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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