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Random "what's this Polish word" questions


LadyE
24 Jul 2012 #1
Greetings!

I've recently started to sort of learn Polish (Ok, it's mostly words from Michał Żebrowski movies, don't judge! :)) but occasionally I can't figure out what the word actually is instead of what the subtitles say it is. For example, there's a scene from Stara Basn where one character asks somethng that sounds like "Ah groat?". The other character answers something that sounds like "saw groat". The subtitles listed that as "And the fortress?", "What about it?" but fortress doesn't translate to anything close to "groat".

Can anyone help me before it makes me completely nuts? Thanks in advance!
catsoldier 62 | 595
24 Jul 2012 #2
I am not an expert but I have found that subtitles are not a literal translationof what is being said, they are an interpretation.

If everything was a literal translation some of what you would read woudn't make any sense in English.

For example:

Co ma piernik do wiatraka. A literal translation would be "What has gingerbread got to do with windmills" or something like that. What it actually means is: "what's that got to do with anything?"

This may not be the case for your film, it could be just sloppy work also.
Pankracy
24 Jul 2012 #3
"Gród" maybe? Medieval town or settlment.
OP LadyE
25 Jul 2012 #4
What it actually means is: "what's that got to do with anything?"

But I like the literal translation better! ;)

"Gród" maybe? Medieval town or settlement.

That works perfectly! Thank you!
catsoldier 62 | 595
25 Jul 2012 #5
But I like the literal translation better! ;)

Me too, it sticks in the mind better. :-)
CSN - | 1
2 Dec 2015 #6
Merged: Looking for the Polish meaning of a word that sounds like Bookza in English

My Dad is American-born 100% polish and is now in his 80s. In the family, we have always used the phrase Na zdrowie (to your health) when drinking shots. We all usually respond with Na Zdrowie. However, throughout his life he has heard other people within his family return Na Zdrowie with a word that sounds like "Bookza". He doesn't know what that means and is having trouble finding out as the family members that said this are now deceased. Does anyone know what that word is in Polish - the spelling and the meaning? Thanks for any help you can provide.
delphiandomine 88 | 18,163
2 Dec 2015 #7
Bookza

en.bab.la/dictionary/polish-english/zdr%C3%B3wko - probably?
Monika51
2 Dec 2015 #8
I think it's "Bóg zapłać" - God bless you


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