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  What it means

  Literally “to chase sleep from the eyelids,” this evocative idiom means that something is causing so much worry, stress, or anxiety that it prevents you from sleeping. It refers to those nagging thoughts or problems that keep you awake at night. You would use this to describe a major exam, a financial problem, or a difficult life decision that is currently haunting you.

  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 slightly more poetic and sophisticated way to say you are worried. It is a common phrase in Polish literature and journalism to describe serious national or personal crises.

  Intermediate

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