalent: Only the good stuff.
This phrase can refer to something being decadent, as in, a top-shelf experience; or it can mean that it’s the healthiest, best-for-you option. It usually refers to food.
One thing I didn’t highlight in the recording is that the adjectives can be singular OR plural. It’s ambiguous by design so you can refer to one or many wonderful things.
Same = only, alone [adj. s. (neutral gender) or pl.]
Dobre = good [adj. s. (neutral gender) or pl.]
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Zjeżdżaj z tąd!
English Phonemes: “ZYEH[Ż]-d[ż]ahy s t[ą]t”
Literal Translation: Slide down from of here!
Elegant Translation: Slide down away from here!
English Equivalent: Get out of here!
Another charming way to tell someone to beat it! We figured that in the era of social distancing, if you find yourself in Polish-speaking company with someone who isn’t respecting your safety boundaries, you now have a fun way to do something about it.
Stay safe, everyone!
Zjeżdżaj = slide down [imperative singular informal]
Z = from [preposition]
Tąd = of here [prepositional obj. form of ‘tu’ (the Polish word ‘here’)]
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Ogólnie rzecz biorąc...
English Phonemes: “oh-GOOL-nyeh [rz]eh[cz] BYOH-r[ą]c”
Literal Translation: Generally thing taking...
Elegant Translation: Generally taking a thing...
English Equivalent: Overall. Generally speaking. In general.
This is a great and useful phrase to have in your back pocket. You can use it as an answer to a question or as part of a bigger sentence. Same as one would use “generally speaking” in English.
Ogólnie = generally [adv.]
Rzecz = thing [noun, s. obj. form]
Biorąc = taking [as in, while in the processing of someone taking something]
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To temat rzeka!
English Phonemes: “toh TEH-maht [Ż]EH-kah”
Literal Translation: This topic river.
Elegant Translation: This is a topic like a river.
English Equivalent: It’s a long story.
This phrase is used the same way “it’s a long story” is in English. It’s falling out of use, but people still know what it means. It’s a good simile, meant to evoke the feeling of a long and wide and ever-flowing river, which would take a very long time to see every bit of and completely understand.
Sidebar grammar note:
It’s important to highlight that the word “to” is a noun and not an adjective. If it were acting as an adjective, and we were saying “this topic” as a married pair of words, we’d need the Polish word “ten”.
So. Adjective “this” vs. noun “this”.
We actually have the same behaviors in English. The English words “this” and “that” can be used as adjectives (eg. this burrito - specifying a particular and close-by instance of a burrito) or nouns (eg. I want this (pointing at something nearby), or “this is what I’m saying” (referencing something abstract that has been established before)).
So the idea is exactly the same. It’s just that in Polish, we have different versions for adjective “this” and noun “this”.
I mention this because it means that the literal translation as ”this topic” is actually inaccurate. It’s more like “this is a topic” where “is” and “a” are understood.
I’m laughing out loud as I type this for you. The topic of this little three-word phrase is like a river! Yay irony!
To = this [noun, subj. form]
Temat = topic [noun. s. subj. form]
Rzeka = river [noun. s. subj. form]
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O mały włos!
English Phonemes: “oh MAH-wih vwohs”
Literal Translation: By little hair.
Elegant Translation: By a tiny hair.
English Equivalent: By the skin of their teeth.
This phrase is used to describe something as a close call, either in the good or bad sense. The English phrase “by the skin of one’s teeth” is a very close equivalent, though it usually has a connotation to a negative event — which someone narrowly avoided, or scraped by “by the skin of their teeth”. But “o mały włos” can be associated with both positive and negative events.
Fun Fact: Google translates this as phrase as “for little hair” which is a totally fair word-for-word translation, but it didn’t choose the correct preposition definition and so the meaning is completely obscured. Aren’t languages fun?
O = by, about, of, for, concerning, against, over [preposition]
Mały = little, tiny [adj., s. masc. obj. form]
Włos = hair [noun, s. masc. obj. form]
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Czasami!
English Phonemes: “[cz]ah-SAH-mee”
Literal Translation: Sometimes.
Short lesson this week!
Spring-boarding off of last week’s episode, this word shares a common root with the word “czas” (time).
You can use this the same way as you use “sometimes” in English. Yay!
Czasami = sometimes, at times
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Raz Na Jakiś Czas
English Phonemes: “rahs nah YAH-keesh [cz]ahs”
Literal Translation: Once on some time.
Elegant Translation: Once in some time.
English Equivalent: Once in a while.
This is a great phrase to know. It comes up often. You can use it casually, or in formal settings. You can have it be part of a thought or as a stand-alone statement. Use it just like the phrase “once in a while” in English!
Raz = once
Na = on/onto
Jakiś = some, any [adj. s. obj. form]
Czas = time [n. s. obj. form]
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Nabijasz mnie w butelkę!
English Phonemes: “nah-BEE-yah[sz] mnyeh v boo-TEHL-keh”
Literal Translation: You are stuffing me into bottle.
Elegant Translation: You are stuffing me into a bottle.
English Equivalent: You’re pulling my leg.
Similar to Episode 110, this phrase has to do with not falling for anyone’s tricks! This phrase can be used to convey that you know someone is trying to have some fun with you.
Nabijasz = you are stuffing/shoving/loading [s. 2nd p. informal]
Mnie = me [s. obj. form]
W = into [preposition]
Butelkę = bottle [s. obj. form]
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Zapałkę na cztery, pół litra na raz.
English Phonemes: “zah-POW-keh nah [CZ]TEH-rih poow LEE-trah nah rahs”
Literal Translation: Match into four, half liter into once.
Elegant Translation: A match into fourths but half a liter at once.
English Equivalent: To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short. (Confucius)
This is a funny, glib phrase that describes when a person does too much of one thing but not enough of another — sometimes even resulting in counteracting actions and contradictory behavior.
Be careful not to sound judge-y when you use this one!
Zapałkę = match [s. f. obj. form]
Na = into, on [preposition]
Cztery = four
Pół = half
Litra = liter [s. f. obj. form]
Na = into, on [preposition]
Raz = once
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Kapitalna robota!
English Phonemes: “kah-pee-TAHL-nyeh”
Literal Translation: Capital work!
Elegant Translation: Capital job!
English Equivalent: Great job!
This is a nice way to encourage someone and let them know you think that they just did something awesome. A job well done. A capital performance.
Kapitalna = capital [adj. f. s., subj. form]
Robota = work, job, task [n. f. s., subj. form]
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Nie bierz mnie pod włos!
