Polish idioms
89 idioms that really come up in everyday life — with their meaning, the nearest English equivalent and an example sentence. Without the curiosities that are on every list and that nobody ever says.
What is not here
Most lists are full of idioms nobody uses. They are colourful, easy to explain and never come up in conversation. This list has a different yardstick: every idiom here is one that can come up in an ordinary week — at work, in conversation, in an email.
So each one comes with three things, and the middle one is what is missing elsewhere:
- The meaning as a sentence, not as a keyword.
- The nearest English equivalent — or the fact that there is none. If you do not know that an idiom has no English equivalent, you translate it word for word, and then nobody understands you.
- An example sentence in which it really occurs.
Idioms are riskier than words. A word used wrongly is a mistake; an idiom used wrongly sounds as though you picked it up somewhere without understanding it. If you read one here for the first time, better wait until you have heard it from someone else before using it.
In conversation
21 idiomsPhrases that steer a conversation: agreeing, waving something away, asking back, being honest, changing the subject. Most belong to spoken Polish, and several make no sense word for word — which is exactly why you learn them whole.
Agreement: that is exactly the point.
English: exactly, that’s just it
No właśnie, o tym cały czas mówię!Exactly, that’s what I’ve been saying all along!
The little no is not “no” but something like “well” or “right”. “No” in Polish is always nie.
You suddenly realise something, or admit it.
English: oh right, of course
No tak, dzisiaj jest niedziela, sklep jest zamknięty.Oh right, it’s Sunday today, the shop’s shut.
Waving something away: let it go, it is not worth mentioning.
English: come off it, don’t mention it
Daj spokój, to naprawdę nic takiego.Come off it, it’s really nothing.
Literally “give peace”. To someone you call pan: niech pan da spokój.
A refusal that is not open to negotiation.
English: no way, out of the question
Pożyczyć mu samochód? Nie ma mowy!Lend him the car? No way!
The answer depends on something else.
English: it depends
Idziesz jutro na basen? — To zależy od pogody.Are you going swimming tomorrow? — It depends on the weather.
What it depends on takes od and the genitive: od pogody, od ciebie.
It makes no difference.
English: I don’t mind, it’s all the same
Kawa czy herbata? — Wszystko jedno.Coffee or tea? — I don’t mind.
With the person in the dative: mnie jest wszystko jedno, it’s all the same to me.
As soon or as fast as possible.
English: as soon as possible
Odpisz mi, proszę, jak najszybciej.Please reply as soon as you can.
jak naj- with the superlative: jak najtaniej, as cheaply as possible.
You are sure about it.
English: definitely, for sure
Na pewno przyjdę na twoje urodziny.I’ll definitely come to your birthday party.
Strengthens a negative or a question.
English: at all
W ogóle nie rozumiem tego zadania.I don’t understand this exercise at all.
A surprised question back.
English: what do you mean?, how come?
Jak to? Pociąg już odjechał?What do you mean? The train has already gone?
Something surprises nobody.
English: no wonder
Nic dziwnego, że jesteś zmęczony, pracowałeś cały dzień.No wonder you’re tired, you’ve been working all day.
It is followed by że and a comma, where English can leave out “that”.
Introduces an honest, often awkward opinion.
English: to be honest, frankly
Szczerze mówiąc, ten film mi się nie podobał.To be honest, I didn’t like the film.
Sums up, or gives way after a moment’s thought.
English: actually, all in all
W sumie to dobry pomysł, możemy spróbować.Actually, that’s a good idea, we can give it a try.
In conversation usually “actually”; in a sum, literally “in total”.
Whatever the case, the result stays the same.
English: one way or another, either way
Tak czy inaczej, musimy to dziś skończyć.Either way, we have to finish this today.
Introduces something that occurs to you in passing.
English: by the way
Przy okazji, masz jeszcze moją książkę?By the way, have you still got my book?
Something cannot be done.
English: it can’t be done, there’s no way
Tego się nie da naprawić.That can’t be repaired.
Impersonal, with no subject: da się, “it can be done”, and negated nie da się.
A firm, often friendly rejection.
