Drobne słowa, duża różnica
Small words that decide whether you sound translated.
w ogóle
phrase
- EN
- at all; in general
- RU
- вообще
W ogóle nie wiedziałem, że tu mieszkasz.
I had no idea at all that you live here.
Cognate with вообще, but Polish reaches for it far more often, and usually with a negation to mean 'not at all'.
akurat
adverb · particle
- EN
- just then, as it happens; yeah right
- RU
- как раз; ага, конечно
Akurat miałem do ciebie zadzwonić.
I was just about to call you.
Two opposite jobs. Inside a sentence it means 'just then'; standing alone it is flat sarcasm.
zdążyć
verb · perfective
- EN
- to make it in time
- RU
- успеть
Musimy się pospieszyć, żeby zdążyć na pociąg.
We need to hurry to catch the train.
No single English word carries it. Zdążyłem = I made it in time, and the whole meaning is in the verb.
koleś
noun · masculine, colloquial
- EN
- dude, guy
- RU
- чувак, парень
Jakiś koleś pytał o ciebie.
Some guy was asking about you.
Kumpel is a friend; koleś is just some bloke. The difference is one of distance, not affection.
cwaniak
noun · masculine, colloquial
- EN
- a chancer, a wheeler-dealer
- RU
- хитрец, ловкач
Nie ufaj mu, to znany cwaniak.
Don't trust him, he's a known chancer.
Somebody who is too clever by half. The word sits between admiration and contempt, and lands nearer contempt.
wpadka
noun · feminine, colloquial
- EN
- blunder, slip-up
- RU
- прокол, ляп
Zapomnienie jej imienia to była niezła wpadka.
Forgetting her name was quite a blunder.
From wpaść, to fall in. Also slang for an unplanned pregnancy, so read the room.
wygodny
adjective
- EN
- comfortable
- RU
- удобный, комфортный
Te buty są bardzo wygodne.
These shoes are very comfortable.
Of things. For a person who is comfortable, Polish turns it around: wygodnie mi.
najwyżej
adverb
- EN
- at most, at worst
- RU
- самое большее, в крайнем случае
Poczekam najwyżej dziesięć minut.
I'll wait ten minutes at most.
Literally 'highest'. Used to cap a concession — the worst that can happen is this.
no właśnie
phrase
- EN
- exactly, that's the thing
- RU
- вот именно
No właśnie o tym mówię!
That's exactly what I'm talking about!
Two particles doing one job: agreement plus 'and that is the problem'.
zajawka
noun · feminine, slang
- EN
- a passion, one's thing
- RU
- увлечение, фишка
Gotowanie to moja mała zajawka.
Cooking is my little passion.
Youth slang. In publishing the same word means a teaser or trailer, which is where it started.
Drill these ten · earlier morning · later morning
Drill these ten