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  What it means

  Literally “to clench one’s teeth,” this idiom means to grit one’s teeth, to bite the bullet, or to endure hardship with stoic determination and without complaint. It conveys resolve in the face of pain, difficulty, or adversity — choosing to push through rather than give up.

  Vocabulary

  • zacisnąć — to clench, to tighten (perfective)
  • zęby — teeth (accusative plural of 'ząb')

  Grammar note

  The perfective aspect 'zacisnąć' signals a decisive, single completed action — the teeth are clenched and one pushes forward. The imperfective 'zaciskać zęby' would imply an ongoing or repeated clenching.

  Beginner

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