Significado
A person's main weakness.
Contexto cultural
In Polish schools, Greek mythology is a mandatory part of the curriculum (usually in 5th or 6th grade). Almost every Pole knows the story of Achilles. In Polish job interviews, using this idiom shows a high level of self-awareness and linguistic sophistication. It's better than saying 'I'm bad at...' Polish sports journalists are obsessed with this phrase. You will see it in almost every article about the national football team's defense. Historical analyses of Polish uprisings often point to a 'pięta achillesowa'—usually a lack of weapons or internal disagreements.
Use it in Interviews
It's the perfect way to answer the 'What is your weakness?' question. It sounds professional and humble.
Don't Capitalize
Remember that 'achillesowa' is an adjective here, so use a lowercase 'a' in Polish.
Significado
A person's main weakness.
Use it in Interviews
It's the perfect way to answer the 'What is your weakness?' question. It sounds professional and humble.
Don't Capitalize
Remember that 'achillesowa' is an adjective here, so use a lowercase 'a' in Polish.
Mythology is Key
Poles love mythological and biblical references. Learning a few of these will make you sound very fluent.
Ponte a prueba
Uzupełnij zdanie odpowiednią formą idiomu 'pięta achillesowa'.
Niestety, ortografia zawsze była moją ________ ________.
After the verb 'być' (was), we use the instrumental case (narzędnik).
W której sytuacji użycie idiomu jest poprawne?
Wybierz poprawną sytuację:
The idiom refers to a metaphorical weakness, not physical pain or size.
Połącz osobę z jej 'piętą achillesową' na podstawie kontekstu.
Dopasuj:
A runner's main weakness (Achilles' heel) would be poor conditioning.
Uzupełnij dialog.
A: Dlaczego nie chcesz startować w konkursie recytatorskim? B: Bo publiczne występy to moja ________.
'Pięta achillesowa' fits perfectly to describe a specific weakness like public speaking.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosNiestety, ortografia zawsze była moją ________ ________.
After the verb 'być' (was), we use the instrumental case (narzędnik).
Wybierz poprawną sytuację:
The idiom refers to a metaphorical weakness, not physical pain or size.
Empareja cada elemento de la izquierda con su par de la derecha:
A runner's main weakness (Achilles' heel) would be poor conditioning.
A: Dlaczego nie chcesz startować w konkursie recytatorskim? B: Bo publiczne występy to moja ________.
'Pięta achillesowa' fits perfectly to describe a specific weakness like public speaking.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasYes, 'pięta Achillesa' is equally correct and very common in modern Polish.
It is neutral to formal. You can use it with friends, but it's also great for essays and business meetings.
Yes, it always refers to a weakness or vulnerability.
The plural is 'pięty achillesowe', but it is rarely used because most people/systems are thought to have one main weakness.
No, for a physical injury to that tendon, use 'ścięgno Achillesa'.
Yes, for example, in Russian it is 'ахиллесова пята' (akhillesova pyata).
In Polish, adjectives derived from proper names that are part of an idiom are typically written in lowercase.
Yes, if a city has a weak point in its defense or infrastructure, you can use it.
There isn't a direct mythological opposite, but you could say 'mocna strona' (strong side) or 'atut' (asset).
Yes, it's fine, though it might feel a bit dramatic depending on the topic.
Frases relacionadas
słaby punkt
synonymweak point
czuły punkt
similarsensitive spot
miecz Damoklesa
similarSword of Damocles
puszka Pandory
similarPandora's box
