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  What it means

  Literally “in one breath,” this idiom has two related senses. First, it means to do something all at once without stopping — to read, speak, or consume something in one uninterrupted stretch (“przeczytał całą książkę jednym tchem” — he read the whole book in one breath). Second, it can mean to mention two things together in the same utterance, often implying an inappropriate pairing (“wymieniać kogoś jednym tchem z kimś” — to mention someone in the same breath as someone else).

  Vocabulary

  • jednym — one (instrumental singular masculine/neuter of jeden)
  • tchem — breath (instrumental singular of tchu/oddech)
  • tchu — breath, gasp (genitive of tchem)

  Grammar note

  The noun 'tchu' belongs to a small group of Polish nouns with irregular stems: the nominative form 'tch' is rarely used alone; instead you encounter genitive 'tchu', instrumental 'tchem', etc. The instrumental case 'jednym tchem' expresses manner — 'by means of one breath' or 'in the manner of one breath.' The numeral 'jeden' also takes the instrumental: 'jednym.'

  Cultural context

  This is a lively, neutral idiom used across registers from literary prose to everyday conversation. The first sense (doing something without stopping) often carries admiration — the person was so engrossed they didn't pause. The second sense (mentioning in the same breath) can carry either neutrality or criticism, depending on context. Both senses are well understood by all Polish speakers.

  Intermediate

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