English Phonemes: “nyeh byeh[sz] mnyeh pohd vwohs”
Literal Translation: Not take me under hair!
Elegant Translation: Don’t take me under the hair!
English Equivalent: I’m not buying what you’re selling!
This phrase is a great way to tell someone that you’re not falling for any of their tricks!
The reference to hair doesn’t mean someone is trying to work their way under your scalp. To say “pod włos” means more about going AGAINST the grain, not physically under it. Going against the direction of how hair grows is uncomfortable and irritating, as any pet owner can tell you. Very similar to the feeling that you get when you know someone is trying to trick you. So let them know you’re not having it!
Nie = not, no
Bierz = take [imperative, s. informal]
Mnie = me [obj. form]
Pod = under [preposition]
Włos = hair [s. obj. form]
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Można podskoczyć!
English Phonemes: “MOH[Ż]-nah pod-SKOH-[cz]ich”
Literal Translation: One can to jump.
Elegant Translation: One can jump!
This phrase can be — with equal validity — used in the literal sense, or in the colloquial sense.
Literally, it means what it says: whatever physical distance you’re looking to jump up or over, it is possible to hop up and/or over the obstacle.
Colloquially, it means that you can allow yourself something special - that you have the means for an indulgence of some kind. It isn’t limited to just being about money. The meaning is more about having a bit of wiggle room to allow yourself a treat you normally wouldn’t have been able to justify.
Można = one can, it is possible [defective verb]
Podskoczyć = to jump up, to hop [inf.]
More on “można”: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mo%C5%BCna
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Kombinuj pan, kombinuj!
English Phonemes: “kohm-BEE-nooyh pahn kohm-BEE-nooyh”
Literal Translation: Combine man, combine.
Elegant Translation: Combine it, sir, combine it.
English Equivalent: Put it together, man.
This quote is a straight-up reference that older Polish generations will get (and maybe their kids). In Warsaw, starting in the 60s and running through the 80s, there was a very popular theater troupe called “Kabaret Dudek” which performed on stage and (sporadically) on screen. One of their original sketches was about a plumber, who, (alongside his dumb apprentice who was taking copious notes), was mercilessly taking a desperate client for a ride. This poor client’s pipe burst and was leaking water everywhere, and let’s just say that the plumber wasn’t at all empathetic to the poor guy’s troubles.
It was a hilarious sketch. Polish grandparents and parents will still know about this.
Today’s phrase is a quote from this sketch. The plumber is condescendingly encouraging the desperate client to “put it together, man” and reach the conclusion the plumber was trying to impart in the moment. The condescending treatment was what really made it funny, and the line itself made it into the cultural ether.
[Fun Fact: I do Polish theater here in the US, and one of our shows had this sketch in it. I played the idiot intern taking notes. :-) ]
Kombinuj = you combine [imperative, 2nd p. s.]
Pan = man, sir [honorific formal usage]
*Bonus Section!***
Kabaret Dudek Wikipedia page: https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabaret_Dudek
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Od Nowa!
English Phonemes: “ohd NOH-vah”
Literal Translation: From new!
Elegant Translation: From the beginning!
English Equivalent: From the top!
To celebrate the new year, I’m giving you a phrase to help you declare a reset on anything you want! You can use this in the context of rehearsing something, like “from the top”; or you can use this to describe something did something “all over again”… The list goes on and on. Perfect way to kick off a new year and new decade!
Od = from [preposition]
Nowa = new [adj. s. f. subj. form]
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Odwróć się od ceny.
English Phonemes: “OHD-vrooch shyeh ohd TSEH-nih”
Literal Translation: Turn away self from price.
Elegant Translation: Turn yourself away from the price.
English Equivalent: Try not to think about the price.
‘Tis the season for questionable shopping decisions and overspending! Although this is not a saying in Polish, it’s a useful and funny phrase, especially for this time of year! So if you’re out shopping with Polish-speaking friends and family and you maybe stumble on something tempting but expensive, you can drop this in conversation to shock and amaze — whether or not you actually buy the coveted item :-)
Odwróć = turn away [imperative, instructing a ‘you’ singular, informal]
Się = (your)self [reflective helper word]
Od = from [preposition]
Ceny = price [singular, obj. form]
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Spadaj!
English Phonemes: “SPAH-dahy”
Literal Translation: Fall off!
English Equivalent: Get lost!
This is a simple way to tell someone to buzz off, get lost, beat it, get out of here... You get the idea. Ain’t slang fun?
Spadaj = fall off/down [imperative, informal form. Spoken to a ‘you’ singular, as a command]
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Rozejdzie się po kościach.
English Phonemes: “roh-ZAY-jyeh shyeh poh KOHSH-chyahh”
Literal Translation: It will spread itself on bones.
Elegant Translation: It will spread itself upon the bones.
English Equivalent: It will blow over.
This phrase has many uses, much like how “blow over” can be used in different sentences, tenses, and situations. I’m giving you the variant you are most likely to use.
I don’t want to get into the word alternatives and past tense/future tense details that exist in other usages of this phrase in this episode. Just know that there are other variations of this saying. If you are interested in an extended episode that contains these alternates, let me know!
Rozejdzie = he/she/it will spread [3rd p. singular, future tense]
Się = self [reflective helper word]
Po = onto [preposition]
Kościach = bones [plural obj. form]
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Z tej mąki chleba nie będzie.
English Phonemes: “z tay M[Ą]-kee HLEH-bah nyeh B[Ę]-jyeh”
Literal Translation: From this flour bread not will be.
Elegant Translation: From this flour, there will be no bread.
English Equivalent: That dog won’t hunt.
Another equivalent — a bigger stretch, but closer to the kitchen theme — is the English phrase “this dough won’t rise”, but that saying is far less popular.
This Polish phrase is used to say something won’t work. You acknowledge that you can sense some endeavor, relationship, plan, or any other hoped-for result, will not come to fruition given the way things are going.
Z = from, with, out of, etc. [prepostion]
Tej = this [adj. fem. singular]
Mąki = flour [n. fem. singular, obj. form]
Chleba = bread [n. masc. singular, obj. form]
Nie = not, no
Będzie = he/she/it will, will be [3rd. p. singular, future tense]
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Chcesz mnie zrobić w konia?
English Phonemes: “htseh[sz] mnyeh ZROH-beech v KOH-nyah”
Literal Translation: You want me to make into horse?
Elegant Translation: Do you want to make me into a horse?
English Equivalent: To take someone for a ride.
This is a fun way to ask someone if they intend to cheat you. To take you for a ride. To take you around the block. To sandbag you. To trick you. You get the idea. :-) It should be obvious that being the horse in this scenario is not a good thing!
