How You Say?

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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