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  What it means

  Literally “either a fish, or a pipka (a small, worthless thing).” It means all or nothing: you either commit fully or get nothing. It is used to push someone to decide or stop taking half-measures.

  Vocabulary

  • albo… albo… — either… or…
  • rybka — little fish (diminutive of ryba)
  • pipka — a trifle / nothing (colloquial, mildly vulgar)

  Grammar note

  The 'albo… albo…' structure presents two mutually exclusive options. Both nouns are in the nominative.

  Cultural context

  A blunt, colloquial expression. 'Pipka' is mildly vulgar, so the phrase is informal and direct, not for most formal settings.

  Beginner

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