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  What it means

  Literally “to have one’s tongue on top,” this idiom describes a person who talks constantly, gossips freely, or blurts things out without thinking. The image is of a tongue that is always visible — never still. In practice it is used to criticize someone who cannot keep a secret or who dominates conversations with chatter. It can also describe someone who is verbally quick-witted and has a sharp comeback for everything.

  Vocabulary

  • język — tongue / language
  • mieć — to have
  • na wierzchu — on top / on the surface
  • wierzch — the top, the surface

  Grammar note

  The infinitive 'mieć' governs 'język' in the accusative (direct object). 'Na wierzchu' is a prepositional phrase using 'na' + locative of 'wierzch.' The idiom is typically used in the infinitive or with a conjugated form of 'mieć': 'ona ma język na wierzchu' — she talks too much.

  Cultural context

  This is an informal, slightly critical expression. It is used to describe gossips or chatterboxes and carries mild disapproval. A close English equivalent would be 'to have a loose tongue' or 'to have the gift of the gab.' Common in everyday colloquial speech across Poland.

  Intermediate

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