So if one of your Polish-speaking friends is trying to pull a fast one on you, you can retort with this joke and shock the pants right off of them!
Chcesz = you want [2nd person singular, informal]
Mnie = me [s. obj. form] Zrobić = to make [infinitive]
W = in/into [preposition] Konia = horse [singular noun, obj. form]
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Sobota dłuższa od niedzieli.
English Phonemes: “soh-BOH-tah DWOO[Ż]-[sz]ah ohd nyeh-JYEH-lee”
Literal Translation: Saturday longer from Sunday.
Elegant Translation: Saturday is longer than Sunday.
This is a hilarious way to tell someone that their undershirt is poking out below their top layer. (Coat, sweater, over-shirt, whatever.) That’s it! Just a funny colloquialism.
It’s pretty old and sort of out of use nowadays, especially when fashion trends made it cool (temporarily?) to have under-shirts poking out from the bottom of over-shirts. But you can still use it to draw attention, and probably get a laugh out of the unsuspecting party :-)
It’s also a slight reference to an even older saying that Saturday was shorter than Sunday. When Sunday used to be a culturally mandated day of rest, people would rush to do everything they had to do on Saturday, so even though the hours are the same, a Saturday always felt shorter. So today’s phrase originally stemmed from this even older joke.
Sobota = Saturday [fem. s. noun, subj. form]
Dłuższa = longer [fem. s. adj., subj. form]
Od = From [preposition]
Niedzieli = Sunday [fem. s. noun, obj. form]
PS: Fun Fact — days of the week, seasons, and months are written in Polish without being capitalized. Time nouns are regular nouns in Polish, whereas they are Proper Nouns in English.
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Bardzo Dobrze!
English Phonemes: “BAHR-dzoh DOHB-[rz]eh”
Literal Translation: Very good!
Happy 100 episodes! To celebrate, I thought I’d give you this quote for when you’re out and about. You can use this positive phrase the exact same way we do in English. If you feel like saying “good” but not “very”, that’s your prerogative as well. Options!
Enjoy!
Bardzo = very
Dobrze = good [adv.]
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Każdy orze jak może.
English Phonemes: “KAH[Ż]-dih OH-[rz]Eh yahk MOH-[ż]eh”
Literal Translation: Everyone plows how is able
Elegant Translation: Everyone plows however they can
English Equivalent: We do what we can.
This is a fun phrase. It definitely draws from Poland’s agricultural roots. The witticism basically means that the maximum each of us can ever do is to do our very best, whatever form that takes.
Picture a farmer with two horses. That person can plow quite a lot of land rather quickly. If that same farmer only has one horse, it’s harder. If they have no horse, that’s far more limiting, but maybe they might get a strong friend to pull the plow with them. And if they have no strong friends that can help, then it’s just a single farmer manning a plow on a field doing the best they can with what they have.
This quip is very popular. Everyone knows it quite well. So if you’re ever in a situation with your Polish-speaking friends/family where someone is telling you about a story where they tried to reach a goal but fell short despite giving it their all, you can bust out this pearl of wisdom and look wise, compassionate, AND impressive, all in one fell swoop!
Każdy = everyone [s. subj. form]
Orze = he/she/it plows (is plowing) [3rd p. s. present tense]
Jak = how
Może = he/she/it is able, can [3rd p. s. present tense]
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Happy 2-Year Podcastiversary!
No regular lesson today. I’m gonna sing you a traditional Happy Birthday song in Polish!
“Sto Lat” Lyrics and Translation:http://www.polishamericancenter.org/StoLat.htm
Also exciting, I’m announcing our Patreon Page coming out next week!
Thanks to all you wonderful listeners! I hope you’re having as much fun as I am. See you again next week for a regular episode!
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Siadaj i zajadaj!
English Phonemes: “SHAH-dahy ee zah-YAH-dahy”
Literal Translation: Sit down and tuck in!
English Equivalent: Dig in!
This is a fun and informal way to tell someone to ‘dig in’ at a meal. Although it’s directed towards a singular person, you can use this in a group setting. So when you’ve finally finished cooking something nice, and your friends are all excited, that’s the perfect time to drop this phrase and ring the dinner bell. :-) You’re encouraging your buddy (or buddies) to “Go on!”, “Get in there!”, or “Go nuts and enjoy!”
Siadaj = sit down [s. informal imperative verb]
I = and
Zajadaj = tuck in, eat heartily, dig in [s. informal imperative verb]
Plus! A very special milestone has been reached by the show! We recently surpassed 1,000 subscribers! Thank you and welcome to all the new subscribers! And big hugs and thank you to the older listeners as well. Hooray to us all and I hope you all continue to enjoy. :-)
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Do trzech razy sztuka!
English Phonemes: “doh t[sz]ehh RAH-zih [SZ]TOO-kah”
Literal Translation: To three times art!
Elegant Translation: The third time’s the art!
English Equivalent: Third time’s the charm!
This phrase works exactly the same way as “third time’s the charm” in English. Be cheerful when using it!
Do = to [proposition]
Trzech = three [adj, obj. form]
Razy = times [n. s. obj. form]
Sztuka = art, trick, performance [n. s. subj. form]
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Jak się człowiek śpieszy, to się diabeł cieszy.
English Phonemes: “yahk shyeh [CZ]WOH-vyek SHPYEH-[sz]ih toh shyeh DYAH-behw CHYEH-[sz]ih”
Literal Translation: When themself person hurries then himself devil is happy.
Elegant Translation: When a person rushes, the devil rejoices.
English Equivalent: Haste makes waste.
This is a fun way to tell someone to slow down. We’ve had episodes before with cautionary phrases similar to this one. Let’s just say the Polish are a cautious people. :-)
Jak = when, if, how
Się = himself/herself/itself [reflective helper word]
Człowiek = person [s. subj. form]
Śpieszy = he/she/it is rushing, hurrying [3rd p. s., present tense]
To = then
Diabeł = devil [s. subj. form]
Cieszy = he/she/it is happy, rejoices, delights in [3rd p. s., present tense]
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Co, masz węża w kieszeni?
English Phonemes: “tsoh ma[sz] V[Ę]-[ż]ah v kyeh-[SZ]EH-nee”
Literal Translation: What, you have snake in packet?
Elegant Translation: What, you have a snake in your pocket?
This is a fun way to call someone a cheapskate. Makes sense, right? If there was a snake in your pocket, you’d be less likely to reach in there, too!
This is in the informal case. Don’t use this with anyone but friends and family.
