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  What it means

  Literally “fatal woman.” The Polish term for a femme fatale — a dangerously seductive woman who leads men to their ruin.

  Vocabulary

  • kobieta — woman
  • fatalny — fatal, fateful, disastrous

  Grammar note

  Nominative feminine noun phrase. 'Fatalna' agrees with 'kobieta'. Note: 'fatalny' in Polish also means 'terrible/awful' in everyday use — context distinguishes the meanings.

  Cultural context

  A borrowing from French 'femme fatale' — the archetype is well established in Polish literature and film.

  Intermediate

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