Sto lat
/ˈstɔ ˈlat/
The Polish way to say the happy birthday song is Sto lat.
In Poland, Sto lat is the standard phrase used when singing the birthday song to someone to celebrate their birthday and wish them a long life.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, Sto lat means A hundred years.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is used as a fixed expression and does not change its form based on the person being celebrated.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈstɔ ˈlat/
Did you know?
- The phrase Sto lat is so versatile that it is often sung at weddings, name days, and even when a person achieves a great milestone, not just birthdays.
- The word sto shares a distant prehistoric ancestor with the English word 'hundred', as both trace back to the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱm̥tóm.
- Unlike the English 'Happy Birthday', which describes a feeling, Sto lat is a wish for a specific quantity of time.
Examples in context
- Zagrajmy Sto lat!Let's play Sto lat!
- Wszyscy zaczęli śpiewać Sto lat.Everyone started singing Sto lat.
- Czy znasz melodię Sto lat?Do you know the melody of Sto lat?
Example conversation
Paweł and Anna are at a birthday party.
- PawełWszystkiego najlepszego, Anno!Happy birthday, Anna!
- AnnaDziękuję bardzo, Pawle.Thank you very much, Paweł.
- PawełChodźcie wszyscy, śpiewamy Sto lat!Everyone come here, we are singing Sto lat!
- AnnaOjej, nie musicie tego robić!Oh, you don't have to do that!
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry sto lat.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sto, sto lat, CC BY-SA 4.0.
