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  What it means

  Literally “like a beaten dog,” this simile describes someone who looks or behaves in a dejected, ashamed, or cowed manner — tail between their legs, avoiding eye contact, expecting punishment. It captures the image of a dog that has just been scolded or struck and slinks away in submission. Poles use it to describe how someone reacts after being reprimanded, humiliated, or caught doing something wrong.

  Vocabulary

  • zbity — beaten, struck (past passive participle of 'zbić')
  • zbić — to beat, to hit
  • pies — dog
  • psa — dog (genitive/accusative)

  Grammar note

  The adjective 'zbity' is a past passive participle derived from the perfective verb 'zbić.' It agrees in gender (masculine) and number (singular) with 'pies.' The full simile is adverbial: 'Wrócił jak zbity pies' (He came back like a beaten dog), where the phrase modifies the verb of motion or state.

  Cultural context

  The phrase is colloquial and vivid, used in everyday speech and fiction alike. It implies not just sadness but shame and submission. English near-equivalents include 'with his tail between his legs' or 'like a scolded puppy.' It is not considered offensive — it describes behaviour, not character — and is commonly used even in sympathetic descriptions.

  Beginner

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