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  What it means

  Literally “a bargaining card,” this phrase means a bargaining chip — a resource, advantage, or piece of information that one party holds and can use as leverage in a negotiation. It is the equivalent of having something valuable to trade or threaten with. For example: “Poparcie związków zawodowych to ich główna karta przetargowa” — “Union support is their main bargaining chip.” It is most common in political and business contexts.

  Vocabulary

  • karta — card (feminine noun)
  • przetargowa — bargaining, tender (feminine adjective, from przetarg)
  • przetarg — tender, bid, competitive negotiation

  Grammar note

  This is an adjective-noun phrase in the nominative case: 'karta' (nom. fem.) + 'przetargowa' (nom. fem. adjective). It declines fully in context: accusative 'kartę przetargową,' genitive 'karty przetargowej.' The adjective 'przetargowy' derives from the noun 'przetarg' (competitive bid/tender), extending its meaning to any high-stakes negotiation.

  Cultural context

  The phrase is neutral to formal in register and is especially frequent in political journalism, business reporting, and diplomatic discourse. It is a direct conceptual equivalent of English 'bargaining chip' or 'trump card' (in the negotiation sense). There is no informal or vulgar variant.

  Intermediate

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