za górami, za lasami
Polish
Alternative forms
- za lasami, za górami
Etymology
Literally, “beyond [the] mountains, beyond [the] woods”.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /za‿ɡuˈra.mi |za‿laˈsa.mi/
- Syllabification: [please specify syllabification manually]
Adverb
za górami, za lasami (not comparable)
- (idiomatic) once upon a time (traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales)
- Synonyms: dawno, dawno temu; pewnego razu
- (humorous, idiomatic) somewhere far away
Usage notes
It is often extended and several additional words are added, e.g. “za górami, za lasami, za siedmioma dolinami” (Literally, “beyond the mountains, beyond the woods, beyond the seven valleys”).
Further reading
- za górami, za lasami in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- za górami, za lasami in Polish dictionaries at PWN