• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “as much strength as one has,” this idiom means with all one’s might, at maximum effort or speed. It works as an adverbial intensifier with verbs of physical effort, movement, or vocal force. The phrase means wholehearted, all-out effort rather than measured effort. Poles use it when someone is pushing themselves to the limit.

  Vocabulary

  • ile — how much, as much as (interrogative/relative adverb)
  • sił — of strength (genitive plural of *siła*, strength/force)
  • ile sił w nogach — with all the strength in one's legs (expanded form, common with running)

  Grammar note

  *Sił* is the genitive plural of *siła* (strength), used after *ile* in a partitive construction: 'as much as there is of strength.' The phrase acts as an adverbial modifier: *biegł ile sił*; 'he ran with all his might.' It can be expanded to *ile sił w nogach* ('as much strength as there is in the legs') for stronger emphasis, especially with verbs of running or escaping.

  Cultural context

  A clear, informal expression used in all registers, from fiction and sports commentary to daily speech. It most naturally pairs with verbs like *krzyczeć* (to shout), *pędzić* (to rush), *biec* (to run), or *pracować* (to work): *krzyczała ile sił*; 'she screamed with all her might.' Close English equivalents are 'with all one's might,' 'as hard as one can,' or 'for all one is worth.'

  Intermediate

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