Bedeutung
to owe money to someone
Kultureller Hintergrund
The movie 'Dług' (1999) is a cultural touchstone. It's based on a true story of two businessmen who become victims of a ruthless debt collector. It changed how Poles view the dangers of informal loans. In Polish history, the 'szlachta' (nobility) were famous for having massive debts while maintaining a lavish lifestyle. This led to the proverb 'Zastaw się, a postaw się' (Go into debt, but show off). Poles are generally private about their debts. Asking someone directly 'Czy masz długi?' is considered very rude and intrusive unless you are a very close family member or a banker. The 'dług wdzięczności' is taken seriously. If someone helps you find a job or move house, you are expected to 'spłacić' (repay) that debt with a similar favor in the future.
The Negation Rule
Always remember: 'Mam długi' but 'Nie mam długów'. This is the most common error for B1 students.
Use 'winien' for friends
If you owe a friend 10 PLN, it's more natural to say 'Jestem ci winien dychę' than 'Mam u ciebie dług'.
Bedeutung
to owe money to someone
The Negation Rule
Always remember: 'Mam długi' but 'Nie mam długów'. This is the most common error for B1 students.
Use 'winien' for friends
If you owe a friend 10 PLN, it's more natural to say 'Jestem ci winien dychę' than 'Mam u ciebie dług'.
Debt of Gratitude
Don't be afraid to use 'dług wdzięczności' in formal letters of thanks; it sounds very sophisticated and sincere.
Kredyt vs Dług
Use 'kredyt' for a bank loan you are currently paying. Use 'dług' if the payment is late or if it's an informal loan.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the correct form of 'dług' in the negative sentence.
Marek spłacił wszystko i teraz nie ma żadnych _______.
After 'nie ma' (negation), we must use the Genitive plural form 'długów'.
Which sentence means 'I owe you money'?
Wybierz poprawne zdanie:
The preposition 'u' is used with 'mieć dług' to indicate the person you owe.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Kiedy powiesz 'Mam u pani dług wdzięczności'?
'Dług wdzięczności' is a moral debt of gratitude.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Czy on ma pieniądze na wakacje? B: Nie, on wciąż _______.
'Ma długi' is the standard way to say someone is in debt.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenMarek spłacił wszystko i teraz nie ma żadnych _______.
After 'nie ma' (negation), we must use the Genitive plural form 'długów'.
Wybierz poprawne zdanie:
The preposition 'u' is used with 'mieć dług' to indicate the person you owe.
Kiedy powiesz 'Mam u pani dług wdzięczności'?
'Dług wdzięczności' is a moral debt of gratitude.
A: Czy on ma pieniądze na wakacje? B: Nie, on wciąż _______.
'Ma długi' is the standard way to say someone is in debt.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
14 FragenMostly, yes. It implies a burden. For a neutral bank loan, 'mieć kredyt' is better.
You can say 'Nie mam żadnych długów' or 'Jestem wolny od długów'.
No, that's the adjective. 'Długa droga' (singular) or 'Długie drogi' (plural). 'Długi' as a noun only means debts.
'Debet' is specifically an overdraft on a bank account. 'Dług' is any money owed.
'Dług u kogoś' means you owe them. 'Dług kogoś' means the debt belongs to that person.
The verb is 'ściągać długi' or 'windykować'.
Not really. We don't say 'dług czasu'. We say 'zaległości' (backlog/arrears) for time-based tasks.
A 'dłużnik' is a debtor—the person who has the debts.
It's neutral. It's fine in a newspaper or a conversation with a boss.
It's a bit poetic, but yes, it means life has given you a lot and you owe something back.
It means 'to drown in debts'—to have so many that you can't manage them.
The phrase is 'darować dług' or 'umorzyć dług'.
No, you can have 'jeden dług' (one debt), but we usually speak about them in plural unless it's one specific loan.
It is the national debt owed by the government.
Verwandte Redewendungen
spłacać długi
builds onto pay off debts
zadłużyć się
similarto get into debt
dług wdzięczności
specialized formdebt of gratitude
być winnym
synonymto owe
tonąć w długach
specialized formto drown in debt
wyjść z długów
contrastto get out of debt
