Cienka

Cienka is the feminine singular form of the Polish adjective cienki, meaning thin, slim, or fine, depending on context. It describes feminine nouns and agrees with them in gender and number (the masculine form is cienki, the neuter form cienkie). In everyday usage, cienka can denote physical thinness as in cienka nitka (a thin thread), cienka warstwa (a thin layer), or slenderness in appearance. It also appears in descriptions of fabrics, textures, and surfaces, such as cienka tkanina or cienka skóra. Figuratively, cienka can express small margins or tenuous distinctions, for example a cienka granica między prawdą a fałszem (a fine line between truth and falsehood). The word is common in literature, journalism, and conversation, and it can convey notions of delicacy or fragility, not only thickness. The term derives from the same root as other Polish words meaning thin and shares cognates across Slavic languages. In practice, speakers choose cienka for feminine nouns to convey either physical thinness or a subtle, delicate quality.