Bits of Polish

Bad language is language too.

While you might choose not to actively use “bad language”, I still think learning at least some of it will come in handy. Even though you don’t, people around you will use it, you will hear it in the street and in movies – and I guess you’d like to understand that! You’ve probably noticed how flexible Polish is and how easy it is to create new words and expressions. Because of that, understanding spoken, colloquial language isn’t easy, even if you’ve got a good grasp on ‘textbook’ vocabulary. No one speaks like they’ve memorized a textbook, and when it comes to informal situations, you better have a good reference on hand. Misunderstandings are the last thing you want when you’re being offended, right? So, sit back and enjoy this by no means all-comprehensive introduction to swearing in Polish. Today’s word is:

Cholera

Literally, it means the same thing as in English – the tropical disease – but I don’t think most Poles learn this meaning as their first one. I remember that when I first heard of the disease, in early school age I suppose, I was pretty impressed that someone called it after an expletive (kids are imaginative, aren’t they?) To begin with, cholera isn’t particularly strong, especially in comparison with other brilliant Polish swearwords. It’s more or less equivalent to the English ‘damn’ or ‘crap’, and while you don’t want to use it at school or in polite company, it’s still rather soft-core. In its basic form, it’s used to express a wide range of feelings, from annoyance to surprise to disappointment.

Cholera, gdzie są te klucze?!
Damn, where are those keys?!

O cholera… Tego się nie spodziewałem…
Oh crap… I didn’t expect this…

Cholera jasna, przestań tak przeklinać!
Damn, stop swearing like this! (lit. bright cholera…)

Cholera can be used in a number of colorful phrases. For example, if you’re questioning the purpose of doing something, you can ask po / na cholerę it’s done – why the hell?

Na cholerę mi to przynosisz? Nie potrzebuję tu twojego zdechłego kota.
Why the hell are you bringing me this? I don’t need your dead cat here.

Po cholerę się tak śpieszysz?
Why the hell are you in such a hurry?

The phrase jak cholera can be a useful substitute for ‘very’ or ‘a lot of’.

Zimno tu jak cholera!
It’s damn cold here!

Nienawidzę wakacji nad morzem. Korki, upał i ludzi jak cholera.
I hate vacations at the seaside. Traffic jams, heat and a shitload of people.

Another synonym of ‘a lot of’, functioning in the same way as in the last example, is  w cholerę.

Ten twój kotek ma w cholerę pcheł.
This kitty of yours has a shitload of fleas.

Cholera, znowu dostałem w cholerę spamu.
Damn, I got a shitload of spam again.

This handy adverbial can also be used in a directional sense, when telling someone where you recommend them to go, possibly quickly:

Idźcie wszyscy w cholerę!
Go to hell, you all!

Zabierz mi w cholerę tego kota, nie mogę na niego patrzeć.
Take this cat damn away from me, I can’t look at it.

Finally, if you have a noun, you can always make it into an adjective - cholerny.

Ten cholerny idiota znowu jest pijany!
This damned idiot is drunk again!

W poniedziałek zaczyna się cholerna szkoła.
On Monday, damn school starts.