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  What it means

  Literally “with all (one’s) strength,” this short but powerful idiom means “as hard as possible,” “at full speed,” or “with maximum effort.” It intensifies verbs of motion, effort, or sound — especially running, shouting, or working. Example: “Dzieci biegły co sił do domu” (The children ran home with all their might). The full form “co sił w nogach” (with all the strength in one’s legs) is also common for running.

  Vocabulary

  • co — here: an intensifying particle meaning 'with all, as much as possible' (not the question word 'what')
  • sił — strength, forces (genitive plural of 'siła', feminine)
  • siła — strength, force, power

  Grammar note

  "Sił" is the genitive plural of "siła." The particle "co" in this construction is an archaic partitive intensifier meaning "with all available X" — it selects for a genitive noun. Compare the parallel expressions "co tchu" (breathlessly, lit. 'with all breath') and "co noga wyskoczy" (as fast as legs can jump). These are frozen archaic constructions functioning as adverbs and no longer productive in modern Polish.

  Cultural context

  The phrase is vivid and colloquial, common in both literature and everyday speech when describing urgency or extreme exertion. It appears frequently in children's stories and action narratives. Its archaic grammatical structure gives it a slightly dramatic, old-fashioned energy. English equivalents: "at full tilt," "with all one's might," "as hard as one can," or "flat out."

  Beginner

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