• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “by what law/right,” this is an indignant exclamation used to challenge someone’s authority or behavior. It is the Polish way of saying “Who do you think you are?” or “Who gave you the right?” It’s used when you feel your boundaries have been crossed or when someone is acting unfairly.

  Vocabulary

  • prawo — law / right
  • powód — reason
  • oburzenie — indignation

  Grammar note

  'Jakim prawem' is in the instrumental case. In Polish, the instrumental is used to express the "authority" or "basis" upon which an action is performed.

  Cultural context

  This is a strong, confrontational phrase. It can be used in a serious legal context or a heated personal argument. It’s a very effective way to stand your ground in Polish.

  Intermediate

Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!