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  What it means

  Literally “a leaky memory,” this idiom describes someone who forgets things very easily or frequently. The image is of a container full of holes — things simply fall through and cannot be retained. Poles use it affectionately or humorously when someone has forgotten something obvious or keeps misplacing things. It is the Polish equivalent of saying someone has “a memory like a sieve.”

  Vocabulary

  • dziurawa — leaky, full of holes (feminine form of dziurawy, agreeing with pamięć)
  • pamięć — memory (feminine noun, nominative singular)
  • dziurawy — full of holes, leaky (base masculine adjective form)
  • dziura — hole

  Grammar note

  The adjective dziurawa agrees with the feminine noun pamięć in gender, number, and case — both are nominative singular. In practice the phrase often appears in the accusative: Masz dziurawą pamięć (You have a leaky memory), where dziurawą shifts to accusative to match the direct object. Polish adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case.

  Cultural context

  This expression is used in informal, everyday speech across all age groups and regions. It carries no harshness — it is gentle teasing at most. You will hear it directed at someone who forgets names, appointments, or where they put their keys. There is no strong regional variation; it is universally understood throughout Poland.

  Beginner

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