Episode 50: But Number! What For Number!

Ale Numer! & Co Za Numer!

English Phonemes: “AH-leh NOO-mehr / tsoh zah NOO-mehr”

Literal Translation: But Number/What For Number

Elegant Translation: What a number!

English Equivalents: Good one! (for a prank) What a rotten number! (for something terrible)

Special Double-Lesson Episode to celebrate 50 shows!

In today’s show we learn to say the same sentiment two different ways. These phrases convey the same exact sentiment: surprise at something someone did. It could be good surprise (at some clever prank) or bad surprise (at something truly shifty and terrible that happened). It could also, on rare occasion, be used to call someone a bottom-feeding scumbag con-artist slime ball. It is a big insult.

Ale = but [at beginning of sentence, means ‘what a’ in a helper word way]
Co = what
Za = for, behind, instead of, etc [multi-definition preposition. At beginning of sentence, “Co za” means “what a”]
Numer = number [singular, subject form]

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