polski.directory

[ Learn Polish. All resources, one place. ]
  • Listen

    What it means

    Literally “cross-country / cutting across.” Means going directly across country, cutting through rather than following roads — “cross-country,” “cutting across,” “as the crow flies.”

    Vocabulary

    • przełaj — cross-country route, shortcut across terrain

    Grammar note

    'Na przełaj' uses the accusative of 'przełaj' after 'na' — manner of travel.

    Cultural context

    Cross-country running ('bieg na przełaj') is a standard school sport in Poland — every Pole knows this phrase from PE class.

    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!

More Polish idioms

  • Literally "one's whole life flew past before the eyes," this phrase describes the vivid, involuntary …
    Intermediate
  • Literally "for an example," na przykład is the standard Polish phrase for "for example" or "for …
    Beginner
  • Literally "in the last/recent times," ostatnimi czasy is a common temporal phrase meaning "lately," …
    Beginner
  • Literally "in the manner of Judas," this adverb describes acting in a treacherous, backstabbing way …
    Intermediate