niedobrze
The Polish phrase for "not good" is niedobrze.
niedobrze is used to describe the feeling of nausea or the sensation of being about to vomit. In the context of physical sensation, niedobrze is an adverb used to describe the quality of a feeling rather than a noun-based adjective.
Which one should you use?
While niedobrze specifically describes the sensation of nausea, źle is a more general term for feeling unwell or being in a bad state.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that you personally feel nauseous, you must add the dative pronoun 'mi' (to me) after 'niedobrze'.
Did you know?
- The prefix nie- in niedobrze is a direct descendant of the Proto-Indo-European word *né, which is the same ancient root used to create the English word 'no'.
- While niedobrze usually refers to nausea, if you say jest mi niedobrze in a moral context, it can mean you feel a sense of disgust or revulsion toward someone's behavior.
- Polish has a sharp distinction between niedobrze and źle. If you tell a doctor jest mi źle, they will ask where it hurts, but jest mi niedobrze tells them exactly that you are nauseous.
Examples in context
- Niedobrze że nie zapytałeś o jej imię.It is not good that you did not ask her name.This sentence shows how niedobrze can be used to express that a situation is not good.Tatoeba #7803142 by mojeanin, translation #17740 by Zifre
- Niedobrze jest śmiać się z innych.It is not good to laugh at others.This sentence shows how niedobrze can be used to describe an unpleasant action.Tatoeba #1350263 by Ollie1337, translation #270143 by CM
- "Cześć Dawid, jak się dziś masz?" "Niedobrze, mój długopis jest w domu, jak i moja praca domowa i mój podręcznik.""Hi David, how are you today?" "Not good, my pen is at home and so is my homework and my textbook."This sentence shows how niedobrze can be used as a response to a greeting to describe a bad state of affairs.Tatoeba #11282119 by hecko, translation #10291304 by jimkillock
Example conversation
A couple is having breakfast at home.
- PawełAgnieszka, czy wszystko w porządku?Agnieszka, is everything okay?
- AgnieszkaNie, jest mi niedobrze.No, I feel nauseous.
- PawełChcesz napić się wody?Do you want to drink some water?
- AgnieszkaTak, to może pomoże.Yes, that might help.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries niedobrze, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
