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  What it means

  Literally “to flow like water off a duck,” this is the Polish version of “like water off a duck’s back.” It describes a situation where criticism, insults, or stressful events have absolutely no effect on a person. It suggests that the person is resilient, indifferent, or simply “thick-skinned,” allowing negativity to slide right off them.

  Vocabulary

  • spłynąć — to flow down / run off
  • woda — water
  • kaczka — duck
  • obojętny — indifferent

  Grammar note

  The preposition 'po' (after/down) here triggers the locative case for 'kaczce' (the locative singular of 'kaczka'). The verb 'spłynąć' is perfective, focusing on the completed result of the water sliding off.

  Cultural context

  This idiom is very common and can be used both as a compliment (admiring someone's resilience) or a criticism (lamenting that someone refuses to listen to advice or corrections).

  Beginner

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