Bedeutung
To have extensive experience.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In Poland, the 'złota rączka' (golden hand/handyman) is a cultural icon. These individuals are often described as having 'eaten their teeth' on everything from plumbing to electronics, reflecting a post-war necessity for self-reliance. The idiom resonates with the traditional European guild system where mastery was only achieved after decades. In Poland, this 'master-apprentice' relationship is still respected in trades like baking and carpentry. Polish academia is very hierarchical. A professor who has 'eaten their teeth' on a subject is granted immense social status, often more than someone with just a high-paying job. Younger generations in Warsaw or Kraków use the idiom ironically to describe their 'long' three-year tenure in a startup, showing how the phrase is adapting to faster career cycles.
Use it for credibility
If you want to sound like a senior professional in Poland, use this idiom instead of just saying 'I have 10 years of experience'.
Check your case!
The most common mistake is using the wrong case after 'na'. Always use Locative (Miejscownik).
Bedeutung
To have extensive experience.
Use it for credibility
If you want to sound like a senior professional in Poland, use this idiom instead of just saying 'I have 10 years of experience'.
Check your case!
The most common mistake is using the wrong case after 'na'. Always use Locative (Miejscownik).
Respect the elders
Using this to describe an older person's career is a high form of respect in Polish culture.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing words in the correct form.
Mój wujek jest świetnym krawcem. _________ _________ na szyciu garniturów.
The subject is 'wujek' (he), so we use the masculine past tense 'zjadł' followed by 'zęby'.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Choose the correct option:
The idiom requires 'na' + Locative case (mechanice).
Match the person to the thing they likely 'ate their teeth' on.
Match the pairs:
A sailor eats teeth on the sea, an accountant on taxes, and a professor on lectures.
Complete the dialogue with the idiom.
A: Czy ten mechanik jest dobry? B: Tak, on ____________________ na starych mercedesach.
The context implies the mechanic is an expert on old Mercedes cars.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Experience Levels
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenMój wujek jest świetnym krawcem. _________ _________ na szyciu garniturów.
The subject is 'wujek' (he), so we use the masculine past tense 'zjadł' followed by 'zęby'.
Choose the correct option:
The idiom requires 'na' + Locative case (mechanice).
Match the pairs:
A sailor eats teeth on the sea, an accountant on taxes, and a professor on lectures.
A: Czy ten mechanik jest dobry? B: Tak, on ____________________ na starych mercedesach.
The context implies the mechanic is an expert on old Mercedes cars.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenYes, you can say you 'ate your teeth' on a difficult situation, implying you learned a hard lesson.
It's a bit too informal for a CV document, but perfect for the interview itself.
Yes, 'zjeść ząb' (singular) is not an idiom and would sound like a dental accident.
The verb changes (zjadłam), but 'zęby' remains the same.
It's rare, but it could mean you've spent a lot of time dealing with someone's difficult personality.
Being a 'zielony' (green/newbie) or 'fryc' (novice).
Yes, it is a universal Polish idiom.
Absolutely. 'Zjadł zęby na boisku' is very common.
Usually, yes, or at least that they have been doing the activity for a very long time.
Yes! 'Zjadłem zęby na gramatyce polskiej' is a great sentence for a C1 learner.
Verwandte Redewendungen
stary wyga
synonymAn old hand / a veteran
mieć coś w małym palcu
similarTo know something perfectly
znać jak własną kieszeń
similarTo know something like one's own pocket
wyjadacz
synonymA pro / an old pro
frycowe płacić
contrastTo pay the 'novice fee' (make beginner mistakes)
