My 5 favourite Polish idioms
Idioms are what I think I like the most in languages. Since I have started studying Spanish I look for similar idioms in Polish, English and Spanish and every time I find a resemblance or a major difference it makes my day. That is why I would like to introduce you a couple of Polish idioms I personally like the most.
- URWAĆ SIĘ Z CHOINKI - to fall off a Christmas tree
It means: to say something completely out of context, sometimes something surprising, tactless or not very smart.
Jacek powiedział wczoraj: Mam nadzieję, że wybory w USA wygra Clinton. Ja odpowiedziałam: Urwałeś się z choinki?? Przecież już dawno wygrał Trump.
Jacek told me yesterday: I hope Clinton will win the election in USA. I answered: Did you fall from a Christmas tree? Trump won it weeks ago.
A video about this idiom you can find on my teacher's profile
- MYŚLEĆ O NIEBIESKICH MIGDAŁACH - to think about blue almonds
This idiom means something close to "to be up with fairies". You can use it in situation when someone is completely out of space and have no idea what is going on:
- Jana ciągle myśli o niebieskich migdałach. Chyba się zakochala.
- Jana keeps thinking about blue almonds. I think she is in love.
- STRUGAĆ WARIATA - to sharpen a madman
This one is very funny even for Polish. What is the matter with sharpening a madman? When you sharpen a madmen it means you pretend not to know about something or you pretend to be a bit...stupid.
- Omar, proszę, nie strugaj wariata. Przecież wiesz, że idziemy dzisiaj odwiedzić moją mamę.
- Omar, please, don't sharpen a madman. You know we are going to visit my mother today.
4.ROBIĆ BURZĘ W SZKLANCE WODY - to make a storm in a glass of water
English speakers know this one but of course in their version it's a cuppa. Polish people prefer simpler option - a glass of water. It means of course to overreact.
- Farah zrobiła burzę w szklance wody, bo jej mąż wrócił z pracy w środku nocy. Spakowała mu walizki.
- Farah made a storm in a glass of water because her husband came home in the middle of the night. She packed his suitcase.
- NA OKO - on eye
Na oko is just unspecified amount. There are two types of cooks: those you have notebooks full of recipes and always follow instructions and those , like me, who are genius creators and do everything "na oko" - trying and remembering how much flower or sugar they should approximately use.
- Kiedy zapytałam Pauliny, jak robi ciasto na naleśniki, powiedziała: no jak to jak? Na oko!
- When I asked Paulina, how does she make pancakes dough, she answered: what a question! On eye!
I hope you enjoy my set of Polish idioms. For more I invite you to my Teacher's Profile!
January 3, 2017
