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  What it means

  Literally “to have in the nose,” this is a very common colloquial way to say you don’t care about something or someone. It implies a total lack of interest, respect, or concern for the consequences of a situation. It is the Polish equivalent of saying “to not give a hoot” or “to not care a bit.” While it is informal, it is generally considered mild and is used frequently by both children and adults.

  Vocabulary

  • nos — nose
  • ignorować — to ignore
  • wszystko jedno — it's all the same / I don't care
  • obojętność — indifference

  Grammar note

  'W nosie' is the locative form of the masculine noun 'nos.' After the preposition 'w' indicating location, masculine nouns that do not end in soft consonants or 'k/g/ch' typically take the '-ie' ending.

  Cultural context

  This is one of the more "polite" ways to express indifference in Polish. There are much stronger, vulgar versions of this idiom involving other body parts, so 'mieć w nosie' is the safest choice for a learner to use in casual social settings without being offensive.

  Beginner

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