• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “to stand on one’s head,” this idiom means to do everything humanly possible—even the most extreme or difficult things—to achieve a specific result. It is the Polish equivalent of “to bend over backwards.” It emphasizes the effort and the “gymnastics” one goes through to please someone or solve a crisis.

  Vocabulary

  • stanąć — to stand / to step (perfective)
  • głowa — head
  • starać się — to try hard / to strive
  • wysiłek — effort

  Grammar note

  'Na głowie' is the locative form of 'głowa.' While 'stanąć' usually implies motion, in this fixed expression it describes the state of being upside down to complete a task.

  Cultural context

  This is a very common expression in both professional and family life. For example: "Stanę na głowie, żeby zdążyć" (I will stand on my head [do whatever it takes] to make it on time).

  Beginner

Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!