Almost everyone encountered tongue twisters in childhood. Some people simply learned them for fun, while others used this method to solve problems with diction and pronunciation of certain heavy sounds. Tongue twisters can also help when learning a foreign language.

We present to your attention several interesting Polish tongue twisters (łamańców językowych), which can help you improve your pronunciation of sounds.

The training has begun :)

1. Soczewica, koło, miele młyn

Translation: Lentils, wheel, mill grinds

The tongue twister appeared in the 14th century. According to legend, this phrase literally saved people's lives. In ancient times, soldiers Polish king Władysław Lokietka forced the inhabitants of Krakow to pronounce this tongue twister to distinguish loyal citizens from rebels, many of whom were of German origin. Those who could not repeat the tongue twister had their heads cut off. Compared to other Polish tongue twisters, "Soczewica..." is not complex. However, considering that at one time the inability to pronounce it could cost someone their life, it does not seem so harmless...

2. Pójdźże, kiń tę chmurność w głąb flaszy

Translation: Come on, throw this darkness into the depths of the flask

This is not even a tongue twister, but a small joke for warming up, a pangram (a short sentence that contains all 32 letters of the alphabet). There are already many of them in Poland. This one is considered the oldest and most famous.

Translation: Table with broken legs

At first glance, the tongue twister seems completely easy. What if you try to pronounce it? There is not so much a problem with Polish spelling here as difficulties with the pronunciation of the word “powyłamywanymi”.

4. To improve the pronunciation of the specific letter “ł” there is a wonderful tongue twister:

Szła pchła koło wody, pchła pchłę pchła do wody, potem pchła się popłakała, że ​​ją tamta popchała.

Translation: A flea was walking near the water, the flea pushed the flea into the water, then the flea cried because it pushed it.

5. Król Karol kupił królowej Karolinie korale koloru koralowego

Translation: King Carol bought coral beads for Queen Caroline

So, it is somewhat reminiscent of the tongue twister about Karl and Clara. Namely, a large accumulation of sounds “r” and “l”, which causes difficulties for many. There is also a tautogram in this tongue twister - each word begins with the same letter.

Translation: Faithful Yulia and unfaithful Yulia

Poles consider this tongue twister to be very difficult, since for most it is difficult to pronounce the sounds “i” and “l” in a row. For media Ukrainian language this phrase is usually not difficult.

7. W czasie suszy szosa sucha

Translation: During sushi, the highway is dry

8. I cóż, że cesarz ze Szwecji? (Translation: So what if the emperor is from Sweden?)

Tongue twisters with combinations of the sounds “sz” and “ś” can pronounce these hard sounds better.

The task becomes more complicated when the sound “zh” also appears (which is indicated in two ways by ż - the letter “ż” and the letter combination “rz”). For example:

9. W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie

Translation: In Szczebrzeszyn, a beetle buzzes in the reeds.

This is the line from nursery rhyme Jan Brzechwa, who “twitches the eye” of some foreigners. The combination of the sounds “sz”, “ch”, “cz”, “rz” and the consonants “b” “t” only frightens those who have not yet gotten used to the peculiarities of Polish reading. And the word “chrząszcz” is generally considered the longest single-syllable word in Polish language. But believe me, despite this, practicing is a lot of fun.

Tongue twisters that save lives and tongue twisters that make your eyes twitch. We present to your attention a list of the most interesting Polish tongue twisters.

The Polish language is known for its pronunciation, which often leaves foreigners in shock. Here are a few tongue twisters that are difficult even for the Poles themselves. You can try to pronounce them, but please note: we are not responsible for the consequences!

1. Soczewica, koło, miele młyn
Translation: “The lentils, the wheel, the mill grinds.”
The oldest Polish tongue twister itself dates back to the beginning of the 14th century. This simple phrase literally saved lives. It is said that the soldiers of the Polish king Władysław Łokietek forced the inhabitants of Krakow to pronounce this tongue twister in order to distinguish loyal citizens from rebels, many of whom were of German origin. Legend has it that those who could not repeat the tongue twister had their heads cut off.
Compared to other tongue twisters, “Lentils...” is not that difficult. But if you consider that the inability to pronounce it could cost someone their life, then it will no longer seem so harmless...

2. Pójdźże, kiń tę chmurność w głąb flaszy
Translation: “Go ahead, throw this cloudiness into the depths of the flask.”
This is not a real tongue twister, but rather a little joke for warming up. Such text is called a pangram. Remember these letters, they will be useful to you to read different tongue twisters! In the meantime, you can start practicing: for example, try reading the pangrams that Julian Tuwim invented.
Leż, dość późnych kłamstw, rąb fuzję, giń!
or
Pchnąć w tę łódź jeża lub ośm skrzyń fig.

