Polish word, idioms and slang for the word lame
One of my favorite words in English is the word ‘lame’. However, for many years I thought there was no good translation for this word as when I watched films in Polish they always translated it as ‘słabo’. This means weak. However, if you say a movie is weak it does not have the same linguistic impact as lame. Lame is a bit slangy, but really conveys the message.
Słabo or za słabo (too weak) is OK but I found a better Polish word. Here is how it happened.
One day I was watching a program on Polish TV. It is called Kiepski. It is about this couple who lives in a block of flats. It is kind of like the old show with Jackie Gleason called the honeymooners. Well I have watched this show for years and I have only made the connection recently. That is, the guys last name Kiepski means lame.
The Polish word Kiepski is also the title of Polish TV show. Andrzej Grabowski plays on the Polsat series called Kiepski.
It happened because I actually asked my wife for what it means and she made the connection. It’s funny how many times I do the same for her in English. There is an English word and she asks me what it means and when I think about it, I find a root word or hidden meaning to a word I had used in English for many years.
This is one of the advantages of living in a bilingual home. It opens doors and ways of thinking that could not be done by simply reading a book. If you marry a Polish guy or girl consider yourself lucky in love and in life.
Uses of this Polish idiom
You can say a date or a film or a book or a person is kind of ‘kiepski’. This is now one of my favorite words in Polish.
Kiepski żart (lame joke) or kiepski humor (which means lame moody). Kiepsko u mnie (I am short in money or better yet ‘I am broke or do not have the ducats’ Kiepski z językami (I am not good with languages). Kiepski kucharz (lame cook). You can have kiepski smak (lame taste) or a really lame boring day – kiepski dzień. If you are a Polish native speaker let me know if you have some more idioms like this. I do not want to write a kiespki post.
Although I have a Polish grammar site one of the basic pillars of my philosophy is to learn Polish by accumulating a massive database of words in your memory.
I like to convey these types of idioms as it is not something you would find in a dictionary or electronic translator. It is something that you pick up when you live in Poland. If you were to pull this Polish word out in the right situations you would your Polish would be ‘czadowy’ (that means ‘with smoke’, which is slang for amazing in Polish).
11 responses to Polish word for lame – Kiepski
Nice post. on this Polish word. Cheers from Poland
Thanks and I corrected the mistake in spelling I make in the word językami – of all words.
Cieszę się że ktoś się uczy tego języka chociaż ja sam mam z nim problemy.Ja uczę się angielskiego i norweskiego ale widoczni nie wszyscy są stworzeni do nauki języków. Pozdrawiam
Do you know word “fajny” ? (fajna, fajnie). It is opposite to “kiepski” and I think you can use it very often
For example:
Fajna książka (interesting book)
Fajnie wyglądasz (you look nice)
Fajna pogoda (the weather is good)
Generally, “fajnie” (fajny, fajna) mean “good”
but it can mean also: nice, interesting, etc 
“fajny” is similar to “czadowy”, but “czadowy” mean veeeryyy good
Polish word for lame – Kiepski
Thanks Ewa this is one of those universal Polish words that I hear a lot. It is very useful.
kiepski podręcznik – lame maual
kiepski wykład – lame lecture
kiepski wykładowca – (person who gives a lecture)
kiepskie jedzenie – lame food
“Tam mają kiepskie żarcie/jedzenie”
They have there lame food. (about a restaurant for ex.)
Agata:)
P.S. Mam nadzieję, że dorzuciłam coś pomocnego:)
Siema, jakchcecie uczyć się polskiego online to zapraszam. JestemPolakiem i mieszkam w Polsce, znam ten jęszykbardzo dobrze, mam jednak problemy z angielskim:-) jeśliznajdzie się ktoś chętny zapraszamdo kontaktu maailowego.
Pzdr.
Tomek
Siema, jak chcecie uczyć się polskiego online to zapraszam. Jestem Polakiem i mieszkam w Polsce, znam ten język bardzo dobrze, mam jednak problemy z angielskim:-) Chętnie wymienie się wiedzą, jeśli znajdzie się ktoś chętny zapraszamdo kontaktu maailowego.
Pzdr.
Tomek
Polish word for lame – Kiepski
Whats up, how do you want to learn Polish online is invited. I’m Polish and I live in Poland, I know the language very well, but I have problems with English
We are happy to exchange knowledge, if there is someone willing zapraszamdo maailowego contact.
Kisses.
Tom
Nie nazwałbym kolokacji ‘kiepski’ + słowo – idiomem. Kiepski, kiepskie, kiepsko – możesz łączyć z czymkolwiek i będzie to miało sens.
It will make sense and will simply mean ‘poor’, ‘bad’ or ‘mean’.
The same with ‘fajnie’. You can use it with everything.
Fajna laska (nice chick).
Fajny tyłek (nice butt).
Fajnie powiedziane (well said).
ale zarówno ‘fajnie’ jak i ‘kiepsko’ to terminy typowo slangowe, używane raczej na ulicach niż w interesach czy poważnych mediach.
Any questions about polish? ask
M.
Polish word for lame – Kiepski
The polish version of ‘The Honeymooners’ was broadcasting on the same channel as ‘Miodowe Lata’. ‘Świat według Kiepskich’ (‘The World by Kiepski’s) is the polish origin TV series.
The teenager’s (usually) use also ‘gruby’ (‘fat’) to express that something is really cool.
Questions? Ask.
From now on instead of saying “I’m broke” I will say “I don’t have the ducats”. This is just too funny.
Some other Polish words for lame are “żalowy” and “lipny”, but these are extremely slangy and mostly used by teenagers.
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