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  What it means

  Literally “as quickly as possible,” this adverbial phrase expresses urgency — do something right away, without a moment’s delay, as fast as you can. It conveys a sense of pressing need or impatience, as if the speaker is urging immediate action. For example: “Zadzwoń po lekarza co prędzej!” (Call a doctor as fast as you can!). It can describe both movement (run off immediately) and the execution of a task (finish it right away).

  Vocabulary

  • prędzej — faster, sooner (comparative of prędko)
  • prędko — quickly, fast
  • co — intensifying particle in this fixed phrase
  • jak najprędzej — as fast as possible (alternative, more emphatic form)

  Grammar note

  "Prędzej" is the comparative degree of the adverb "prędko" (quickly). In standard Polish, "co" before a comparative form creates a superlative-style intensifier meaning 'as ... as possible': "co prędzej" = as quickly as possible. This is the same construction as "co najlepiej" (as well as possible) or "co rychlej" (as soon as possible, archaic). The phrase is invariable — it does not change regardless of person, number, or case.

  Cultural context

  "Co prędzej" has a slightly old-fashioned, literary ring compared to the modern "jak najszybciej" (as fast as possible), which is more common in everyday speech today. However, "co prędzej" survives in proverbs, folk sayings, and formal writing. It often appears in urgent imperatives, giving commands a forceful, almost dramatic tone — think of a doctor urging a patient to act or a general ordering a retreat. It is universally understood across Poland.

  Beginner

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