cześć stary
/ˈt͡ʂɛɕt͡ɕ ˈsta.rɘ/word by word
The English phrase "hello mate" is translated into Polish as cześć stary.
cześć stary is an informal greeting used when speaking to a male friend. In this context, stary functions as a colloquial term of endearment for a male friend, similar to saying "mate" or "dude" in English.
What does it mean word for word?
The word stary literally means "old" when used as an adjective.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʂɛɕtɕ ˈsta.rɘ/. The phrase has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word cześć shares a root with the Polish word for 'honor' or 'glory', meaning the greeting originally implied a wish of honor for the other person.
- In a different context, stary can be used as a slang term for one's father, similar to saying 'my old man' in English.
- The greeting cześć can be used both when arriving and when leaving a group of friends. This makes it more versatile than the English 'hello', which is typically only used upon meeting.
Examples in context
- Siema ziomek! Wszystko gra, a u Ciebie?Hey buddy! Everything's cool, and with you?
- Siemka! Jak tam u Ciebie?Hi! How are you doing?
- Cześć stary, co słychać?Hello mate, how's it going?
- Cześć stary, dawno cię nie widziałem.Hello mate, I haven't seen you in a long time.
- Cześć stary, idziemy na piwo?Hello mate, shall we go for a beer?
Example conversation
Paweł meets a male friend on the street while Anna is with him.
- PawełCześć stary, jak leci?Hello mate, how's it going?
- AnnaWszystko super, a u ciebie?Everything is great, and with you?
- PawełTeż dobrze. Poznaj Annę.Good too. Meet Anna.
- AnnaMiło cię poznać, Anno.Nice to meet you, Anna.
