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  What it means

  Literally “without regard to,” this prepositional phrase means “regardless of,” “irrespective of,” or “no matter.” It is used before a noun or noun phrase to indicate that the following factor has no bearing on the outcome or action. Poles use it constantly in both formal writing and everyday speech to express unconditional statements: “regardless of the weather,” “no matter the cost.”

  Vocabulary

  • bez — without (preposition taking genitive)
  • względu — regard, consideration (genitive of wzgląd)
  • wzgląd — regard, consideration, respect
  • na — on, onto (preposition taking accusative)

  Grammar note

  'Bez' takes the genitive case, so 'wzgląd' becomes 'względu' (genitive singular). The following preposition 'na' takes the accusative case, and whatever noun follows must be in accusative: 'bez względu na pogodę' (regardless of the weather — 'pogodę' is accusative). This two-preposition construction is fixed and cannot be changed.

  Cultural context

  This is a neutral, formal-leaning expression used in everyday Polish, journalism, legal language, and literature. It is not colloquial or slangy — it works in almost any register. The English equivalents are 'regardless of,' 'irrespective of,' or 'no matter.' Polish learners at B1 level should know it well as it appears very frequently in written Polish.

  Intermediate

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