tak sobie
/ˈtak ˈsɔ.bjɛ/
The English phrase "so so" is translated into Polish as tak sobie.
tak sobie is used to express mediocrity or a lack of enthusiasm about a situation, quality or feeling.
Which one should you use?
While średnio can mean "on average" or "moderately" in a mathematical or statistical sense, tak sobie is more colloquial and conveys a sense of "not great".
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈtak ˈsɔ.bjɛ/. The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word sobie descends from the Proto-Slavic sebě, which is a relative of the English word 'self'.
- Depending on the tone, tak sobie can be used sarcastically to mean something is actually quite bad without being overtly rude.
- The word tak shares a common ancient root with the Italian word sì through the process of elliptic shortening.
Examples in context
- Tak sobie.So so.
- Film był tak sobie.The movie was so so.
- Moje oceny są tak sobie.My grades are so so.
- Jedzenie w tej restauracji jest tak sobie.The food in this restaurant is so so.
Example conversation
Tomasz and Anna are talking about a meal at a restaurant.
- TomaszJak smakuje twoja zupa, Anna?How does your soup taste, Anna?
- AnnaSzczerze mówiąc, jest tak sobie.To be honest, it's so so.
- TomaszNaprawdę? Moja jest pyszna!Really? Mine is delicious!
- AnnaTwoja wygląda lepiej niż moja.Yours looks better than mine.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tak sobie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sobie, tak, tak sobie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
