uważaj na siebie
To say "be safe" in Polish, you use uważaj na siebie.
uważaj na siebie is a phrase used to tell someone to take care of themselves and avoid danger when parting ways. It is commonly used as a parting wish to friends, family or loved ones to express care for their well-being.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase uważaj na siebie literally translates to "watch out for yourself".
Which one should you use?
While uważaj na siebie is a warm way to say "be safe" when parting, the single word uważaj is a sharp warning to "watch out" for immediate danger.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are telling more than one person to be safe, use the plural form uważajcie na siebie.
Did you know?
- The word na used in this expression has deep roots, descending from the Proto-Slavic word *nō.
- The phrase uważaj na siebie is more emotionally heavy than a simple 'goodbye' because it explicitly acknowledges a person's vulnerability and the need to actively guard against it.
- In Polish, the phrase implies a sense of active lookout rather than a passive state of being safe, suggesting the person should actively monitor their surroundings.
Examples in context
- Uważaj na siebie w podróży.Be safe on your journey.
- Zawsze uważaj na siebie.Always be safe.
- Uważaj na siebie, jest już późno.Be safe, it is late now.
Example conversation
Piotr is seeing Katarzyna off at the train station.
- PiotrDo widzenia, Katarzyno.Goodbye, Katarzyna.
- KatarzynaDziękuję, do zobaczenia!Thank you, see you soon!
- PiotrUważaj na siebie.Be safe.
- KatarzynaTy też, Piotrze.You too, Piotr.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries na, CC BY-SA 4.0.
