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  What it means

  Literally “in the fashion of” or “after the manner of,” ’na modłę’ is used to describe something done in the style or tradition of a particular group, era, or place. For example, ‘ubrany na modłę XIX wieku’ means dressed in 19th-century fashion. It implies imitation of or conformity to a specific model or tradition. The word ‘modła’ is somewhat archaic, giving the phrase a slightly literary or formal flavour.

  Vocabulary

  • na modłę — in the fashion of / after the manner of
  • modła — fashion, manner, mold (archaic/literary)
  • na — in / after (preposition governing accusative here)

  Grammar note

  The preposition 'na' here governs the accusative case: 'modłę' is the accusative singular of 'modła' (a feminine noun). This construction — 'na + accusative' — is used to indicate manner or style and appears in many fixed phrases in Polish. The noun 'modła' is rarely used outside of this idiom in modern Polish.

  Cultural context

  This phrase has a literary and slightly old-fashioned feel and is more common in written Polish — novels, journalism, historical writing — than in casual speech. It is equivalent to English expressions like 'in the manner of,' 'à la,' or 'in the style of.' You might see it in phrases like 'na modłę zachodnią' (in the Western fashion).

  Intermediate

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