Co = What
Masz = you [s.] have [informal, 2nd p. s.]
Węża = snake [s. obj. form]
W = in, inside
Kieszeni = pocket [s. obj. form]
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Już ja swoje wiem!
English Phonemes: “yoo[sz] yah SFOH-yeh wyehm”
Literal Translation: Already I my own I know.
Elegant Translation: I already know my own.
English Equivalent: I know what’s what. I know my own mind.
This is a nice and firm way to say that you are sure about something. That you won’t be fooled, or swayed away from something you believe is true. Put your foot down!
You can also say this without the “już” part, but it takes away a bit of punch power.
Już = already
Ja = I [obj. form]
Swoje = own [possessive modifier, reflexive word, modifying ‘ja’]
Wiem = I know [1st person s.]
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Ale masz muchy w nosie!
English Phonemes: “AH-leh ma[sz] MOO-hih v NOH-shyeh”
Literal Translation: How you have flies in nose!
Elegant Translation: Wow, have you got flies in your nose!
English Equivalent: Bee in your bonnet!
When someone is in a tizzy about something, you can use this phrase to (hopefully) diffuse a bit of tension and make them take a moment to calm down!
But be careful! You might make things worse!
If you want to say it to multiple friends, replace “masz” with “macie”. Be aware, though, that BOTH these forms of “you” are informal! Only use this with friends/family.
Ale = wow, oh how, well [interjection word]
Masz = you have [2nd person s., informal]
Macie = you have [2nd person pl., informal]
Muchy = flies [pl., obj. form]
W = in, inside [preposition]
Nosie = nose [s. obj. form]
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Ale narobiłem/narobiłam bigosu!
English Phonemes: “AH-leh nah-roh-BEE-wehm(wahm) bee-GOH-soo”
Literal Translation: Oh how I made cabbage stew!
Elegant Translation: Wow, did I make the cabbage stew!
English Equivalent: Stirred up trouble.
This is a funny way to say you stirred up some trouble. Other analogous English phrases include “poked the bear” or “stepped in it”. The phrase is a bit old, but it’s still very much in use!
FYI, “bigos” is a cabbage meat stew. You can make a vegetarian version, though it is less savory, it’s still delicious. Looking at the list of ingredients, you might think it’s simple, but it’s the science that makes it art. It takes hours to make, but WOW, is it worth it!
Ale = how, what, but [interjection word]
Narobiłem/Narobiłam = I made [1st person s., past. Use ‘-em’ if you are male, ‘-am’ if you are female]
Bigosu = cabbage meat stew [s. obj. form of ‘bigos’]
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Każdy sobie rzepkę skrobie!
English Phonemes: “KAH[Ż]-dih SOH-byeh [Ż]EHP-keh SKROH-byeh”
Literal Translation: Everyone themselves kneecap is scraping!
Elegant Translation: Everyone is scraping their own kneecap.
English Equivalent: Looking out for number one.
This is another beautifully glib Polish saying. It’s a cute way to say that everyone is really truly concerned with their own lives and tends not to work in the service of others. It’s a bit cynical. In English, the closest equivalent is “looking out for number one”, though the Polish version can also be used like “to each their own” or “different strokes for different folks”.
Quick note: This phrase requires use of the “Duck Face”. For a deep refresher on the “Duck Face”, please watch this video or listen back to lessons 1-10 of the show.
Każdy = everyone [s. subj. form]
Sobie = himself/herself [obj. form]
Rzepkę = kneecap [s. obj. form]
Skrobie = he/she/it scrapes or scrubs [present tense, 3rd p. s.]
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Spoko!
English Phonemes: “SPOH-koh”
Literal Translation: Peace!
English Equivalents: Cool. Calm down. Take it easy.
“Spoko” is awesome and full of nuance and history. It’s one of my favorite words. Here’s a quick breakdown of what it is and how to use it.
Firstly, it’s slang, shortened from the words in the definition section below. Caveat — I have not been in Poland, and I certainly don’t know what the cool kids are doing with the language these days, but Google Translate defined this word as “cool”, which is accurate but not comprehensive. I want to add depth so you fully appreciate how awesome this word really is :-)
Second, this word is never used like “peace” is as a hippie greeting. You can only use it…
- as a button to a conversation where you and your friends agree on something, or
- to try to calm someone down when they appear agitated.
Spoko = cool, calm, peaceful [slang noun, shortened version of “spokojnie”]
Spokój = calm, peace [noun, s.]
Pokój = peace (also “room” - yay homonyms!) [s. noun]
Spokojnie = calmly [adv.]
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Rzucać grochem o ścianę!
English Phonemes: “[RZ]OO-tsahch GROH-hem oh SHCHYAH-n[ę]”
Literal Translation: To throw peas against wall!
Elegant Translation: Throwing peas against a wall!
English Equivalent: Fall on deaf ears. Waste one’s breath.
This is a wonderful, colorful phrase that evokes the hopeless feeling that comes with pointlessly throwing peas at a wall. It’s a classic phrase used by parents when their kids don’t listen, or in any situation where something one person says is not getting through to the other person, for reasons of ignorance or deliberate avoidance.
Now you, too, can now use this in a myriad of situations!
Rzucać = to throw [infinitive verb]
Grochem = peas [obj. form]
O = against [preposition]
Ścianę = wall [s. obj. form]
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Co nagle to po diable!
English Phonemes: “tsoh NAH-gleh toh poh DYAH-bleh”
Literal Translation: What suddenly this after devil.
Elegant Translation: What is sudden is modeled after the devil.
English Equivalent: Look before you leap.
This wee'k’s phrase is warning us that rushing into things only causes bigger problems.
Ten episodes ago (Episode 77), I taught you “śpiesz się powoli”, which means “hurry slowly” and is closest to the English phrase “haste makes waste”.
Today’s phrase is a common continuation of the “hurry slowly” idea, as if to say “hurry slowly, because if you rush without thinking, everything turns to crap”. Though today’s phrase is stand-alone, you might hear it paired with the lesson from episode 77, which is why I’m linking to that episode.
Co = what
Nagle = suddenly, sudden [adv.]
To = this
Po = after, like [preposition, sometimes also a comparison word]
Diable = devil [obj. form, s. noun]
Episode 77 - Śpiesz się powoli!
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Jadę na ferie!
English Phonemes: “YAH-d[ę] nah FEH-ree-yeh”
Literal Translation: I ride on vacation!
Elegant Translation: I’m going on vacation!
You can use this phrase any time you have a plan to go on holiday. The word “ferie” typically refers to a quick or light vacation — not, for example, a journey around the world — but this word applies in most situations.