English: of course not!, don’t be silly
Gniewasz się na mnie? — Coś ty! Wcale nie.Are you cross with me? — Don’t be silly! Not at all.
Among friends only. Literally “what (are) you (saying)”.
You would not dream of it.
English: I wouldn’t dream of it, no chance
Mam go przeprosić? Ani mi się śni!I’m supposed to apologise to him? I wouldn’t dream of it!
Literally “it doesn’t even dream to me”.
Introduces the real point.
English: the thing is, the point is
Chodzi o to, że w tym tygodniu nie mam czasu.The thing is, I haven’t got time this week.
What it is about takes o and the accusative: chodzi o pieniądze, it’s about money.
You do not want to get involved.
English: it’s none of my business
Nie pytaj mnie, to nie moja sprawa.Don’t ask me, it’s none of my business.
Jokey: someone else is in charge of this mess.
English: not my problem
Niech szef sam to wyjaśni. Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy.Let the boss sort it out himself. Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Literally “not my circus, not my monkeys” — casual but not rude, and now known in English too.
As a guest, at the table, saying goodbye
12 idiomsWhat gets said when someone comes in, sits down, is served or sets off. Polish hospitality has its set phrases, and if you know them you never have to search for words.
The host asks you to make yourself comfortable.
English: make yourself at home
Wejdź, rozbierz się i czuj się jak u siebie.Come in, take your coat off and make yourself at home.
rozbierz się here just means “take your coat off”. To someone you call pan: niech się pan czuje jak u siebie.
A casual yes, or a reply to thanks.
English: no problem, sure
Pomożesz mi jutro z przeprowadzką? — Nie ma sprawy.Will you help me move tomorrow? — No problem.
A modest invitation to take whatever the house has.
English: whatever we have in the house
Siadajcie, poczęstujemy was, czym chata bogata.Sit down, we’ll give you whatever we’ve got in the house.
chata is really a cottage. It is also said in front of a lavishly laid table — out of politeness.
Something is not charged for.
English: on the house
Deser jest dziś na koszt firmy.Dessert is on the house today.
A toast to one particular person.
English: to your health, here’s to you
Wszystkiego najlepszego, Kasiu! Za twoje zdrowie!All the best, Kasia! Here’s to you!
Formal: za pana zdrowie, za pani zdrowie. The general na zdrowie is in the word lists.
Thanks in advance, for example at the end of a request.
English: thanks in advance
Z góry dziękuję za szybką odpowiedź.Thank you in advance for a quick reply.
Literally “from above”. It belongs in emails and letters.
A greeting after a long time.
English: long time no see
Cześć, Marku! Kopę lat! Co u ciebie słychać?Hi, Marek! Long time no see! How are things with you?
kopa is an old measure of sixty — so “sixty years”.
To visit someone briefly without much notice.
English: to drop in on someone, to pop round
Wpadnij do nas w sobotę na kawę.Pop round for a coffee on Saturday.
wpaść really means “to fall in”. Imperfective: wpadać.
A wish for someone setting off on a journey.
English: have a good trip, safe journey
Szczęśliwej podróży i odezwij się, jak dojedziesz!Have a good trip, and let me know when you get there!
A wish in the genitive, because życzę, “I wish”, is understood.
To wish someone luck and root for them.
English: to keep your fingers crossed
Jutro masz egzamin? Trzymam kciuki!You’ve got an exam tomorrow? I’ll keep my fingers crossed!
Literally “to hold your thumbs”. For whom: za and the accusative, trzymam za ciebie kciuki.
A wish before a performance or a test.
English: break a leg
Połamania nóg na jutrzejszym koncercie!Break a leg at the concert tomorrow!
As in English, a wish that says the opposite — and Polish even breaks both legs.
Encouragement not to feel shy.
English: don’t be shy, feel free
Jeśli czegoś potrzebujesz, nie krępuj się i powiedz.If you need anything, don’t be shy, just say.
Feelings and moods
11 idiomsHow to say you have had enough, are over the moon, are scared or relieved. Polish often uses a different picture from English — and sometimes exactly the same one.
You do not want to put up with something any more.
English: to be fed up, to have had enough
Mam dość tego deszczu.I’m fed up with this rain.
