'jestem po weselu'

I think that 'jestem po weselu' means 'I've been to a wedding.' Am I right? Is this colloquial or standard Polish? Can this structure always replace a past tense?

It is colloquial, frequent and natural. In standard (or written) Polish it should be "byłem na weselu' or 'wróciłem z wesela'.

Lit. I'm after a/the wedding.


Rather colloquial.


No. In one way it can be a substitute for past tense. But be careful with it. It doesn't work if you want to express more complex sentences.

Just think of it as "I'm after X". Even if it doesn't make sense in English.

Also note that in a Polish translation the 2 following sentence are identical, and mean exactly the same:
1. I've been to a wedding
2. I was on a wedding

Right, when you're expressing it with byłem na weselu... but in the case of Jestem po weselu, I don't know if that could mean also the same but in other times, could be I guess

I'd say at a wedding, not on a wedding. I'd say jestem po weselu if I was nursing a hangover after a long weekend of partying at the wedding ceremony.

wedding reception... lol

Sorry, I included the Scottish dimension there :) Maybe I was hoping to be doing that as I was nervous. I had to read the vows in Polish and she changed them around :(

At the wedding reception if I am to be serious, yes.

"Jestem po weselu" could be a good example of a Polish "Present Perfect" tense. As such one doesn't exist in Polish, speakers 'invent' it in situations where it is desired. The phrase uses the present tense verbe 'jestem' and combines it with the preposition of time 'po'. Such a sentence matches almost perfectly the English 'I've been to a wedding', much better than do sentences like 'Wróciłem z wesela' or 'Byłem na weselu'.

Another example could be: 'Jesteśmy już po dwóch dużych piwach', stressing the effect of us having just drunk two beers, so the English equivalent: 'We have had ...' is something that immediately comes to mind.

Other uses of this "Present Perfect" type (colloquial as they are) might be: 'Mamy już za sobą dwie/trzy strzelone bramki' or 'To kolokwium mam zaliczone' or 'Mam zdany ten egzamin''.