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  What it means

  Literally “to have a fear,” this colloquial expression means to be scared or frightened. While the standard way to express fear is “bać się” (to be afraid), “mieć stracha” has a slightly more vivid, informal flavour — it suggests a gut-level fright rather than a chronic worry. Poles use it to describe sudden fear, nervousness before an event, or a general state of being spooked. It is especially common in spoken language among younger speakers.

  Vocabulary

  • mieć — to have
  • stracha — fear, fright (genitive/accusative of 'strach')
  • strach — fear, fright

  Grammar note

  In this idiom, 'strach' (fear) takes the colloquial accusative/genitive form 'stracha' — a masculine animate ending applied to an inanimate noun, which is a hallmark of informal speech. The standard accusative would be 'strach,' but the -a ending here adds expressiveness and is characteristic of spoken Polish rather than formal writing.

  Cultural context

  This is a colloquial, mildly informal expression common in everyday spoken Polish. It is not vulgar, but it would sound out of place in formal or written contexts. You may also hear it as 'dostać stracha' (to get a fright) or 'nabawić się stracha' (to give oneself a fright).

  Beginner

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