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  What it means

  Literally “a boy for errands,” this idiom refers to someone who is used as a general dogsbody or errand boy — a person given menial tasks and treated as a low-status helper. It is equivalent to the English “errand boy” or “gofer.” The phrase often carries a mildly negative connotation, implying the person is not given meaningful work or is not respected in their role. It can be used literally for a junior employee or ironically to express that someone is being taken advantage of.

  Vocabulary

  • chłopiec — boy, young man
  • posyłki — errands (genitive plural of 'posyłka')
  • na posyłki — for errands, to run errands

  Grammar note

  The preposition 'na' with the accusative plural 'posyłki' indicates purpose — 'a boy for (the purpose of doing) errands.' This construction with 'na + accusative' to express purpose is common in Polish. 'Posyłka' is somewhat old-fashioned; the more modern equivalent would be 'zadanie' (task) or 'zlecenie' (errand).

  Cultural context

  This phrase is slightly dated but still well understood. It's used in informal and semi-formal speech. In a workplace context, calling someone a 'chłopiec na posyłki' implies they are undervalued or exploited. The English equivalent is 'errand boy,' 'dogsbody,' or 'gofer.'

  Beginner

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