• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “to say little” or “that’s an understatement,” this phrase is used to signal that words alone fail to capture the full scale of something — usually something negative or surprising. When a Pole says “mało powiedzieć,” they are emphasizing that however bad (or good) something sounds, the reality is even more extreme. It functions like the English “to say the least” or “that’s putting it mildly.” It typically follows or precedes a description that is itself already strong.

  Vocabulary

  • mało — little, not much (adverb/quantifier)
  • powiedzieć — to say (perfective infinitive)

  Grammar note

  'Mało powiedzieć' is an infinitive phrase functioning as a fixed expression. It can appear parenthetically — 'To było trudne, mało powiedzieć' (It was difficult, to say the least) — or as a standalone comment. The perfective aspect of 'powiedzieć' (vs. imperfective 'mówić') implies a complete, definitive act of saying — reinforcing the idea that even a full statement would fall short.

  Cultural context

  This is an informal to neutral expression used in spoken Polish and casual writing. It often appears in opinion pieces or reviews when the writer wants to dramatize a point. The tone can be ironic or sincere. Its English equivalents include 'to say the least,' 'that's an understatement,' and 'putting it mildly.' It is used across all regions of Poland without variation.

  Intermediate

Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!