Dawno temu
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What it means
Literally “long ago.” The standard Polish way to begin a story set in the past — the equivalent of “once upon a time” or “a long time ago.” Also used in everyday speech for anything that happened in the distant past.
Vocabulary
- dawno — long ago / a long time ago
- temu — ago (postposition)
Grammar note
'Temu' is a postposition used with time expressions to mean 'ago' — it follows the time word rather than preceding it.
Cultural context
The opening of countless Polish fairy tales and stories. 'Dawno, dawno temu' (the doubled form) is the classic fairy-tale opener.
Beginner
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