How You Say?

Co masz na myśli?

English Phonemes: “tsoh mah[sz] nah MIHSH-lee”

Literal Translation: What you have on thought?

Elegant Translation: What do you have on your mind?

English Equivalents: What do you mean? What are you saying? What are you thinking?

This phrase is used the same way we use “What do you mean?” or “What are you trying to say?” or even “Where are you going with this?”

Next week, we’ll look at a related phrase having to do with minds and heads, and break down another thought-provoking idiom!

Co = what
Masz = you have [2nd person, singular, informal]
Na = on
Myśli = thought, mind [singular, object form]

Co słychać?

English Phonemes: “tsoh SWIH-hahch”

Literal Translation: What can be heard?

Elegant Translation: What’s up? 

English Equivalent: What’s up? How’s it going?

This is a slang phrase you can use in place of ‘Hey.’, ‘How are you?’, ‘How are things?’ or other greetings used with people you know. It is super Polish and very common.

Co = what
Słychać = is heard, can be heard [from the infinitive of ’słyszeć’, to hear]

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Ja Nie Umiem Mówić Po Polsku

In honor of Polish Bilingual Day being celebrated this weekend, (http://www.polishbilingualday.com/language/en/ and http://www.dobrapolskaszkola.com/category/w-naszym-domu-mowimy-po-polsku/),
I picked a phrase to tell your Polish-speaking friends that you’re not so great with speaking Polish.

Ja = I
Nie = not/no
Umiem = I know [how to do a skill] [1st person singular]
Mówić = To speak/to talk [infinitive]
Po = in/after/following [preposition]
Polsku = Polish language [object form]

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Masz Głowę? 

English Phonemes: “mah[sz] GWOH-veh”

Literal Translation: You have head?

Elegant Translation: Do you have a head?

English Equivalent: Can you imagine?

This two word combo actually has multiple uses and meanings in different contexts!

For example, as part of a sentence, it could be used like so: 
“Masz głowę po matce.” = “You have your mother’s brains.”
Or
“Nie wiem gdzie masz głowę.” = “I don’t know where your head’s at.” or “I don’t know what’s going through your head.”
Or
“Ty masz głowę do rachunków.” = “You have a head for numbers.”
(And so on.)
But standing alone as a question, by itself, it simply is asking “Can you imagine?” or “Can you believe it?”

Masz = you have [singular, 2nd person, informal]
Głowę = head [singular, object form]

* Special note: Usually for show titles, I like to use the literal translation. Unfortunately, this week’s literal translation can potentially have quite a naughty meaning in English. So this week, I’ll use the elegant translation instead. 

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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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Jakim cudem?

English Phonemes: “YAH-keem TSOO-dehm”

Literal Translation: By what miracle?

English Equivalent: How in the world? What sorcery is this?

This phrase isn’t stand-alone. It is something you say in reaction to seeing something amazing or being told something amazing. You follow it up with “by what miracle” more to ask how something so wonderful or unbelievable happened. It is not a fully standalone exclamation of wonder. It’s not a rhetorical question either. Unlike other sayings or exclamations, you kind of expect an answer to this one. 

Jakim = by what [object form, implies the preposition ‘by’ or ‘with’]
Cudem = miracle, wonder, magic, sorcery [object form, because of the implied preposition]

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Odczep Się!

English Phonemes: “OHD-[cz]ehp shyeh”

Literal Translation: Detach self!

Elegant Translation: Detach yourself!

English Equivalent: Back off!

Sometimes a cuddly phrase won’t do! Today’s phrase is a bit rough around the edges. 

This phrase is used in the same way as ‘back off’ or ‘buzz off’ or ‘get out of my face’ is used in English. Note also that this is in the informal singular form. There IS a more polite way to say this, just so you know. (However, it rarely comes up.)

Handle with care!

Odczep = detach, unhook [verb, instructive form, informal, used when instructing a singular person]
Się = self [reflective helper word]

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Dobra Robota!

English Phonemes: “DOH-brah roh-BOH-tah”

Literal Translation: Good Job!

This is one of those times the English and Polish directly line up with each other! And I wanted to say to you, good job! Learning any language isn’t easy. I hope this show has helped you on your journey :-)

Dobra = good [adjective, feminine singular form]
Robota = a job, work [noun, singular subject form]

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Wszystkiego Najlepszego!

English Phonemes: “f[sz]ihs-TKYEH-goh nah*ee-lehp-[SZ]EH-goh”

Literal Translation: All Best!

Elegant Translation: All the best! The best of everything!

English Equivalent: Best Wishes!

This is a common way to wish someone fond wishes for a special event. Most commonly, around the holidays, or someone’s birthday. It can also be used at a life event, like a wedding, a birth, a job change, a move, and so on - but that’s less common. 

Wszystkiego = all, everything [noun, object form]
Najlepszego = best [compound adjective, object form]

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Czekacie to nic nie macie!

English Phonemes: “[cz]eh-KAH-chyeh toh neets nyeh MAH-chyeh”

Literal Translation: You are waiting then nothing not you are having.

Elegant Translation: You wait, you don’t have anything.

English Equivalent: Waiting gets you nowhere.

We Poles love our glib rhyming pearls of wisdom. This is another one. It’s a funny way of saying waiting won’t get you very far. 

Czekacie = You are waiting [2nd person plural, present tense]
To = Then, This [depending on context]
Nic = Nothing
Nie = No, Not
Macie = You are having, You have [2nd person plural, present tense]

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