• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “with one’s soul on one’s shoulder.” This poetic idiom describes a state of extreme fear, anxiety, or apprehension while doing something. It suggests that one’s life force (the soul) is so precarious that it is barely hanging on, ready to fly away at any moment.

  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 an evocative, slightly more formal or literary idiom compared to others. It is often used when recounting a scary experience, like walking through a dark forest or taking a very difficult 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!