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  What it means

  A strong expletive expressing intense frustration, anger, or shock. One of the most powerful and widely recognised Polish curses — the equivalent of a very strong English expletive.

  Vocabulary

  • kurwa — whore (strong expletive)
  • mać — mother (archaic accusative, in this fixed phrase)

  Grammar note

  A fixed phrase. 'Mać' is an archaic form of 'matkę' (mother, accusative). The combination is a frozen expletive.

  Cultural context

  Despite its strength, this phrase is so embedded in Polish culture that it appears in literature, film, and everyday speech. Foreigners often learn it early — and should use it with great caution.

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