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  What it means

  Literally “it even takes wonder,” where wonder seizes you. It means something is astonishing or hard to believe, and you cannot help being amazed. It expresses real or ironic surprise.

  Vocabulary

  • aż — even / to such a degree
  • dziw — wonder / amazement
  • brać — to take / to seize

  Grammar note

  'Bierze' is third-person singular of 'brać.' 'Dziw' is the subject — wonder is the agent doing the seizing. An impersonal construction: 'it takes wonder (from you).'

  Cultural context

  It can be used sincerely ('aż dziw bierze, jak szybko urósł,' it's amazing how fast he grew) or sarcastically ('aż dziw bierze, że znowu się spóźnił,' shocking, he is late again).

  Intermediate

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