3. Stół z powyłamywanymi nogami
Translation: “Table with broken legs.”
Polish children adore this tongue twister (or maybe their parents, who enjoy mocking their children?). As you may have noticed, the main difficulty is not in pronouncing the different Polish sounds, but in pronouncing the word “powyłamywanymi” - the source of endless jokes. Once you've gotten over this scary proposition, you can move on to the next step:
"Stepladder with Broken Steps"
Drabina z powyłamywanymi szczeblami.
But it's still a warm-up!
(For older children, you can offer the tongue twister “Ząb zupa zębowa, dąb zupa dębowa.” It simply translates as “Tooth, tooth soup, oak, oak soup,” but unsuccessful attempts to pronounce it lead to people starting to say “zupa” instead of mutter one not very decent Polish word...)

4. Król Karol kupił królowej Karolinie korale koloru koralowego
Translation: “King Carol bought coral-colored beads for Queen Caroline.”
The proximity of the sounds “r” and “l” causes difficulties for many (especially for those in whom native language there is no difference between these sounds - for example, among the Japanese). Please note that this sentence is a classic example of a tautogram, that is, a text in which all words begin with the same letter.

5. Lojalna Jola i nielojalna Jola
Translation: “Faithful Yulia and unfaithful Yulia.”
This tongue twister is considered difficult because many people find it difficult to pronounce the sounds “th” and “l” in a row. For native Russian speakers this phrase is usually not difficult... Let's check?

6. W czasie suszy szosa sucha
Translation: "During dry season, the highway is dry."
The combination of the fricative consonants “s” and “sh” in a small fragment of text creates problems even for Poles. However, it is possible that Russian-speaking readers will pronounce this tongue twister without difficulty: its Russian analogue, “Sasha walked along the highway and sucked on a dryer,” is familiar to most from childhood.
The task becomes more complicated when the sound “zh” also comes into play (which in Polish is denoted in two ways - the letter ż and the letter combination rz). Try saying:
I cóż że ze Szwecji? (“So what, from Sweden?”)
Or just say the word ślusarz (“locksmith”).

7. Czy rak trzyma w szczypcach strzęp szczawiu czy trzy części trzciny?
Translation: “Is the crayfish holding a piece of sorrel or three pieces of reed in its claws?”
The combination of fricatives and affricates (c, ć, cz / dz, dź, dż) can be truly killer for your language. But don't give up:
Czy trzy cytrzystki grają na cytrze,
czy druga gwiżdże, a trzecia łzy trze?
These examples prove that the Polish language is a dangerous and destructive weapon. Now that you see how complicated everything is, you will surely understand the saying attributed to Sarah Bernhardt. When the famous actress was asked if she liked the Polish language, she replied:
Very much so, it sounds as if the speaker is chewing grass.
And you won’t be surprised that Jacek Kaczmarski, in the song “Elekcja,” recalled how the Polish language “cuts, whistles and crunches.” In the original, this line, of course, sounds much more impressive:
Szablistą polszczyzną tnie, świszcze i chrzęści.

8. W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie
Translation: “In Szczebrzeszyn, a beetle is buzzing in the reeds.”
This classic line from a children's poem by Jan Brzechwa encapsulates the best (and worst) of the Polish language. Take digraphs (sz, cz and rz) and consonants (b, ch, t) - and you get complex tongue twister, which, moreover, by its very appearance frightens those who have not yet gotten used to the peculiarities of Polish spelling. By the way, the city of Szczebrzeszyn actually exists. Now it is famous not only for its buzzing beetle, but also for the annual Polish Language Festival.
If your eyes and tongue still need a little more challenge, try saying this:
Przeleciały trzy pstre przepiórzyce przez trzy pstre kamienice.

9. I wespół w zespół by żądz moc móc zmóc
Translation: We won't even try to translate this!
Do not think that the Polish language for its speakers is only a source of endless phonetic torment. Masters of the Polish language, such as Jeremij Przybora from the legendary TV show Kabaret Starszych Panów, have turned its intimidating features into a source of intellectual pleasure. Just please don’t try to repeat these lines at home yourself if you don’t want to curl your tongue. Better listen to them in the magnificent performance of Wieslaw Michnikowski.

10. Bonus
And here is proof that Polish, despite all its terrifying letter and sound combinations, can still be beautiful and melodic. Unfortunately, we will not provide you with a translation of the second stanza of Julian Tuwim’s poem “Słowisień”, since the poet used many neologisms here. Just read the original...
A gdy sierpiec na niebłoczu łyście,
W cieniem ciemnie jeno niedośpiewy
W białodrzewiu ćwirnie i srebliście
Słowik słowi słowisieńskie ciewy.
A gdy sierpiec na niebłoczu łyście…