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  What it means

  Literally “to give into the bone,” this idiom means something is taking a severe toll — it is exhausting, punishing, or grinding you down. The image is visceral: whatever is causing the trouble reaches all the way to your bones. Poles use it for demanding work, brutal weather, illness, or any experience that wears them down physically or mentally.

  Vocabulary

  • dawać — to give (imperfective)
  • w — into (preposition taking accusative)
  • kość — bone (feminine noun, accusative: *kość*)

  Grammar note

  The preposition *w* takes the accusative case here: *kość*. The subject causing the difficulty can be any noun — *ta praca mi daje w kość* ('this work is really wearing me out'). The imperfective aspect (*dawać*) emphasizes the ongoing, continuous nature of the exhaustion; the perfective *dać w kość* marks a single punishing episode.

  Cultural context

  This is a vivid, colloquial expression used freely in casual speech. It is especially common when describing demanding physical labour, harsh winter cold (*ta zima daje w kość* — 'this winter is brutal'), illness, or a punishing schedule. The closest English equivalents are 'to take a toll,' 'to wear someone down,' or 'to beat someone up.'

  Intermediate

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