What you are fed up with goes into the genitive: mam dość pracy, mam dość ciebie.
You are overjoyed.
English: to be in seventh heaven, to be over the moon
Od kiedy Ania poznała Marka, jest w siódmym niebie.Since Ania met Marek she’s been in seventh heaven.
The same picture as in English — one of the phrases you can simply translate.
Someone is moody and in a bad temper.
English: to be in a mood, to have got out of bed on the wrong side
Uważaj, szef ma dziś muchy w nosie.Watch out, the boss is in a mood today.
Literally “to have flies in your nose”.
Great relief.
English: a weight off someone’s mind
Kiedy Piotr wreszcie zadzwonił, kamień spadł mi z serca.When Piotr finally rang, it was a weight off my mind.
Literally “a stone fell from someone’s heart”.
Someone turns up at exactly the right moment.
English: to be a godsend, just the person I need
Spadłeś mi z nieba, Marku! Potrzebuję pomocy.You’re a godsend, Marek! I need some help.
Literally “to fall from the sky”. The ending shows who has come: spadłeśto a manspadłaśto a woman
To make far too much of something small.
English: to make a mountain out of a molehill
Nie rób z igły wideł, to tylko mała rysa.Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill, it’s only a small scratch.
A pitchfork out of a needle. Negated, it takes the genitive: nie rób z igły wideł.
You are impressed.
English: to be impressed
Jestem pod wrażeniem, mówisz po polsku bardzo dobrze.I’m impressed, you speak very good Polish.
By what: genitive, pod wrażeniem koncertu. Literally “under the impression”.
Colloquial: to be scared of something.
English: to have the jitters, to be scared stiff
Przed egzaminem Piotr miał niezłego pietra.Before the exam Piotr was pretty scared.
Among friends only. The neutral word is bać się.
You are stuck and do not know what to do.
English: to be in a fix, to be stuck
Kasia zgubiła klucze i teraz jest w kropce.Kasia has lost her keys and now she’s in a fix.
Literally “to be in a dot”.
Resignation: you do not know what to say any more.
English: I give up, words fail me
Znowu się spóźnił? Ręce opadają.He’s late again? I give up.
Literally “the hands drop”. With a person: ręce mi opadają.
To fall head over heels in love, or to lose your composure.
English: to lose your head
Marek stracił głowę dla nowej koleżanki z pracy.Marek has lost his head over the new colleague.
Over whom: dla, stracić głowę dla kogoś.
Head, hand and tongue
9 idiomsPhrases built on the body. Some Polish shares with English (on the tip of the tongue, hand on heart), others sound like nonsense translated literally.
A word will not come to you right now.
English: to have something on the tip of your tongue
Jak on się nazywa? Mam to na końcu języka.What’s his name again? It’s on the tip of my tongue.
In Polish it sits “at the end of the tongue”, and you “have” it.
You cannot deal with something right now.
English: to not be in the mood for something, to have no head for it
Dzisiaj nie mam głowy do zakupów.I’m not in the mood for shopping today.
After the negative głowy is in the genitive, and what you can’t face takes do.
To be clumsy with your hands.
English: to be all fingers and thumbs
Nie naprawię tej półki, mam dwie lewe ręce.I can’t fix the shelf, I’m all fingers and thumbs.
Literally “to have two left hands”.
You saw it yourself.
English: with your own eyes
Ania widziała to na własne oczy.Ania saw it with her own eyes.
With na and the accusative, not with “with”.
You swear you are telling the truth.
English: hand on heart
Z ręką na sercu: nic o tym nie wiedziałam.Hand on heart: I knew nothing about it. (a woman speaking)
To keep a secret.
English: to keep your mouth shut
Powiem ci, ale trzymaj język za zębami.I’ll tell you, but keep it to yourself.
Literally “to keep your tongue behind your teeth”.
To keep an eye on everything at once.
English: to have eyes in the back of your head
Z trojgiem dzieci trzeba mieć oczy dookoła głowy.With three children you need eyes in the back of your head.
Literally “eyes all round your head”. troje dzieci uses the collective number for children.
Wobbly legs after fear or effort.
English: legs like jelly
Po maratonie Kasia miała nogi jak z waty.After the marathon Kasia’s legs were like jelly.
