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  What it means

  Literally “to combine the pleasant with the useful.” This idiom means doing something enjoyable that also brings a practical benefit. It is like killing two birds with one stone, but it puts more weight on pleasure. A Pole may use it about a business trip to a favourite city or a dinner party that also helps people make contacts. It suggests enjoying yourself while getting something useful done.

  Vocabulary

  • łączyć — to combine, to connect (imperfective)
  • przyjemne — the pleasant (neuter adjective used as noun)
  • pożytecznym — the useful (instrumental case of pożyteczny)

  Grammar note

  The verb łączyć is imperfective. It joins two nominalised adjectives: przyjemne is accusative neuter, while the second word becomes instrumental in z + pożytecznym to show accompaniment. The pattern łączyć X z Y (combine X with Y) always uses z plus the instrumental for the second part.

  Cultural context

  The phrase can sound mildly witty, and people sometimes use it half-jokingly to excuse a treat. It is neutral in style and works in formal and casual speech. The closest English phrase is ''to mix business with pleasure,'' although Polish stresses joining the two things rather than mixing them.

  Beginner

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