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  What it means

  Literally “to give someone to smoke/burn,” this idiom means to give someone a really hard time or to be a punishing opponent. It describes a situation — a person, task, or event — that causes serious trouble or makes things very difficult for someone. Poles use it freely when a demanding boss, a brutal exam, or a tough competitor is putting them through the wringer. The phrase vividly captures the idea of something so intense it feels like it’s burning you.

  Vocabulary

  • dawać — to give (imperfective); signals ongoing or repeated action
  • popalić — to smoke/burn (perfective); colloquially, to cause intense suffering
  • komuś — to someone (dative) — the person receiving the hard time

  Grammar note

  The structure is *dawać komuś popalić* — the dative marks the recipient of the difficulty, and the perfective infinitive *popalić* intensifies the effect. Using the imperfective *dawać* rather than perfective *dać* signals an ongoing or habitual ordeal: *ta praca mu daje popalić* — 'this job is really giving him hell.'

  Cultural context

  Informal and colloquial, this expression is common in sports commentary (*dała im nieźle popalić* — 'she really gave them a run for their money') and in everyday accounts of tough experiences. It maps closely to English 'to give someone hell' or 'to put someone through their paces,' and carries a similar mix of admiration and sympathy.

  Intermediate

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