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  What it means

  Literally “at a turtle’s pace.” This phrase is used to describe something that is moving or progressing agonizingly slowly. It can refer to physical movement, like a traffic jam, or abstract progress, like a slow-moving bureaucracy.

  Vocabulary

  • żółw — turtle
  • żółwi — turtle-like (adjective)
  • krok — step / pace
  • powolny — slow

  Grammar note

  The phrase uses the instrumental case ('żółwim krokiem') to function as an adverbial of manner, describing *how* something is moving. 'Żółwim' is the masculine instrumental form of the possessive adjective.

  Cultural context

  While English speakers usually look to the snail for this comparison, Poles more frequently use the turtle. It is a very common expression in everyday complaints about delays.

  Beginner

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