• Listen

  What it means

  Literally, it means “to have full hands of work.” Figuratively, it expresses being very busy or overwhelmed with tasks. It is used when someone has a lot to do and little time to rest. Poles commonly use this phrase in both professional and personal contexts.

  Vocabulary

  • pełne — full
  • ręce — hands
  • robota — work (informal)
  • mieć — to have

  Grammar note

  "Ręce" is in the accusative plural, and "pełne" agrees with it in number and gender. "Roboty" is in the genitive singular, used after expressions of quantity like "pełne." This genitive structure is common in Polish.

  Cultural context

  This is a very common, neutral expression. It corresponds directly to the English idiom "to have one's hands full." "Robota" sounds slightly informal compared to "praca."

  Beginner

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!