Literally “legs as if made of cotton wool”.
Quietly, barely audible, mostly to yourself.
English: under your breath
Marek powiedział coś pod nosem i wyszedł.Marek muttered something under his breath and left.
Polish mutters “under the nose”.
Work, money and effort
11 idiomsWhat it costs, how it goes, who manages it. Phrases from the office, the market and the workshop.
To manage something on your own, to cope.
English: to manage, to cope
Nie martw się o mnie, dam sobie radę.Don’t worry about me, I’ll manage.
Imperfective dawać sobie radę; with what: z and the instrumental, z pracą.
Something is very easy.
English: a piece of cake
Ten test to dla Kasi bułka z masłem.This test is a piece of cake for Kasia.
Literally “a bread roll with butter”.
An annoying job is finally done.
English: to get something out of the way
Marek wysłał raport i wreszcie ma to z głowy.Marek has sent off the report and finally got it out of the way.
Literally “to have something out of your head” — not the same as knowing something by heart (znać na pamięć).
To know the latest.
English: to be up to date, to be in the loop
Jesteś na bieżąco z tym projektem?Are you up to date with this project?
Something is very expensive.
English: to cost a fortune
Naprawa tego samochodu będzie kosztować majątek.Repairing this car will cost a fortune.
For very little money.
English: for next to nothing, for peanuts
Piotr kupił ten rower za grosze.Piotr bought this bike for next to nothing.
grosz is a hundredth of a złoty.
Something goes without any trouble.
English: to go like clockwork, to go smoothly
Przeprowadzka poszła jak z płatka.The move went like clockwork.
The past of pójść: poszło, poszła — depending on what went.
To finally get down to work.
English: to get down to work, to get cracking
Dość kawy, bierzemy się do roboty!Enough coffee, let’s get cracking!
robota is the colloquial word for work. Imperfective: brać się do roboty.
Something or someone is no good.
English: to be useless, to be no good
Ten nóż jest do niczego, w ogóle nie kroi.This knife is useless, it doesn’t cut at all.
To get lost in tiny details.
English: to split hairs
Nie dziel włosa na czworo, plan jest dobry.Stop splitting hairs, the plan is good.
Literally “to divide a hair into four”. In the negated command: nie dziel włosa, with the genitive.
Without registering, bypassing tax and the authorities.
English: cash in hand, off the books
Nie chcę pracować na czarno, wolę mieć umowę.I don’t want to work cash in hand, I’d rather have a contract.
Literally “on black”.
Time and timing
9 idiomsToo early, too late, only just in time, now and then: phrases that say when something happens.
Only just in time.
English: at the last minute, in the nick of time
Zdążyliśmy na pociąg w ostatniej chwili.We caught the train in the nick of time.
Something is put off until the very end.
English: at the last minute (leaving it late)
Kasia zawsze pakuje się na ostatnią chwilę.Kasia always packs at the last minute.
Don’t mix them up: w ostatniej chwili says it only just worked; na ostatnią chwilę says someone started too late.
Not regularly, but again and again.
English: from time to time, now and then
Od czasu do czasu chodzimy razem do kina.Now and then we go to the cinema together.
Rarely, at longer intervals.
English: every so often, once in a while
Raz na jakiś czas dzwonię do starej koleżanki ze szkoły.Every so often I ring an old school friend.
It will happen any moment.
English: any minute now
Autobus powinien przyjechać lada chwila.The bus should be here any minute now.
Suddenly, with no transition; or: a little more each day.
English: overnight; from day to day
Firma zamknęła sklep z dnia na dzień.The company closed the shop overnight.
Two readings, as in English: z dnia na dzień jest cieplej means “it’s getting warmer day by day”.
Sooner or later for certain.
English: sooner or later
Prędzej czy później każdy popełnia ten błąd.Sooner or later everyone makes this mistake.
Calm acceptance of whatever comes.
English: what will be, will be
Zrobiłam, co mogłam. Co ma być, to będzie.I did what I could. What will be, will be. (a woman speaking)
In broad daylight, where everyone can see.
English: in broad daylight
Ukradli mu rower w biały dzień, przed sklepem.They stole his bike in broad daylight, outside the shop.
