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Meanings of 'stkę'


JosephK  4 | 5  
3 Jun 2012 /  #1
Hello again!

So I'm trying to improve my very very limited Polish reading skills by translating some lyrics to my favorite Polish songs. In one of the songs I came across the phrase:

Jak miałem 19-stkę, odpierdoliłem debiut(Sorry for the vulgarity...)

I can't figure the meaning of the '19-stkę'. What is stkę? I'm guessing it has to do with a shortened form of a larger number. Of course that could be completely wrong. I searched Google for it and it always has a number before it.

Any help is appreciated as always!

Thanks,
Joe
Paulina  16 | 4338  
3 Jun 2012 /  #2
Jak miałem 19-stkę

19-stkę = dziewiętnastkę

It means: "When I was 19 years old" :)
It can also mean "When I was having a 19th birthday party".
Usually in Poland we call the 18th birthday party in this way: "osiemnastka" (18-stka). It's a bit like "sweet 16" in the US I suppose - a big party.
OP JosephK  4 | 5  
5 Jun 2012 /  #3
Thank you very much for the answer! Very helpful!
FUZZYWICKETS  8 | 1878  
5 Jun 2012 /  #4
hahaha, oh man, this thread is just precious.

MAN this language is completely bonkers.
Lyzko  
13 Jun 2012 /  #5
And English is not??? Look up Lewis Carroll's spelling of "fish" (phonetically)LOL!!!
scottie1113  6 | 896  
13 Jun 2012 /  #6
Look up Lewis Carroll's spelling of "fish" (phonetically)LOL!!!

ghoti

gh as in enough=f

o as in women=i

ti as in nation=sh

I love this. It drives my students crazy!
Lyzko  
13 Jun 2012 /  #7
Ya see, Fuzz?????!
Ziemowit  14 | 3936  
13 Jun 2012 /  #8
I'm sure Fuzz would be very quick in recognising "fish" in "ghoti".
Bułka z masłem!
Lyzko  
13 Jun 2012 /  #9
Smacznego in absentia, Ziemowicie:-)
malydzik1  
18 Jun 2012 /  #10
I believe, and it's been almost five years since I've been in Poland, but it's not only birthdays, but cards, but numbers, and trawaj numbers as well. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!
Ziemowit  14 | 3936  
19 Jun 2012 /  #11
Mały Dziku, oczywiście, że masz rację. As far as a tram number is concerned, we even have a song about the city of Warsaw (from the 1960s, I believe, sung by the once famous Chór Czejanda vocal group) that goes:

Kiedy rano jadę osiemnastką
chociaż ciasno, chociaż tłok,
patrzę na kochane moje miasto,
które mnie zadziwia co krok.
Bo tu Marszałkowska i Trasa W—Z,
Krakowskie Przedmieście
i tunel, i wnet...

Na prawo most, na lewo most,
a dołem Wisła płynie,
tu rośnie dom, tam rośnie dom
z godziny na godzinę.

-------------------------------------------------------

it's been almost five years since I've been in Poland

Just on a side note: I've always wondered whether you can say "to have been in..." or is it "to have been to..." which the only correct form? I've never been sure about it ...
malydzik1  
19 Jun 2012 /  #12
Just on a side note: I've always wondered whether you can say "to have been in..." or is it "to have been to..." which the only correct form? I've never been sure about it ...

Well, it depends. Both are correct forms. However, when you say 'in' instead of 'to' then it implies you were there for a little longer. However, you need to realize that American and British English are going to be different, as well as different regions of the US. I'm from Portland, so it may be different elsewhere. There might be more proper/colloquial ways as well.;)
Jimmu  2 | 156  
21 Jun 2012 /  #13
"to have been in..." or is it "to have been to..."

If you went as far as the border and came back, you have been to Poland. If you crossed the border, you have been in Poland. and if you just like really dig it, you have been into Poland. lol
Ziemowit  14 | 3936  
21 Jun 2012 /  #14
Thank you both for the answers.

If you went as far as the border and came back, you have been to Poland.

Now that I've read this, I come to think of the negation phrase "I've never been to Poland" which nicely corroborates what you've just said!

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