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  What it means

  Literally “to chase sleep from the eyelids,” this idiom means that something causes so much worry, stress, or anxiety that you simply cannot sleep at all. It refers to nagging thoughts or problems that keep you awake at night. Use it for a major exam, a financial problem, or a difficult life decision that is worrying you now.

  Vocabulary

  • spędzać — to chase away / to spend (time)
  • sen — sleep / dream
  • powieki — eyelids
  • martwić się — to worry

  Grammar note

  The preposition 'z' (from/off) triggers the genitive case. 'Powiek' is the genitive plural of the feminine 'powieka.' The verb 'spędzać' here means "to drive away" rather than its other common meaning, "to spend time."

  Cultural context

  This is a somewhat more poetic way to say you are worried. It is common in Polish literature and journalism when describing serious national or personal crises today.

  Intermediate

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