If I said to you, \u201cShe\u2019s pulling my leg\u201d, you wouldn\u2019t immediately think a female companion of mine was tugging on my limbs, or, if before a particularly testing encounter, I wished you would \u201cbreak a leg\u201d, that I was being unnecessarily and uncharacteristically (I promise) malicious. That\u2019s because we are speaking in idioms, short phrasal combinations of words that, over time, have gained a figurative meaning in English, and there is no shortage of them in Polish either.<\/p>\n
Just like English, Polish idioms have evolved to have their own meaning, and while many of these reflect the meaning of an English idiom, and many even sound the same, there are also a whole host of unique and new idioms in the Polish language. Not only can they be great fun to learn, but using them can give your speaking a real twist that will impress the native speaker no end. In fact, language teachers often use idioms as an indicator of an advanced language level in their students.<\/p>\n
Below are a list of common (and some not so common) Polish idioms, their literal translations (in []), their closest English counterpart (if there is one!), and, if it might be needed, a hint towards their meaning.<\/p>\n
Jak sobie po\u015bcielisz, tak si\u0119 wy\u015bpisz<\/strong><\/span>. [The way you made your bed is the way you will sleep in it] (You made your bed now lie in it, you reap what you sew).<\/p>\n \n Nudne jak flaki z olejem.<\/span><\/strong> [Dull as tripe in oil] (Dull as dishwater): Meaning something is extremely boring.<\/p>\n Jasne jak s\u0142o\u0144ce.<\/span><\/strong> [Clear as the sun] (In English we could say either \u2018Clear as day\u2019 or \u2018crystal clear\u2019).<\/p>\n Kopn\u0105\u0107 w kalendarz.<\/span><\/strong> [Kick the calendar] (Kick the bucket).<\/p>\n Jest to cnota i cnotami trzyma\u0107 j\u0119zyk za z\u0119bami.<\/strong><\/span> [The best virtue among all virtues is to keep one\u2019s tongue behind one\u2019s teeth] (Silence is golden).<\/p>\n Darowanemu koniowi w z\u0119by si\u0119 nie zagl\u0105da<\/strong><\/span> [Don\u2019t check the teeth of a horse you received as a gift] (Don\u2019t look a gifted horse in the mouth; be happy, no matter what your gift was).<\/p>\n \n Zrobili mnie w konia<\/strong> <\/span>[I was made into a horse] (I was taken for a ride)<\/p>\n Zimny jak g\u0142az.<\/span><\/strong> [As cold as stone] (As cold as a cucumber)<\/p>\n Z\u0142ej baletnicy przeszkadza r\u0105bek u sp\u00f3dnicy.<\/span> <\/strong>[A bad ballerina blames the hem of her skirt] (A bad workman always blames his tools)<\/p>\n Nie wywo\u0142uj wilka z lasu<\/span><\/strong>. [Do not call the wolf from the forest] (Let sleeping dogs lie)<\/p>\n Widzie\u0107 \u015bwiat w r\u00f3\u017cowych okularach.<\/span><\/strong> [See everything in bright colours] (Always look on the bright side of life)<\/p>\n Ton\u0105cy brzytwy si\u0119 chwyta.<\/span> <\/strong>[A drowning man clutches at a cut-throat razor] (The drowning man clutches at straws)<\/p>\n \n Porywa\u0107 si\u0119 z motyk\u0105 na s\u0142o\u0144ce.<\/strong> <\/span>[To jump at the sun with a hoe] (To bite off more than you can chew)<\/p>\n Raz na Ruski rok.<\/span><\/strong> [Once in a Russian year] (Once in a blue moon, or once in a while)<\/p>\n It is all very well learning these by heart, but it\u2019s also important to understand where and when they are appropriate. Imagine using an idiom like \u2018kick the bucket\u2019 during a funeral speech in English; it definitely wouldn\u2019t go down too well.<\/p>\n One good way I have found to practice these with close Polish speaking friends, who, when you say something out of place or inappropriate, will usually find the whole thing fantastically amusing.<\/p>\n What is your favorite idiom? We can see if there is possibly one that people like the most? Share it with us in comments below!<\/p>\n Do nast<\/b>\u0119pnego razu… <\/b>(Till next time…)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If I said to you, \u201cShe\u2019s pulling my leg\u201d, you wouldn\u2019t immediately think a female companion of mine was tugging on my limbs, or, if before a particularly testing encounter, I wished you would \u201cbreak a leg\u201d, that I was being unnecessarily and uncharacteristically (I promise) malicious. That\u2019s because we are speaking in idioms, short…<\/p>\n