Bedeutung
Something seems suspicious or wrong.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Poles are culturally inclined towards skepticism due to a history of political instability. 'Coś mi nie gra' is a linguistic tool for this 'healthy distrust'. In Polish offices, saying 'coś mi tu nie gra' is a common way to pause a meeting and look for errors without being too aggressive. The phrase is a staple of Polish detective shows (like 'Ojciec Mateusz' or 'Gliniarze'). It's the moment the detective realizes the witness is lying. It is often used when dealing with bureaucracy or 'załatwianie' (getting things done through informal channels).
Use 'tu' for emphasis
Adding 'tu' (here) makes you sound much more natural: 'Coś tu nie gra'.
Don't forget the 'mi'
While 'Coś nie gra' is okay, 'Coś MI nie gra' emphasizes that it's YOUR intuition.
Bedeutung
Something seems suspicious or wrong.
Use 'tu' for emphasis
Adding 'tu' (here) makes you sound much more natural: 'Coś tu nie gra'.
Don't forget the 'mi'
While 'Coś nie gra' is okay, 'Coś MI nie gra' emphasizes that it's YOUR intuition.
The 'Wszystko gra' trick
Use 'Wszystko gra?' as a casual way to ask 'Is everything okay?' or 'Are we good?'
The squint
When saying this, Poles often squint one eye slightly—it's the universal sign of 'I'm onto you'.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing word to complete the idiom.
Widzę, że on się denerwuje. Coś mi tu nie ___.
The standard idiom is 'coś nie gra'.
Which sentence is the most natural way to express suspicion?
You see a very cheap iPhone for sale, but the seller wants payment in iTunes gift cards.
This phrase perfectly describes the suspicion of a scam.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the idiom.
A: Marek powiedział, że był wczoraj w kinie z Anną. B: Niemożliwe, Anna jest przecież w Londynie. ___.
The contradiction between Marek's story and Anna's location triggers the idiom.
Match the situation to the feeling.
You are reviewing your bank statement and see a charge for a store you never visited.
An unexpected charge is a classic 'coś nie gra' moment.
Use the correct dative pronoun (mi, ci, mu, nam).
Oni patrzą na nas dziwnie. Czy tobie też coś tu nie ___?
The verb 'gra' always stays in the 3rd person singular in this idiom.
🎉 Ergebnis: /5
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
5 AufgabenWidzę, że on się denerwuje. Coś mi tu nie ___.
The standard idiom is 'coś nie gra'.
You see a very cheap iPhone for sale, but the seller wants payment in iTunes gift cards.
This phrase perfectly describes the suspicion of a scam.
A: Marek powiedział, że był wczoraj w kinie z Anną. B: Niemożliwe, Anna jest przecież w Londynie. ___.
The contradiction between Marek's story and Anna's location triggers the idiom.
You are reviewing your bank statement and see a charge for a store you never visited.
An unexpected charge is a classic 'coś nie gra' moment.
Oni patrzą na nas dziwnie. Czy tobie też coś tu nie ___?
The verb 'gra' always stays in the 3rd person singular in this idiom.
🎉 Ergebnis: /5
Häufig gestellte Fragen
14 FragenYes, if it's making a weird noise but you don't know why, you can say 'Coś w tej pralce nie gra'.
It can be slightly too informal. Better to say 'Mam pewne wątpliwości co do tego projektu'.
'Coś jest nie tak' is more general (something is wrong). 'Coś mi nie gra' specifically implies suspicion or logical inconsistency.
No, that's not a standard idiom. You would say 'Kompletnie nic mi tu nie gra'.
No, you can say 'Coś tu nie gra' (Something isn't right here) without specifying who feels it.
Yes, in this idiom, even if you suspect many things, you say 'Coś mi tu nie gra'.
Yes: 'Coś mi wtedy nie grało' (Something didn't add up then).
Very often, especially in crime novels and thrillers.
'Wybitnie' (distinctly) or 'kompletnie' (completely).
Yes, 'Coś mi w nim nie gra' means 'There's something about him I don't trust'.
No, it's a standard idiom used by all age groups.
The closest equivalent is 'Coś mi tu śmierdzi' or 'Coś mi tu nie gra'.
Only if the taste is 'suspicious' (like it might be spoiled), but 'coś jest nie tak z tym mięsem' is more common.
No, it's informal to neutral.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Wszystko gra
contrastEverything is fine/okay.
Coś tu śmierdzi
similarSomething smells fishy.
Szyć grubymi nićmi
builds onTo be a clumsy lie.
Mieć nosa
similarTo have a nose for something/good intuition.
Nie pasować
similarTo not fit.
