Źle się dzieje w państwie duńskim
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What it means
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” Used when something is clearly wrong in an organisation, institution, or situation — often with an ironic or literary tone.
English equivalent
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
Vocabulary
- źle — badly, wrongly
- dziać się — to happen, to be going on
- państwo — state, country
- duński — Danish
Grammar note
'Dzieje się' is the reflexive third-person singular of 'dziać się'. 'W państwie duńskim' uses the locative case.
Cultural context
A direct allusion to Shakespeare's Hamlet ('Something is rotten in the state of Denmark'), well known in Polish literary culture.
Intermediate
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