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  What it means

  Literally “spit those words out,” this is an idiomatic command used when someone says something unlucky or ominous. It functions as a linguistic shield to prevent a bad “prediction” from coming true. If a friend says, “I’m sure you’ll fail your exam,” you would immediately reply with this phrase.

  Vocabulary

  • pluć / wypluć — to spit / to spit out
  • słowa — words (plural of 'słowo')
  • te — these / those

  Grammar note

  'Wypluj' is the 2nd person singular imperative (command) form of the perfective verb 'wypluć'. The perfective aspect is used here because the speaker wants the action of "un-saying" the words to be completed immediately.

  Cultural context

  This is a verbal superstition deeply rooted in Polish culture, similar to the English "knock on wood" or "bite your tongue." It is used informally among friends and family.

  Beginner

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