Polish Idioms and Their Meanings

“Rzucać grochem o ścianę” – “waste one’s breath”

This is an idiom meaning to waste time or effort on something that is hopeless, changes nothing, and yields no results.

• Sto razy pytałam mamę, czy wie, jak mogę się skontaktować z Alą, ale jakbym rzucała grochem o ścianę.

I asked my mom a hundred times if she knew how I could get in touch with Ala, but it was like wasting my breath.

• Przekonywałem, żeby kupił nowy rower, ale to jak rzucanie grochem o ścianę.

I tried to convince him to buy a new bike, but it was like talking to a brick wall.

“Gdzie kucharek sześć, tam nie ma co jeść” –“too many cooks spoil the broth”

This Polish idiom highlights the chaos and conflicts that can arise when too many people try to influence a single situation. The word “kucharka” here symbolizes a person in charge, managing the process.

• Poszłyście we dwie wieszać pranie, żeby było szybciej, a nie żeby plotkować, a kosz nadal pełen! Jak zwykle – gdzie kucharek sześć, tam nie ma co jeść!

You two went to hang laundry to make it faster, not to gossip, and the basket is still full! As usual—too many cooks spoil the broth!

“Raz na ruski rok” – “once in a blue moon”

It means something that happens very rarely. “Russian year” refers to the Julian calendar, which differed from the Gregorian calendar, causing certain events to occur less frequently.

• Mary i James to domatorzy, wychodzą z domu raz na ruski rok.

Homebodies Mary and James only go out once in a blue moon.

• Widuję się z rodziną raz na ruski rok.

I see my family once in a blue moon.

“Mieć muchy w nosie” – “to have one’s knickers in a twist”

This idiom refers to someone who is dissatisfied, fussy, or has unreasonable expectations. It is said that a person “has flies in their nose,” meaning they are moody and capricious.

• Nie wiedziała, dlaczego się zdenerwował i miał muchy w nosie .

She didn’t know why he was angry and getting his knickers in a twist.

• Trudno było ją zadowolić, ciągle miała muchy w nosie.

It was difficult to please her; she was constantly in a bad mood.

“Bułka z masłem” – „piece of cake”

This expression refers to something that is very easy and simple to do. It compares it to spreading butter on a roll—an extremely easy task.

• Julia lubi matematykę. Dla niej to zadanie to bułka z masłem.

Julia likes math. For her, this task is a piece of cake.

• Język polski? Po kilku latach nauki to bułka z masłem!

Polish language? After a few years of study, it’s a piece of cake!

“Rzucić okiem” – “to take a look, glance over”

To look at something or someone for a brief moment; to get a cursory understanding of something.

• Nie mam teraz czasu, rzucę tylko na to okiem.

I don’t have time right now; I’ll just take a look at it.

• Tom szybko rzucił okiem na zdjęcie na biurku.

Tom quickly glanced at the photo on the desk.

If you want to learn more interesting Polish idioms and other practical, colloquial expressions and vocabulary, we invite you to participate in our monthly slang workshops. We organize these workshops for all our students enrolled in Polish language courses for foreigners—both in-person and online.

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Good luck with your studies!

The author of the article is Justyna Kotlarczyk.