Signification
Having no money.
Contexte culturel
Complaining about money is a social lubricant in Poland. It's often seen as more polite to say you have a 'pusty portfel' than to brag about wealth. The 'empty wallet' is a universal symbol of the university years, often associated with eating instant noodles (zupki chińskie in Poland). In the past, a 'pusty portfel' could literally mean you had no coins for the church collection or the local tavern, which carried social stigma. Even though most Poles use cards or BLIK (mobile payments), the phrase 'pusty portfel' remains more popular than 'puste konto' (empty account) in casual speech.
Use with 'mieć'
The most natural way to use this is with the verb 'mieć' (to have).
Watch the endings
Remember that 'nie mam' changes 'pusty portfel' to 'pustego portfela'.
Signification
Having no money.
Use with 'mieć'
The most natural way to use this is with the verb 'mieć' (to have).
Watch the endings
Remember that 'nie mam' changes 'pusty portfel' to 'pustego portfela'.
Humor is key
Poles love self-deprecating humor. Using this phrase with a smile makes you sound very native.
End of month
The phrase is most relevant around the 25th-30th of the month in Poland.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing word in the correct form.
Nie idę do kina, bo mam ______ portfel.
'Portfel' is masculine singular, so the adjective must be 'pusty'.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Select the correct negation:
Negation requires the Genitive case: 'pustego portfela'.
Match the phrase to the situation.
When would you most likely say 'Mam pusty portfel'?
It's a common way to explain you can't afford something social.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Chcesz kupić te buty? B: Są ładne, ale niestety...
The context 'niestety' (unfortunately) suggests a negative financial situation.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Formal vs Informal
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesNie idę do kina, bo mam ______ portfel.
'Portfel' is masculine singular, so the adjective must be 'pusty'.
Select the correct negation:
Negation requires the Genitive case: 'pustego portfela'.
When would you most likely say 'Mam pusty portfel'?
It's a common way to explain you can't afford something social.
A: Chcesz kupić te buty? B: Są ładne, ale niestety...
The context 'niestety' (unfortunately) suggests a negative financial situation.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNo, it's not rude. It's a common, slightly informal way to talk about being broke.
Literally no, but figuratively yes. People will understand you have no money anywhere.
The opposite is 'pełny portfel' (full wallet) or 'pękaty portfel' (bulging wallet).
Only in very casual business settings. In formal ones, use 'brak funduszy'.
No, it only means the wallet you have contains no money.
You can say 'Jestem spłukany'.
It is masculine. That's why we say 'pusty', not 'pusta'.
Yes, if you are talking about a group of people having no money.
It's better to avoid it unless you have a very friendly, casual relationship.
Using the wrong gender ('pusta portfel') or forgetting the genitive case after 'nie mam'.
Expressions liées
być spłukanym
synonymto be broke
nie mieć ani grosza
similarnot to have a penny
pękaty portfel
contrasta bulging/full wallet
mieć węża w kieszeni
relatedto have a snake in one's pocket
żyć od pierwszego do pierwszego
builds onto live from the 1st to the 1st
