What does "nie ma co" mean in Polish conversation?

Polish

Hey everyone! I keep hearing this phrase "nie ma co" in casual conversations with my Polish friends, and I'm a bit confused about its exact meaning.

Yesterday my friend was telling me about her weekend plans getting cancelled, and she just shrugged and said "no cóż, nie ma co płakać." I've also heard people use just "nie ma co" by itself as a response to things.

Would love to know how native speakers actually use this phrase and what situations it's appropriate for. Thanks for any help! 🙂

1 answer

Hi Michael,

That’s a great question! This is a common and interesting expression, but it can be tricky to understand fully. In this particular context, I would translate nie ma co płakać as there's no point in crying.

Typically, when this phrase is used, it’s often followed by another sentence that either compares the situation to something worse or offers a solution.

For example, let’s say there’s been a car accident, and someone is upset about the damage to their car. You might say:

Nie ma co narzekać, przynajmniej nikomu nic się nie stało. (There’s no need to complain; at least nobody got hurt.)

I hope this helps clarify the meaning a bit more so you can better understand it when you come across it in the future. You can also check this website to learn more about it.

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