Your host with the most is going on vacation, too! But there should be no interruption in the show schedule on your end :-)
Jadę = I ride, am riding [1st p. s. present tense]
Na = on [preposition]
Ferie = vacation, getaway, trip [obj. form, plural]
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Part 2 of the 2-part series!!
Wlazło mi do głowy!
English Phonemes: “VLAHZ-woh mee doh GWOH-vih”
Literal Translation: It crawled to me into head!
Elegant Translation: It crawled into my head!
English Equivalent: This idea grabbed a hold of me. I’ve got it in my head. I can’t get it out of my head. I can’t shake this idea.
Continuing on from last week when we talked about a sudden burst of inspiration that gives you a thought, this phrase is similar, but the tone is deeper. We’re being hounded by a more insistent invasive thought. It can be a welcome idea or an unwelcome one, as long as it’s one of those thoughts that is hard to shake loose. If you’ve got that feeling, then this is the phrase you want to pick.
Wlazło = he/she/it crawled/climbed [3rd per. s. past tense]
Mi = to me [obj. form]
Do = to, into [preposition]
Głowy = head [s. obj. form]
*BONUS EXTRA OOMPHY VERSION:
Ależ mi to wlazło do głowy!
Literally, “Wow to me this crawled into head!”
Basically meaning, “Wow did this idea grab a hold of me!”
Ależ = slang of ale = interjection word which in this context means “oh” or “oh how”
To = this
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Part 1 of a 2-part series!!
Wpadło mi do głowy!
English Phonemes: “FPAH-dwoh mee doh GWOH-vih”
Literal Translation: It fell into to me into head!
Elegant Translation: It fell into my head!
English Equivalents: This sprang to mind. It popped into my head.
This phrase can be used when you have a sudden idea or spark of inspiration. You can easily use this phrase, or the Extra Credit version if you’re feeling even more adventurous, and want to emphasize with oomph just how random your sudden idea is.
Wpadło = he/she/it fell/dropped into [3rd per. s. past tense]
Mi = to me [obj. form]
Do = to, into [preposition]
Głowy = head [s. obj. form]
*BONUS EXTRA OOMPHY VERSION:
Ależ mi to wpadło do głowy!
Literally, “Oh how to me this fell into head!”
In other words, “What a thing to pop into my head!” or “Wow did this fall into my head!”
Ależ = slang of ale = interjection word which in this context means “oh” or “oh how”
To = this
Next week we’ll cover a related phrase where the idea that grabs you doesn’t want to let go!
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W razie draki!
English Phonemes: “v RAH-[ź]yeh DRAH-kee”
Literal Translation: In once scuffle.
Elegant Translation: In case of a scuffle.
English Equivalent: Just in case.
You can use this phrase the exactly as we use “just in case” in English. It can be a standalone thought or part of a bigger sentence (for those of you learning more Polish).
Also, fun fact, draka [subj. form] is not a word commonly used in Polish outside of this context. A lot of people know it only from this phrase. Google translate didn’t even recognize it as Polish! That isn’t to say you can’t use it in any other sentences, you absolutely can. You’ll just be ahead of the curve if you do!
W = in, inside [preposition]
Razie = one, once [object form of ‘raz’]
NB: combining w and razie is very common to achieve the meaning of “in case of” or “in the event of” but I am giving you the definition of each word here
Draki* = scuffle, trouble, fight, row, hullabaloo [obj. form, s.]
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Kto zjada ostatki ten piękny i gładki!
English Phonemes: “ktoh ZYAH-dah os-TAHT-kee tehn PY[Ę]K-nih ee GWAH-tkee”
Literal Translation: Who (s)he is eating remnants, this beautiful and smooth.
Elegant Translation: Whosoever eats the last bits is beautiful and smooth.
English Equivalent: Waste not, want not. Or, waste naught, want naught.
This is a fun way to let someone know they can have that last slice of pizza or the last chicken wing appetizer. It’s also a funny way to justify some late-night fridge-raiding.
There are so many ways in English to translate this phrase in a rhyme!
Top winners include:
”The one who eats the rest, gets everything that’s the best.”
”Whoever who eats leftovers doesn’t need makeovers.”
”Whoever eats the remains, great beauty gains.”
Kto = who/whoever Zjada = he/she/it eats, is eating [3rd person s.] Ostatki = remnants, last bits, remains, leftovers [plural, obj. form] Ten = this, this one Piękny = beautiful [adj. s. m.] I = and
Gładki = smooth [adj. s. m.]
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No i co?
English Phonemes: “noh ee tsoh”
Literal Translation: Well and what?
Elegant Translation: Well what?
English Equivalent: And? So what? Your point?
This phrase is a fun way to be sassy. You can use it the same way we do with “Well?” in English. If your friend/family member does/says something dumb, or incomplete, or if you want to say you don’t care about something, or any variation in between, you can use this gem and shock the heck out of them :-)
No = well
I = and
Co = what
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Odszczekuję!
English Phonemes: “ohd-[sz][cz]eh-KOO-yeh”
Literal Translation: I un-bark.
Elegant Translation: I take my bark back.
English Equivalent: My bad. Forget what I said.
You can use this casual turn of phrase when you say something you then want to take back, when you apologize for a remark, or when you change your mind about something you said. Or even when you retract an article in print.
If you pronounce the ending ę or e, either way is okay. Like “I geddit” vs. “I get it”. Both work. I will teach you the ‘e’ ending, as it’s more common.
Please also let us know what you think of the “duck face” recap segment! Do you want it to be a regular thing? Let us know!
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Matko święta!
English Phonemes: “MAHT-koh SFY[Ę]-tah”
Literal Translation: Mother sacred!
Elegant Translation: Holy Mother!
English Equivalent: Holy Mother of God!
In honor of Mothers’ Day this month (in America on the second Sunday in May, in Poland always on May 26), I thought I’d do a mother-related phrase!
Today we learn the Polish way to say “Holy Mother of God!” in English. An exclamation of surprise or shock, it’s a fun phrase to have in your back pocket!
Matko = Mother [vocative form, an invocation] Święta = sacred, holy [adj., subj. form, fem.]
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Widziała pani?
English Phonemes: “vee-JAH-wah PAH-nyee”
Literal Translation: She did see the lady?
Elegant Translation: Did you see that, Madam?
English Equivalent: Did you see that? Get a load of that! Check that out!
First, a bit of follow-up to last week’s show: Listener Karen P. on Twitter pointed out that another English equivalent of “Śpiesz się powoli!” would be “Hurry Slowly”, which I didn’t know was a thing in English. Thanks, Karen!
