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  What it means

  Literally “not someone’s brooch,” this idiom means that something is not someone’s concern, problem, or responsibility — it is not their thing to deal with. When you say To nie moja broszka, you mean “that’s not my problem” or “that’s not my department.” The brooch metaphor suggests something personal and decorative — each person has their own brooch (their own affair), and you should mind yours, not theirs.

  Vocabulary

  • nie — not
  • czyjaś — someone's (possessive pronoun, feminine to agree with broszka)
  • broszka — brooch (a decorative pin)

  Grammar note

  The possessive pronoun czyjaś (someone's) is feminine nominative, agreeing with broszka (a feminine noun). In the most common form To nie moja broszka, moja (my) replaces czyjaś. The phrase uses a zero-copula construction — there is no verb 'to be' expressed, typical of Polish predicate sentences.

  Cultural context

  This is a neutral, everyday expression appropriate for all ages and registers. It is used to deflect responsibility or signal disinterest in another person's affairs. The English equivalents include 'not my problem,' 'not my circus, not my monkeys' (though that is a separate Polish idiom), or 'that's your affair.'

  Intermediate

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