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  What it means

  Literally “Chinese soup.” The Polish name for instant noodles (ramen-style). Colloquially used to represent cheap, student-budget food.

  Vocabulary

  • zupka — little soup (diminutive)
  • chiński — Chinese

  Grammar note

  Diminutive 'zupka' from 'zupa'. Adjective 'chińska' agrees in feminine nominative.

  Cultural context

  A staple of Polish student life since the 1990s. Saying someone lives on 'zupki chińskie' implies they are broke or living very frugally.

  Beginner

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