• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “it is enough to say,” this phrase is used to introduce a summary statement that captures the essence of a more complex situation — similar to “suffice it to say” in English. The speaker uses it to signal that the single statement that follows is all you need to know, sparing the listener from a longer explanation. It is a rhetorical device for emphasis and conciseness. Poles use it in both speech and formal writing.

  Vocabulary

  • dość — enough, sufficiently
  • powiedzieć — to say (perfective infinitive)

  Grammar note

  The construction 'dość + infinitive' is an impersonal expression meaning 'it is sufficient to [do something].' 'Powiedzieć' is the perfective infinitive of 'mówić/powiedzieć.' The perfective aspect emphasizes the completeness of the single statement — one utterance is all that is needed. Compare with imperfective 'mówić' which would imply ongoing speech.

  Cultural context

  This phrase is slightly formal and is common in journalistic writing, speeches, and educated conversation. It functions as a concise rhetorical move. In casual speech, Poles might simply say 'krótko mówiąc' (in short) or 'jednym słowem' (in a word), but 'dość powiedzieć' carries a more literary, deliberate tone.

  Intermediate

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