Literally “on the white day”, with w and the accusative.
Proverbs
16 idiomsSentences people quote. Many have an English counterpart, often with a different picture. They start at B1, because you understand them long before you use them yourself.
Acting late is better than not acting at all.
English: better late than never
Przyszedłeś na koniec? Lepiej późno niż wcale!You’ve only turned up at the end? Better late than never!
Great things take time.
English: Rome wasn’t built in a day
Nie przejmuj się błędami, nie od razu Kraków zbudowano.Don’t worry about the mistakes, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Where English takes Rome, Polish takes Kraków.
Only after the damage do you know what you should have done.
English: it’s easy to be wise after the event
Teraz wiem, że trzeba było kupić ubezpieczenie. Mądry Polak po szkodzie.Now I know I should have taken out insurance. It’s easy to be wise after the event.
Poles say it about themselves with a wry smile. As a foreigner, it is kinder to quote it about yourself.
Favours are returned.
English: you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours
Ja pomogłem jemu, on pomoże mnie. Ręka rękę myje.I helped him, he’ll help me. You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.
Literally “a hand washes a hand”.
Two people think better than one.
English: two heads are better than one
Zapytajmy Kasię, co dwie głowy, to nie jedna.Let’s ask Kasia, two heads are better than one.
You do not criticise a present.
English: don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
Ten sweter nie jest w moim stylu, ale darowanemu koniowi w zęby się nie zagląda.This jumper isn’t my style, but you don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
The same picture as in English; often only the first half is said: darowanemu koniowi…
Too many people involved spoil a thing.
English: too many cooks spoil the broth
Niech jedna osoba to zorganizuje. Gdzie kucharek sześć, tam nie ma co jeść.One person should organise it. Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Literally “where there are six cooks, there’s nothing to eat”.
Whoever gets something wants more of it.
English: the more you have, the more you want
Najpierw chciał rower, teraz chce motor. Apetyt rośnie w miarę jedzenia.First he wanted a bike, now he wants a motorbike. The more you have, the more you want.
Literally “appetite grows with eating”.
No success without effort.
English: no pain, no gain
Musisz się uczyć codziennie. Bez pracy nie ma kołaczy.You have to study every day. No pain, no gain.
kołacz is an old festive cake; after nie ma it goes into the genitive plural.
You make do with whatever there is.
English: beggars can’t be choosers
Nie ma kawy, jest tylko herbata. Jak się nie ma, co się lubi, to się lubi, co się ma.There’s no coffee, only tea. If you haven’t got what you like, you like what you’ve got.
Literally “if you don’t have what you like, you like what you have” — kinder than the English picture.
Asking keeps you from going wrong.
English: there’s no harm in asking
Zapytaj kierowcę o drogę, kto pyta, nie błądzi.Ask the driver the way — there’s no harm in asking.
Literally “whoever asks doesn’t get lost”.
Every good thing has its drawbacks.
English: every rose has its thorn
Praca jest świetna, ale daleko od domu. Nie ma róży bez kolców.The job is great, but it’s a long way from home. Every rose has its thorn.
After a trip you are glad to be home again.
English: there’s no place like home
Urlop był piękny, ale cieszę się, że wracamy. Wszędzie dobrze, ale w domu najlepiej.The holiday was lovely, but I’m glad we’re going back. There’s no place like home.
Sometimes it is wiser to say nothing.
English: speech is silver, silence is golden
Lepiej nic nie mów. Mowa jest srebrem, a milczenie złotem.Better say nothing. Speech is silver, silence is golden.
Silver and gold are in the instrumental, like every noun after jest that says what something is.
Even good things harm you in excess.
English: too much of a good thing
Trzy kawałki tortu? Co za dużo, to niezdrowo.Three pieces of cake? You can have too much of a good thing.
Do not talk a misfortune into happening.
English: don’t tempt fate
Nie mów, że będzie padać, nie wywołuj wilka z lasu.Don’t say it’s going to rain, don’t tempt fate.
Literally “don’t call the wolf out of the forest”.
Practise the idioms
You are given the meaning and asked for the idiom — and the other way round.