Chciałaby dusza do raju, ale grzechy nie dają
Listen
What it means
Literally “the soul would like to go to heaven, but sins won’t allow it.” Used when someone wants something but their own past actions or flaws stand in the way. A wry acknowledgment of one’s own contradictions.
Vocabulary
- dusza — soul
- raj — paradise / heaven
- grzechy — sins (plural)
- dawać — to give / to allow (here: to let)
Grammar note
'Do raju' uses the genitive after 'do' expressing direction. 'Nie dają' — the sins are the subject, personified as the ones blocking the way.
Cultural context
A deeply Polish expression rooted in Catholic culture, used humorously in everyday situations far removed from theology.
Intermediate
Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!
More Polish idioms
- Literally "one's whole life flew past before the eyes," this phrase describes the vivid, involuntary …
- Literally "for an example," na przykład is the standard Polish phrase for "for example" or "for …
- Literally "in the last/recent times," ostatnimi czasy is a common temporal phrase meaning "lately," …
- Literally "in the manner of Judas," this adverb describes acting in a treacherous, backstabbing way …