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  What it means

  Literally: “speaking in parentheses” or “by way of a parenthetical.” This is a common discourse marker used to introduce a side remark or tangential comment that is not central to the main point. It functions exactly like the English “by the way,” “incidentally,” or “as an aside.” Polish speakers insert it naturally in both spoken and written Polish to signal a digression without losing the thread of conversation.

  Vocabulary

  • nawiasem — in parentheses, as a parenthetical (instrumental of 'nawias')
  • nawias — parenthesis, bracket
  • mówiąc — speaking, saying (present adverbial participle of 'mówić')

  Grammar note

  The phrase combines 'nawiasem' (instrumental singular of 'nawias') with 'mówiąc,' the present adverbial participle of 'mówić' (to speak). The instrumental 'nawiasem' functions adverbially — 'in the manner of a parenthesis.' Present adverbial participles in Polish are formed from the third-person plural stem plus '-c': 'mówią' + 'c' → 'mówiąc.' The whole phrase acts as a sentence adverbial and can appear at the start, middle, or end of a sentence.

  Cultural context

  This is a fully standard, neutral phrase used equally in formal writing, journalism, and everyday speech. It is especially common when a speaker suddenly recalls a related but tangential point mid-sentence. The closest English equivalents are 'by the way' and 'incidentally,' though 'nawiasem mówiąc' carries a slightly more literary flavor. A near-synonym is 'przy okazji,' which is slightly more casual.

  Beginner

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