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  What it means

  Literally “bathed in hot water,” this adjective-phrase describes someone who is very impatient, impulsive, or a “hothead.” It refers to someone who wants everything done immediately and often acts before they think. You might use this to describe a colleague who sends an angry email too quickly or a friend who can’t wait five minutes for a table.

  Vocabulary

  • gorący — hot
  • woda — water
  • kąpany — bathed (past passive participle)
  • niecierpliwy — impatient

  Grammar note

  'Kąpany' is a participle acting as an adjective. The phrase 'W gorącej wodzie' uses the locative case. The whole phrase acts as a single adjective that must agree with the noun (e.g., 'w gorącej wodzie kąpana' for a woman).

  Cultural context

  This is a very common and slightly old-fashioned idiom that remains highly relevant. It’s a vivid way to tell someone to "slow down" or "cool off."

  Intermediate

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