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  What it means

  Literally “on the road” or “on the way,” this prepositional phrase is used both literally (physically on a road or path) and figuratively to mean “through a process,” “by means of,” or “in the course of.” Figuratively, Poles say ’na drodze negocjacji’ (through negotiation) or ’na drodze sądowej’ (through legal proceedings). It marks the method or channel through which something is achieved.

  Vocabulary

  • na — on / by / through (preposition)
  • drodze — road, way (locative singular of 'droga')
  • droga — road, way, path

  Grammar note

  The preposition 'na' with the locative case ('drodze' is the locative of 'droga') indicates location or means. In its figurative uses — 'na drodze czegoś' (through/by means of something) — it is followed by a genitive noun phrase. This construction is formal and common in legal, bureaucratic, and journalistic Polish.

  Cultural context

  In its figurative sense this phrase belongs to a formal register and is very common in official documents, journalism, and academic writing. In everyday speech Poles tend to use it only in fixed collocations like 'na drodze do czegoś' (on the way to achieving something). The English equivalent in formal contexts is 'by way of' or 'through the process of.'

  Intermediate

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