Word
Nie gadaj, tylko słuchaj.
Meaning
Stop talking and listen.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Nie gadaj, tylko słuchaj.
nie
no / not
tylko
only
słuchać
to listen
gadać
to chat, to talk (colloquial; = rozmawiać)
Questions & Answers about Nie gadaj, tylko słuchaj.
Why does Nie gadaj mean "Stop talking" instead of "Don't talk"?
In Polish, using a negative command with an imperfective verb like gadać often tells someone to stop an action they are currently doing. Because the person is already talking, Nie gadaj naturally translates to "Stop talking" rather than a general "Don't talk".
What is the difference between gadać and the basic verb mówić?
Mówić is the standard, neutral word for "to speak" or "to say". Gadać is a much more informal, colloquial verb meaning "to chat", "to blab", or "to jabber". Using gadaj makes this command blunter and more conversational, similar to saying "Stop chattering" in English.
Why is tylko used here if it usually means "only"?
After a negative phrase, tylko often acts as a strong contrast, meaning "but rather" or "just". The literal structure is "Don't talk, only listen", which flows much better in English as "Stop talking and listen" or "Stop talking, just listen".
How are the command forms gadaj and słuchaj created?
Both come from regular verbs ending in -ać (gadać and słuchać). For this specific verb group, you form the informal command by taking the "I" form (like gadam or słucham) and replacing the final -m with a -j, giving you gadaj and słuchaj.