Cztery litery
Listen
What it means
Literally “four letters.” A polite euphemism for the backside (tyłek/dupa — both four-letter words in Polish). Used to avoid saying something rude directly.
Vocabulary
- cztery — four
- litery — letters (plural)
Grammar note
'Cztery' takes the nominative plural of 'litera'. The phrase works as a noun substitute.
Cultural context
A classic Polish euphemism. Saying 'wypad na cztery litery' (get lost — literally 'go to four letters') is a common way to tell someone off without swearing outright.
Intermediate
Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!
More Polish idioms
- Literally "one's whole life flew past before the eyes," this phrase describes the vivid, involuntary …
- Literally "for an example," na przykład is the standard Polish phrase for "for example" or "for …
- Literally "in the last/recent times," ostatnimi czasy is a common temporal phrase meaning "lately," …
- Literally "in the manner of Judas," this adverb describes acting in a treacherous, backstabbing way …