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  What it means

  Literally “to fight with one’s thoughts,” this idiom describes the state of wrestling with a difficult decision, conflicting ideas, or inner doubt. It captures the mental struggle of deliberation — going back and forth between options without reaching a conclusion. Poles use it when someone is visibly torn, hesitant, or overthinking: “Całą noc biłem się z myślami” — “I wrestled with my thoughts all night.”

  Vocabulary

  • bić się — to fight (reflexive); to struggle, to wrestle
  • myśl — thought (plural: myśli)
  • z — with (preposition governing instrumental)

  Grammar note

  The reflexive verb bić się (imperfective) takes the instrumental case after z, giving myślami (instrumental plural of myśl). The reflexive particle się indicates the struggle is internal rather than external. The imperfective aspect emphasizes the ongoing, unresolved nature of the inner conflict.

  Cultural context

  This is a neutral, widely used idiom that appears in everyday speech, literature, and journalism. It is not regionally marked. The closest English equivalents are 'to wrestle with one's thoughts,' 'to be torn,' or 'to go back and forth.' It often implies eventual resolution or exhaustion from deliberating.

  Intermediate

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