Potoczne I
What people actually say when nobody is being careful. Hear each of these before you use it.
dać radę
phrase · verb, perfective
- EN
- to manage, to be able to
- RU
- справиться, осилить
Spokojnie, dam radę.
Relax, I've got this.
The single most useful colloquial phrase in the language. Dam radę is 'I can do it'; nie dam rady is the polite refusal for anything at all.
ogarnięty
adjective · colloquial
- EN
- on top of things, switched on
- RU
- толковый, собранный
On jest naprawdę ogarnięty.
He's really got it together.
The adjective from ogarnąć, and one of the highest compliments in casual Polish — it means competent, organised and unflappable at once.
beka
noun · feminine, slang
- EN
- a laugh, something hilarious
- RU
- ржака, угар
Ale beka, nagrali to wszystko.
So funny — they filmed the whole thing.
From bekać, to belch. Beka z kogoś is laughing AT somebody, which is a different and less friendly thing.
sztos
noun · masculine, slang
- EN
- something excellent
- RU
- отпад, огонь
Ten album to totalny sztos.
That album is an absolute banger.
From German Stoss, a shot in billiards. Used as a bare exclamation: Sztos!
kozak
noun · masculine, slang
- EN
- a badass; brilliant
- RU
- красава, крутой
Ale kozak, sam to naprawił.
What a legend — he fixed it himself.
Literally a Cossack. Works as both a noun and a flat exclamation of approval.
wypas
noun · masculine, slang
- EN
- top-notch, the business
- RU
- шик, отпад
Hotel był wypas.
The hotel was the business.
Literally grazing, as of cattle. Used adjectivally without changing form, which is what marks it as slang.
ściema
noun · feminine, slang
- EN
- a lie, a put-on
- RU
- лажа, разводка
Cała ta promocja to ściema.
That whole sale is a con.
Ściemniać is to spin a line. Close to lipa, but lipa is a disappointment and ściema is a deception.
lajtowo
adverb · slang
- EN
- easily, no stress
- RU
- легко, изи
Lajtowo, zdążymy.
No stress, we'll make it.
Straight from English 'light', with a Polish adverb ending bolted on. The same machinery gives lajtowy.
siema
interjection · slang
- EN
- hi, hey
- RU
- привет, здорово
Siema, co tam u ciebie?
Hey, how are things?
A contraction of jak się masz. Informal to the point that it would be odd with anyone you address as pan or pani.
nara
interjection · slang
- EN
- bye, later
- RU
- пока, давай
Nara, do jutra!
Later, see you tomorrow!
Shortened from na razie, 'for now'. The full form is safe everywhere; nara is for friends.
Drill these ten · earlier morning · later morning
Drill these ten