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  What it means

  Literally “to lie at the foundations,” this idiom means to be the main cause, root, or basis of something. It is used when explaining what lies beneath a problem, event, or idea. For example, economic inequality may ‘’leżeć u podstaw’’ social unrest, meaning it is a key underlying cause there. The phrase is formal and common in journalism, academic writing, and serious public discussion.

  Vocabulary

  • leżeć — to lie (to be situated/positioned)
  • u — at, by (preposition taking genitive)
  • podstaw — foundations, bases (genitive plural of 'podstawa' — base, foundation)
  • podstawa — foundation, basis, base

  Grammar note

  The preposition 'u' requires the genitive case. The feminine noun 'podstawa' becomes 'podstawy' in singular genitive and 'podstaw' in plural genitive, the form used here. The imperfective verb 'leżeć' usually appears in the third person: 'leży u podstaw czegoś.' The full pattern names both the underlying cause and the thing being explained in the genitive case in Polish when a cause is being described.

  Cultural context

  This formal, written expression is common in Polish journalism, academic texts, and political commentary. It is close to English ''lies at the heart of,'' ''underpins,'' or ''is at the root of.'' It is not usual in casual speech, where it could sound too intellectual, distant, or overly formal in conversation.

  Intermediate

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