czas spać
/ˈt͡ʂas ˈspat͡ɕ/word by word
The Polish phrase for "time for bed" is czas spać.
czas spać is a phrase used to tell someone that it is the appropriate time to go to sleep. It is commonly used by parents when addressing children to signal that the day is over.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun czas (time) and the infinitive verb spać (to sleep).
Which one should you use?
While czas spać is standard, you can also use the synonym pora spać, which uses the noun pora (hour/time/season) to convey the same meaning.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʂas ˈspatɕ/
Did you know?
- The verb spać can be used in the phrase spać jak zabity, meaning 'to sleep like someone who has been killed'.
- The root of spać is shared with the English word 'sleep' as both derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *swep-.
- The noun czas can also mean 'era' or 'epoch', meaning that in a very poetic sense, 'czas spać' could sound like 'the era of sleep'.
Examples in context
- Czas spać.Time for bed.This sentence is useful for stating the basic command "Time for bed.".Tatoeba #364571 by zipangu, translation #268899 by sundown
- Najwyższy czas spać.It's high time for bed.This sentence is useful for emphasizing that it is "high time" for bed.Tatoeba #3415887 by konrad509, translation #387621 by Dorenda
- Idziemy spać, skarbieWe're going to sleep, sweetheart
Example conversation
A mother tells her son it is getting late.
- KatarzynaPaweł, już jest czas spać.Paweł, it is already time for bed.
- PawełJeszcze tylko dziesięć minut!Just ten more minutes!
- KatarzynaNie, kochanie, czas spać.No, honey, it is time for bed.
- PawełDobrze, idę do łóżka.Fine, I am going to bed.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (czas, spać) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries czas, spać, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
