• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “faith moves mountains” — the Polish rendering of the biblical proverb drawn from the New Testament (Matthew 17:20 and 1 Corinthians 13:2). It means that with strong enough belief or conviction, a person can overcome seemingly impossible obstacles. Poles use the phrase both in its original religious sense and as a secular motivational saying: if you believe completely in what you are doing and pursue it with total dedication, results that seem impossible become achievable. It is one of the most universally recognized proverbs in the Polish language and requires no further explanation to any native speaker.

  Vocabulary

  • wiara — faith, belief, trust
  • góry — mountains (accusative plural of 'góra')
  • przenosić / przenieść — to move, to carry, to transfer
  • przenosi — moves, carries (third-person singular present tense of 'przenosić')

  Grammar note

  The sentence has a clean subject–verb–object structure: 'wiara' (subject, nominative singular) + 'przenosi' (verb, third-person singular present) + 'góry' (direct object, accusative plural). The accusative plural of the feminine noun 'góra' is 'góry,' identical in form to the nominative plural, which gives the sentence a pleasant symmetry — a quality typical of well-worn Polish proverbs.

  Cultural context

  Rooted in Christian scripture, this proverb is deeply embedded in Polish culture, where Catholicism has historically played a central role in national identity. It is quoted in religious and secular contexts alike — from sermons and prayers to sports commentary and motivational speeches. The phrase signals conviction and optimism, and can be used sincerely or with irony depending on tone.

  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!