How You Say?

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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