kwaśna śmietana
feminine
Sour cream is translated into Polish as kwaśna śmietana.
kwaśna śmietana refers to cream that has been treated with a benign bacterium.
Meaning: cream which has been treated with a benign bacterium (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective kwaśna meaning sour and the noun śmietana meaning cream.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes depending on its role in a sentence. Use kwaśnej śmietany in the genitive case, which is commonly used after words such as brak (lack of) or dużo (much/a lot of). Use kwaśną śmietanę in the accusative case, which is used when the sour cream is the direct object of a verb like kupić (to buy) or jeść (to eat).
Did you know?
- The word śmietana is an ancient descendant of the Proto-Slavic verb meaning 'to wipe' or 'to scoop', referring to the process of skimming cream from the top of milk.
- There is a distinction between śmietana and śmietanka, where the latter refers to sweet, unfermented cream used for coffee or desserts.
- While the adjective kwaśna literally means 'sour', it can also be used to describe a person's unpleasant, grumpy, or 'sour' facial expression.
Examples in context
- Proszę podać mi trochę śmietany do ziemniaków.Please pass me some sour cream for the potatoes.
- Ta kwaśna śmietana jest bardzo gęsta.This sour cream is very thick.
Example conversation
Agnieszka and Krzysztof are preparing dinner in the kitchen.
- AgnieszkaKrzysztof, czy mamy kwaśna śmietana?Krzysztof, do we have sour cream?
- KrzysztofTak, jest w lodówce na górze.Yes, it is in the fridge on top.
- AgnieszkaSuper, dodam ją do ziemniaków.Great, I will add it to the potatoes.
- KrzysztofTo będzie smakować bardzo dobrze.That will taste very good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sour cream” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries śmietana, CC BY-SA 4.0.
