#616 Stara Bieda | Complaining in Polish | Learn Polish Podcast

Podcast: Learn Polish · Roy Coughlan

Opublikowano: 2026-10-22

Roy and Ania explore one of Poland’s most talked-about cultural traits: narzekanie — the art of complaining. They discuss what Poles complain about most (weather, fuel prices, work, neighbours), whether Roy ever complains, and why Ania thinks she narzeka more than she realises. The centrepiece of the episode is the expression “stara bieda” — a phrase you will rarely find in a textbook but hear constantly in real Polish conversation. If someone asks “co u ciebie?” and you answer “stara bieda,” you are saying: same old, nothing new, life goes on. A short, punchy episode loaded with cultural insight and vocabu...