Today’s phrase is a fabulous example of how weird languages can get. Like nicknames in a family. Sometimes there’s no way to to an outsider explain why you call your little brother “toaster”, for example. Here, this is a correct formal way to ask a woman you don’t know if she saw something. Somehow, it became an idiom to give oomph and remark on something cool that happened, or even a cool conclusion that was reached in conversation. It’s a very, very native, idiomatic, Polish phrase.
Widziała = she did see [3rd person, s., past tense verb]
Pani = woman, lady [s., subject form]
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Śpiesz się powoli!
English Phonemes: “shpyeh[sz] shyeh poh-VOH-lee”
Literal Translation: You hurry self slowly!
Elegant Translation: Hurry up slowly!
English Equivalent: Haste makes waste!
This phrase is a fun and glib way to tell someone to hurry responsibly! If you rush through a task too swiftly, you’re liable to miss something important. We have similar wisdom in the English saying “haste makes waste”, although in Polish, we subconsciously acknowledge that the need to hurry exists, it’s just that we want to do it responsibly.
The voice of this phrase is informal, but because it’s such an idiom in Polish, you can absolutely use it in formal settings, too!
Śpiesz = you [s.] hurry [2nd person, informal]
Się = self [reflective helper word, bounces back at subject] Powoli = slowly [adv.]
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Oto Nasza Flaga!
English Phonemes: “oh toh NAH-[sz]ah FLAH-gah”
Literal Translation: Here Our Flag!
Elegant Translation: Here is our flag!
It’s Flag Day in Poland today! Here’s a quick phrase and a brief history lesson to celebrate.
Also, shoutout to listeners Wendy and Andrew for the idea!
Oto = here
Nasza = our [adj. fem. s.]
Flaga = flag [noun fem. s. subject form]
Research Links:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish–Lithuanian_Commonwealth
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Poland
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Ja Ci Pokażę!
English Phonemes: “yah chee poh-KAH-[ż][ę]”
Literal Translation: I to you I will show.
Elegant Translation: I will show you.
English Equivalent: I’ll show you!
This is the same in English and in Polish. The phrase can be used in the normal sense, as in, you’re offering to show your friend something — or it can be delivered as a playful banter fist-shaking warning.
Be aware that it’s in the informal voice. Don’t use this with anyone you have a formal relationship with.
Ja = I [subject form] Ci = to you [object form, informal]
Pokażę = I will show [first person s.]
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Jeśli wejdziesz między wrony, musisz krakać jak i one!
English Phonemes: “KYEH-dih F[SZ]EH-dwehsh MY[Ę]-dzih VROH-nih MOOSH-ee[sz] KRAH-kahch jahk ee OH-neh”
Literal Translation: If you will go among crows, you must to croak how and they.
Elegant Translation: When among crows, you must caw like they do.
English Equivalent: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
This is a funny way to say that if you’ve troubled yourself to go somewhere, you have to adapt to your surroundings.
Quick Bonus Fact: The most popular alternative of this phrase uses “kiedy” [when] instead of “jeśli”.
Jeśli = if
Wejdziesz = you [s.] will go into
Między = among
Wrony = crows [pl. subject form]
Musisz = you [s.] must
Krakać = to croak, to caw [infinitive]
Jak = how
I = and
One = they [subject form]
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Tu leży pies pogrzebany!
English Phonemes: “tooh LEH-[ż]ih pyes poh-hoh-VAH-nih”
Literal Translation: Here it lies dog buried!
Elegant Translation: Here the dog lies buried!
English Equivalent: There’s the rub!
This phrase is a popular way to point out that the conversation has reached a point where a complication of some kind has been revealed. You’d use this the same exact way as we English speakers would say “Ah, there’s the rub!” Or “Aha! There it is!” Or even “And the plot thickens!”
Extra note: There is an acceptable alt to this phrase. You can also say “jest” instead of “leży”, “jest” being “it is”. That’s an acceptable alternative of the idiom, but it is less used.
Tu = here
Leży = it lies [3rd person s.]
Pies = dog [s. subject form]
Pogrzebany = buried [adj. s. male subject form]
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Przepadło sadło!
English Phonemes: “p[sz]eh-PAH-dwoh SAH-dwoh”
Literal Translation: Gone fat!
Elegant Translation: The fat has gone.
English Equivalent: Too bad, so sad.
This phrase is meant to be light and funny and doesn’t actually have anything to do with fat. The rhyme is just a silly way to say something has come and gone and we missed it. It’s broadly applicable.
If your friend is talking about a job that they loved that they got laid off from, you can use this to lighten their mood in an “easy come, easy go” kind of way. If your kid lost a sock and they can’t find it in time to make the school bus, you can use this phrase in a “let it go” way to encourage them to find a different pair of socks. It’s probably not smart to use this phrase at a funeral, but besides that, you can work out many places where this phrase fits.
Przepadło = it has gone [3rd s. person, past tense of “przepaść” - to perish]
Sadło = fat (specifically, body fat) [subject form]
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April Fools!
Polish Phonemes: “EJ-pryl’ ful’z”
Literal Translation: Kwiecień Głupcy!
Elegant Translation: Głupce kwietnia!
Polish Equivalent: Prima Aprilis bo się omylisz!
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_______
Here’s a full translation of what I said ;-) (Polish transcript is at the bottom!)
Hello everyone! Here’s the 71st episode of How You Say?, where I teach you how to say something fun or playful in English. I’m your host, my name is Julia Tutko-Balena.
Today I will tell you how to say “First April or you’ll mistake yourself!” in English. So let’s get started!
Today’s phrase is “April fools”, which literally translates to “April dummies” in Polish. We Poles would say “First April or you'‘ll mistake yourself!”. In English, it’s significantly shorter!
The first word is “April”. It means “April” in English. Let’s say it three times. Accent, that is, the emphasis, on the first syllable. Remember that in English, vowels have usually more than one syllable. Oh well, they don’t want to make it easy on us! But don’t be afraid, I’ll help you.
Here when you say the letter A, you have to start on the sound “E” and transition into the sound “I”. So together that sounds like “eejji”.
Next, in English speaking countries, people usually don’t pronounce the letter “r” like in Polish. They pronounce it very weakly, they don’t “roll”, they don’t know how to do “rrrrrrr”. Usually. Of course, if they know more than one language, they’ll learn this, but in the English language, that sound is simply not needed. So, in order to pronounce correctly the “r” in the word “April”, you have to allow the tongue to a bit flaccid. Or imagine that something is bothering you, as if you had in your mouth hot potatoes. “Rrrrr”. Try it. “Rrrr”.
