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  What it means

  Literally “of pure blood,” this idiom is used to describe something or someone as thoroughbred, purebred, or authentically of a certain kind — without dilution, mixture, or pretense. In modern Polish it most often describes a person who is a true, dyed-in-the-wool representative of a type: “czystej krwi romantyk” — “a pure-blooded romantic,” “czystej krwi Warszawiak” — “a born-and-bred Varsovian.”

  Vocabulary

  • czysty — pure, clean (genitive singular feminine: czystej)
  • krew — blood (genitive singular: krwi)

  Grammar note

  The phrase is always in the genitive case because it functions as a postpositive modifier of a noun (czystej krwi + noun). Both czystej (genitive singular feminine of czysty) and krwi (genitive singular of krew) must agree in case. Krew is an irregular noun with the genitive form krwi.

  Cultural context

  While the phrase echoes historical ideas of racial purity (and should be used carefully in those contexts), in modern everyday Polish it is simply used to emphasize authenticity or thoroughness of character. The English equivalents include 'thoroughbred,' 'pure-blooded,' or 'dyed-in-the-wool.' Register: neutral.

  Intermediate

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