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  What it means

  Literally “in the sweat of one’s forehead.” This idiom describes working with immense effort, dedication, or physical exertion. It is used when a task requires “back-breaking” work or serious mental concentration.

  Vocabulary

  • pot — sweat
  • czoło — forehead
  • wysiłek — effort

  Grammar note

  'Pocie' is the locative of 'pot'; 'czoła' is the genitive of 'czoło'.

  Cultural context

  This phrase has biblical origins (Genesis 3:19) and is used to emphasize the dignity or difficulty of hard labor.

  Intermediate

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