• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “Wait, daddy, for the year.” Some things take time and cannot be rushed. You simply have to wait, even when you do not want to. It is said to someone who is in a hurry or expects results too soon. The rhyme of ’tatka’ and ’latka’ gives the line a playful, sing-song feel.

  English equivalent

  Good things come to those who wait / Patience is a virtue

  Vocabulary

  • czekaj — wait! (imperative of 'czekać')
  • tatka — daddy, dad (informal diminutive vocative of 'tata')
  • latka — little year (diminutive genitive of 'lato' in older usage, or of 'rok' , here rhyming with 'tatka')

  Grammar note

  The imperative 'czekaj' (wait!) is the second-person singular command form of 'czekać' (to wait). 'Tatka' is a diminutive vocative, which gives the line an affectionate family tone. The tatka/latka rhyme helps people remember the saying and gives it a gentle rhythm.

  Cultural context

  Parents and grandparents often say this to impatient children, but it also fits adult situations that need patience. Its light rhyme makes it sound gentler than a scolding. The diminutives are typical of informal Polish family speech, and the saying is especially common among older speakers.

  Intermediate

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