• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “to raise one’s voice,” this idiom means either to speak more loudly or, more specifically, to raise one’s voice in anger, displeasure, or protest. When used in the context of a confrontation, it implies losing one’s temper or asserting authority forcefully. Poles also use it in a slightly more formal sense — podnieść głos w obronie (to raise one’s voice in defense of) — meaning to speak up or advocate publicly. Context usually makes clear whether physical volume or emotional intensity is intended.

  Vocabulary

  • podnieść — to raise, to lift (perfective)
  • podnosić — to raise, to lift (imperfective; habitual or ongoing action)
  • głos — voice; also: vote
  • w obronie — in defense of (preposition + genitive)

  Grammar note

  Podnieść is the perfective form, used for a single completed act of raising the voice. The imperfective podnosić głos describes a repeated or habitual action. Głos is in the accusative case as the direct object. Polish does not require a possessive reflexive here — the body-part possession (one's own voice) is implied by the subject.

  Cultural context

  This is a neutral-to-formal idiom used across all registers. In polite or professional contexts, accusing someone of habitually podnosić głos carries significant social weight, implying aggression or lack of emotional control. The broader 'speak up / advocate' sense is common in journalism: głos w tej sprawie podniósł minister (the minister raised his voice on this matter).

  Beginner

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