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Polish · Reactions & Outbursts

o matko!

oh MAHT-koh · /ɔ ˈmat.kɔ/

Oh my God / good heavens — mild, homey alarm.

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"oh mother!"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

Short for "o matko boska" (oh Mother of God) — and, per the great rule of Polish cursing, the religious reference makes it MILDER, not stronger. This is your grandmother's gasp at a near-miss or a shocking price: "o matko, ile to kosztuje?!" Fully safe everywhere. The deluxe folk version is "o matko i córko" (oh mother and daughter), which adds comic despair. Use freely; the Virgin is not offended, and neither is anyone else.

Heard in the wild

O matko, ale wichura! Zamknij okno!

Good heavens, what a gale! Close the window!

Where it lands

Poland (universal)

Quick answers

What does "o matko!" mean?
In Polish, "o matko!" means "Oh my God / good heavens — mild, homey alarm.". Literally it's "oh mother!". Short for "o matko boska" (oh Mother of God) — and, per the great rule of Polish cursing, the religious reference makes it MILDER, not stronger. This is your grandmother's gasp at a near-miss or a shocking price: "o matko, ile to kosztuje?!" Fully safe everywhere. The deluxe folk version is "o matko i córko" (oh mother and daughter), which adds comic despair. Use freely; the Virgin is not offended, and neither is anyone else.
Is "o matko!" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
How do you pronounce "o matko!"?
Say it "oh MAHT-koh" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ɔ ˈmat.kɔ.

Related in Polish

no co ty! noh TSOH tih No way! / Come on! / You can't be serious. o Jezu oh YEH-zoo Oh God / oh no / oh wow — everyday mild alarm, despite the holy name. ja pierdolę yah pyehr-DOH-leh Holy shit / un-fucking-believable — vulgar astonishment at the state of things. o w mordę! oh v MOR-deh Whoa / well I'll be damned — surprise, as if you'd just been punched. rany boskie! RAH-nih BOSS-kyeh Good grief / for heaven's sake — exasperated dismay, all bark and no bite. masakra mah-SAHK-rah A disaster / unbelievable / total carnage — the all-purpose 'this is insane.'

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