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  What it means

  Literally “without a scratch” or “without damage,” this phrase means escaping harm completely, emerging uninjured or unharmed from a dangerous or difficult situation. It is used to describe people or things that come through an accident, conflict, or ordeal intact. For example, after a car crash where nobody was hurt, a Pole might say everyone got out “bez szwanku.” It can also apply figuratively to reputations or plans that survive a test unscathed.

  Vocabulary

  • bez — without (preposition + genitive)
  • szwank — damage, harm, injury (somewhat formal/archaic noun)
  • szwanku — genitive singular of 'szwank'

  Grammar note

  'Bez' requires the genitive, so 'szwank' becomes 'szwanku.' The word 'szwank' is rarely used outside this fixed phrase in modern Polish — it is an archaic borrowing from German 'Schwank' (a swing, mishap). The phrase is adverbial: 'wyjść bez szwanku' (to come out without a scratch).

  Cultural context

  This is a neutral, slightly formal expression, appropriate across registers. It appears in news reports ('nikt nie ucierpiał, wszyscy wyszli bez szwanku' — nobody was hurt, everyone got out unscathed) as well as casual conversation. The direct English equivalent is 'without a scratch' or 'unscathed.'

  Beginner

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