• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “with one’s soul on one’s shoulder.” This poetic idiom describes intense fear, anxiety, or worry while doing something difficult or dangerous. It suggests that the soul, or life force, is barely holding on and could fly away at any moment from fear.

  Vocabulary

  • dusza — soul
  • ramię — shoulder
  • strach — fear
  • niepokój — anxiety

  Grammar note

  The word 'duszą' is the instrumental form of 'dusza,' required by the preposition 'z'. 'Na ramieniu' is the locative form of 'ramię' (shoulder).

  Cultural context

  This is a vivid idiom with a slightly formal or literary feel. It often appears when someone tells of a frightening experience, such as walking through a dark forest or taking a hard exam.

  Intermediate

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!