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  What it means

  Literally “I’ll give you!” Means “I’ll give you what for!” — a threatening exclamation used when someone has done something wrong and is about to face consequences. Often said by parents to misbehaving children.

  Vocabulary

  • ja — I
  • ci — to you (dative clitic)
  • dam — I will give (future perfective of 'dawać')

  Grammar note

  'Ci' is the short dative form of 'ty'. The phrase is deliberately incomplete — what will be given is left ominously unstated.

  Cultural context

  A classic parental threat in Polish households. The unspecified punishment is somehow more threatening than a specific one.

  Beginner

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