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  What it means

  Literally “in measure” or “in proportion.” Used as an adverb meaning “reasonably,” “fairly,” “quite,” or “to a moderate degree” — conveying that something is acceptable or decent, but not exceptional. Poles use it as a mildly positive qualifier in everyday speech: “To jest w miarę dobre” (That’s pretty good). It also appears in the fixed phrase “w miarę możliwości” (as far as possible), common in formal and semi-formal writing. Related forms include “w pewnej mierze” (to a certain extent) and “w dużej mierze” (to a large extent).

  Vocabulary

  • miara — measure, proportion, degree
  • miarę — measure (accusative of miara, used in prepositional phrases)
  • w miarę możliwości — as far as possible, to the extent possible
  • w pewnej mierze — to a certain extent
  • w dużej mierze — to a large extent, largely

  Grammar note

  The phrase uses the preposition 'w' (in) with the accusative form 'miarę' when functioning as an adverbial qualifier meaning 'reasonably.' In 'w miarę możliwości,' the accusative 'miarę' is followed by the genitive 'możliwości' (of possibilities). The related phrase 'w pewnej mierze' uses the locative 'mierze' — a reminder that slightly different constructions with the same noun require different cases.

  Cultural context

  This is a very common neutral hedge in everyday Polish conversation, roughly equivalent to English 'pretty' or 'fairly.' It softens claims and avoids overstating: saying something is 'w miarę' good is more modest than calling it great. The phrase 'w miarę możliwości' is standard in bureaucratic and business language and appears frequently in official documents, emails, and public announcements across Poland.

  Beginner

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