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  What it means

  Literally “to pull someone by the tongue,” this idiom means to drag information or words out of someone who is reluctant to speak — to coax, press, or wheedle someone into talking. It implies that the person did not volunteer the information willingly. Poles use it when someone had to be pressured before finally saying something.

  Vocabulary

  • ciągnąć — to pull, to drag (imperfective)
  • za — by (indicating the part being pulled)
  • język — tongue; also: language (accusative: język)

  Grammar note

  The preposition 'za' here expresses the point of contact ('to pull by the tongue'), and 'język' is in the accusative case after 'za' in this motion context. The infinitive 'ciągnąć' is used when describing the action generally; the perfective 'pociągnąć za język' emphasizes a completed single act of prompting.

  Cultural context

  This is a neutral, widely used expression appropriate in any register — you'll hear it in casual conversation and in journalism alike ('Nikt go za język nie ciągnął' — 'Nobody forced him to say it'). The English equivalent is 'to drag it out of someone' or 'to pull teeth (trying to get information).'

  Beginner

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