Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy
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What it means
Literally “Not my circus, not my monkeys.” A popular Polish idiom meaning “not my problem / not my responsibility.” Used when someone wants to stay out of someone else’s drama or mess.
Vocabulary
- cyrk — circus
- małpy — monkeys (plural)
- mój / moje — my (masc / neut)
Grammar note
Demonstrates negation with 'nie' and genitive case after negation — 'mój cyrk' (nominative) becomes implied but 'nie mój cyrk' functions as a full negative construction.
Cultural context
This phrase has spread far beyond Poland and is now used in English too, but it originates from Polish.
Intermediate
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