Next, in English, usually those devilish vowels change sound depending on their position in the word. And here, the letter “i” simply remember that it has to be pronounced like our “y”. “April”.
And the last thing, the ‘l’ at the end is pronounced softly, similar to the Russian “l”.
Okay. We’re ready! Repeat slowly after me. “April” “April” “April”. Excellent.
The next word is “Fools”. It means “dummies”, that is, more than one dummy. This word is a bit easier. “F” is pronounced normally, “l” like we just saw in “April”, but those vowels are playing with us again.
Those who are learning English surely [already] know that usually when you see “o o” together, it’s pronounced like “u” in English. “Cool”, “Tools”, and others. There are of course exceptions, where “o o” doesn’t sound exactly like “a”, but close… “Blood”, “flood”… consequently, you have to be careful not to study and learn incorrect information. But now we have the internet and you can always check.
In the word “fools”, “o o” is pronounced “u”. “Fools”.
Let’s repeat 3 times. “Fools”. “Fools”. “Fools.” Good.
Now everything together, 3 times, slowly let’s repeat: “April fools!” “April fools!” “April fools!” Very good!
All set! That’s it for today! I how you liked it. If you want to contact the show, we have email, mailbag@howyousay.fm, our Twitter is @HowYouSayFM, and our main web page is www.howyousay.fm.
Until next time! I wish you well! Bye!
_______
Here’s the full Polish transcript, just in case you’re interested ;-)
Witam Państwa! Oto 71 epizod programu How You Say? gdzie uczę Was jak powiedzieć coś fajnego albo zabawnego po angielsku. Jestem Waszym gospodarzem, nazywam się Julia Tutko-Balena.
Dziś Wam powiem jak się mówi „Prima Aprilis bo się omylisz” po angielsku. No to zaczynajmy!
Dzisiejszy wyraz jest „April Fools”. Znaczy to dosłownie „kwiecień głupcy”. My Polacy powiedzielibyśmy „Prima Aprilis bo się omylisz!” Po angielsku znacznie krócej!
Pierwsze słowo jest „April”. Znaczy „kwiecień” po angielsku. Powtórzmy to 3 razy. Akcent, czyli nacisk, na pierwszej sylabie. Pamiętajcie, że po angielsku, samogłoski mają przeważnie więcej niż jedną sylabę. No cóż, nie chcą nam ułatwić. Ale nie bójcie się, ja Wam pomogę.
Tu kiedy się mówi literę A, trzeba zacząć na dźwięku „E” i przejść powoli na dźwięk „I”. Czyli razem brzmi to „eejji”.
Następnie, w anglojęzycznych krajach, ludzie przeważnie nie wymawiają litery „r” tak jak Polacy. Wymawiają to bardzo słabo, nie „turlają”, nie umieją zrobić „rrrrrrr”. Przeważnie. Oczywiście, jeśli znają więcej niż jeden język, to się tego nauczą ale w angielskim języku ten dźwięk jest po prostu nie potrzebny. Zatem, aby wymówić prawidłowo „r” w słowie „April”, musicie pozwolić, żeby język trochę zdrętwiał. Albo wyobraźcie sobie, że coś Wam przeszkadza, jakbyście mieli w buzi gorące kartofle. „Rrrrr”. Spróbujcie. „Rrrr”.
Następnie, po angielsku przeważnie te diabelskie samogłoski zmieniają dźwięk zależnie od pozycji w słowie. I tu litera „i” po prostu pamiętajcie, że trzeba wymówić jak nasze „y”. „April”.
No i ostatnia rzecz, to „l” na końcu to się wymawia miękko, podobno do rosyjskiego „l”.
Okay. Jesteśmy gotowi! Powtórzcie powoli za mną. „April” „April” „April” Doskonale.
Następne słowo jest „Fools”. Znaczy to „głupcy” czyli, więcej niż jeden głupiec. To słowo jest troszkę łatwiejsze. „F” się wymawia normalnie, „l” jak dopiero nauczyliśmy się w „April”, ale samogłoski znowu się z nami zabawiają.
Ci co się uczą angielskiego napewno to wiedzą, że przeważnie jak się widzi „o o” razem tak, to się wymawia „u” po angielsku. „Cool”, „tools” i inne. Są oczywiście wyjątki, gdzie „o o” nie brzmi dokładnie jak „a” ale bardzo podobnie ... „Blood” „flood”... zatem trzeba uważać, aby nie wkuwać złych informacji. Ale teraz mamy internet i zawsze można sprawdzić.
W słowie „Fools”, „o o” wymawia się jako „u”. „Fools”.
Powtórzmy to 3 razy. „Fools” „Fools” „Fools”. Dobrze.
Teraz wszystko razem, 3 razy, wolno powtórzmy: „April Fools” Bardzo dobrze!
W porządku! To tyle na dzisiaj! Mam nadzieje, że się podobało. Jeśli chcecie skontaktować się z programem, mamy email: Mailbag@howyousay.fm, nasz Twitter jest @howYouSayFM i nasza strona główna jest www.howyousay.fm
Do następnego razu! Pozdrawiam! Cześć!
Jestem Chora/Chory
English Phonemes: “YEHS-tehm HOH-rah HOH-rih”
Literal Translation: I am sick.
Elegant Translation: I’m sick!
This is a useful phrase to have in your back pocket, just in case!
It’s also a good demonstration of gendered adjectives! If you are female, the correct adjective is “chorA”. If you are male, the correct adjective is “chorY”.
Jestem = I am [1st person singular of ‘być’ (to be)]
Chora/Chory = sick [adj. changes depending on gender]
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Wolnoć, Tomku, w swoim domku.
English Phonemes: “VOHL-nohch TOHM-koo v SFOH-yeem DOHM-koo”
Literal Translation: It is permitted to you, Tommy, in own home.
Elegant Translation: You’re allowed, Tommy, in your own home.
English Equivalent: A man’s house is his castle.
Shoutout to Ed from England, who sent in a question about this phrase. Ed asks if Google translate got it right, where this phrase comes from, and who this Tomek person was. Let’s dive right in!
Does Google Translate have it right?
First, Google Translate said “Freedom, Tomek, in your home.” That’s only partly right. The word “wolnoć” is NOT (as some might try to explain) a misspelled or cute-ified version of “wolność” which means “freedom”. It is actually a relic of old Polish, and is a contracted version of “wolno ci” which means “it is permitted (wolno) to you (ci - object form of ty)”. In Old Time-y Polish, it used to be common to add ć to the end of a word where we now in Polish use the separate word “ci”. So, example, where now we’d say something like “czego ci brak?” (literally: What to you is missing? elegant: What are you missing?) we’d have to say in Old Polish “czegoć brak?”.
