kurwa
What does kurwa mean? kurwa is a Polish severe that translates to “fuck / shit / bitch” in English.
Literal Translation
whore
Meaning & Usage
"fuck / shit / bitch"
The ultimate Polish swear word. Originally meaning 'whore', it functions as 'fuck', 'shit', 'bitch', and as a universal punctuation mark.
Examples in the Wild
Kurwa, znowu pada! (Fuck, it's raining again!)
When to Use It
Context
- Expressing strong frustration or emphasis
- Only among very close friends who share this register
- As a spontaneous exclamation
- Direct confrontation (use with caution)
Avoid
- Professional or formal settings
- Around elders or authority figures
- Public spaces — will cause genuine offense
- Job interviews, meetings, or customer-facing situations
Cultural Context
Used for literally any emotion: anger, joy, pain, surprise, or just to pause and think mid-sentence. Often softened to 'kurczę', 'kurde', or 'kurna' in polite company.
More in Polish 🇵🇱
View all →hujowy (chujowy)
“shitty / extremely bad”
Describes something of very poor quality, or terrible weather.
suka
“bitch”
A malicious, cunning, or bad-tempered woman. Also slang for a police van.
sukinsyn
“son of a bitch”
Direct translation of son of a bitch (suka = bitch, in = 's, syn = son).
wkurwiać
“to piss off”
To make someone extremely angry or annoyed.
chujowo
“shitty / terribly”
Describes something going badly, feeling unwell, or looking terrible.
zjebany
“fucked up / ruined / broken”
Describes an object that is broken, a situation that is ruined, or a person who is mentally deficient.
skurwysyn
“son of a bitch / motherfucker”
A strong, direct personal insult directed at a male. Combining 'z' (from), 'kurwa' (whore), and 'syn' (son).
pizda
“cunt / pussy / wimp”
Vulgar word for female genitalia. Used to describe a coward, a weak man, or a miserable situation.