Where is this phrase from?
This phrase is from a children’s poem called “Paweł i Gaweł” by Alexander Fedro. I remember my mother reading this to me when I was very little. I’d forgotten until I bumped into it again just now when researching the phrase to reply to Ed. Thanks, Ed!
The story is that Paweł and Gaweł are neighbors. Gaweł lives on the bottom floor and is constantly loud with his games of hunting and shooting and general noisemaking. Finally, Paweł can’t take it anymore, and he comes downstairs to ask “Kind sir, it’s so noisy upstairs. The windows are shaking in their frames! Can’t you please have mercy and hunt a little more quietly?” Gaweł replies with this phrase. Basically saying, one can do what they please in their own home. That night, Gaweł wakes up when water starts dripping on his face. He runs upstairs and knocks on the door, but Paweł doesn’t answer. When Gaweł peeks through the keyhole, he sees the living room completely filled with water! And there’s Paweł, sitting on his credenza with a fishing pole! Gaweł shouts, “What are you doing, man?! There’s water pouring out of my ceiling!” And Paweł replies, “Wolnoć, Tomku, w swoim domku!” The moral of the story basically being, what goes around comes around, and you should treat others as you would want them to treat you.
Lastly, who’s Tom?
Most likely, it’s no one in particular and the name was chosen for the rhyme.
A rhyme like “Wolnoć Wiktorze w swojej norze” or “Wolnoć Arturze w swojej dziurze” have the same functional meaning.
Poles love to use placeholder names in jokes and parables. We have some examples in English, like “Average Joe” and “Johnny Doogooder”. Johnny and Joe aren’t real people either. So here, I don’t think Tommy is anyone specific. But I can’t say with 100% certainty. If he was real, the historians didn’t jot it down for us. But that’s highly unlikely, because linguists and historians love that type of related trivia about settings and influences, especially when associated with such a popular and impactful cultural treasures.
This Wikipedia article is in Polish, but I think if you run it through Google Translate, you’ll get an interesting summary of what’s going on.
https://pl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paweł_i_Gaweł
Here’s a blog entry by a Polish linguist, (it’s also in Polish), which tells you the whole poem itself (it’s short) and the blogger afterwards describes what’s being said in more detail. A fun read!
https://obcyjezykpolski.pl/wolnoc-tomku-w-swoim-domku/
Wolnoć = wolno ci
Wolno = it is permitted
Ci = to you [object form of ‘ty’, you, singular]
Tomku = affectionate/diminutive form of Tomek = Little Tom or Tommy
W = in, inside
Swoim = one’s own [object form]
Domku = [object form] of Domek = diminutive form of Dom = house, home
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Jak leci?
English Phonemes: “yahk LEH-chee”
Literal Translation: How it flies?
Elegant Translation: How’s it flying?
English Equivalent: How’s it going? How ya doing? ‘Sup?
This is a slang way to ask how a person is doing. Enjoy!
Jak = how
Leci = he/she/it flies [3rd person singular]
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Nie kracz!
English Phonemes: “nyeh krah[cz]”
Literal Translation: No jinx!
Elegant Translation: Don’t jinx!
English Equivalent: Don’t jinx it!
This is the perfect phrase to use near your Polish-speaking friends whenever one of them start to temp fate by jinxing something! No one likes bad luck vibes! Tell your friends to quit inviting it with this phrase!
Extra Credit: The saying can be expanded by putting “bo wykraczesz” on the end - which means “because you will make happen what you jinxed”. (Yes. That’s really what it means.) But it’s not necessary.
Nie = no, not
Kracz = jinx [singular, imperative form]
Bo = because
Wykraczesz = you[sing.] will bring about what you jinxed
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English Phonemes: “vohn”
Elegant Translation: Get out! Go away!
English Equivalent: Shoo!
This simple word is a staple of any Polish person’s childhood. A much needed tool in any parent’s arsenal, this word, when sharply administered, tells the young’un that he/she is in a place they very hastily need to be out of.
It’s tough to find a direct literal translation. “Shoo” in English is the closest. The word “won” in Polish doesn’t actually mean “go” or “get” or “away” or “out”. But like “shoo” in English, “won” is accomplishing the same exact thing.
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Kocha, lubi, szanuje, nie chce, nie dba, żartuje, w myśli, w mowie, w sercu, na ślubnym kobiercu
English Phonemes: “KOH-hah LOO-bee [sz]ah-NOO-yeh nyeh htseh nyeh dbah [ż]ahr-TOO-yeh v MIHSH-lee v MOH-vyeh v SEHR-tsooh nah SHLOOB-nihm koh-BYEHR-tsooh”
Literal Translation: Loves, likes, respects, not want, not care for, is joking, in mind, in speech, in heart, on wedding rug
Elegant Translation: (S)He loves, (s)he likes, (s)he respects, (s)he doesn’t want, (s)he doesn’t take care of, (s)he is joking, in thoughts, in speech, in the heart, on the wedding runner.
English Equivalent: (s)he loves me, (s)he loves me not
In this extra length Valentine’s Day Special episode, we go over the incredibly long phrase that Poles have instead of the English “(s)he loves me, (s)he loves me not” flower petal picking ritual.
I personally love this one even more because it is gender agnostic. Sometimes in gendered languages, you have to change words based on the gender of the person speaking, or the gender of the person being spoken to, or the gender of the person being spoken about. Funnily enough, the English equivalent uses gendered pronouns. But here, the third person tense is used, but the gender is irrelevant. You can be any gender and talking about any gender and it all applies in this case. No extra variants to learn and specially apply. All inclusive phrase. Ain’t that great?
You can use flowers, like the English tradition, but we Poles use the leaves of an Acacia tree. I’m not sure why.
Here’s a link to a wikipedia article in Polish that describes more about this tradition: https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kocha,_nie_kocha... You can run any part through a translator to get the gist, which I recommend because if you pick the English version of this page, it won’t describe all the Polish variants.
Kocha = he/she/it loves
Lubi = he/she/it likes
Szanuje = he/she/it respects, takes care of
Nie Chce = he/she/it does not want
Nie Dba = he/she/it does not care for/take care of
Żartuje = he/she/it is joking, playing around
W Myśli = in mind, thoughts
W Mowie = in speech, talking
W Sercu = in heart
Na Ślubnym Kobiercu = on wedding runner [preposition, then object form adj and noun]
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