Meaning
To avoid answering a question or taking responsibility.
Cultural Background
In Polish politics, 'robienie uników' is often analyzed in Sunday morning talk shows. There is a specific cultural trope of the 'slippery politician' who can survive any scandal by never giving a straight answer. In modern Polish offices, 'robić uniki' is a serious accusation. It implies a lack of 'ownership'—a value highly prized in international corporations operating in Warsaw or Kraków. During the partitions of Poland, 'robić uniki' before the occupying authorities was seen as a patriotic act of resistance and cleverness. Poland has a strong boxing tradition (e.g., Andrzej Gołota). The literal 'unik' is a term every Polish sports fan knows and respects as a sign of technical skill.
Use with 'zręczny'
If you want to sound like a native, use the adjective 'zręczny' (skillful). 'To był zręczny unik' is a very common collocation.
Don't overdo the plural
While 'robić uniki' is common, using it too much can make you sound like you're accusing someone of being a pathological liar.
Meaning
To avoid answering a question or taking responsibility.
Use with 'zręczny'
If you want to sound like a native, use the adjective 'zręczny' (skillful). 'To był zręczny unik' is a very common collocation.
Don't overdo the plural
While 'robić uniki' is common, using it too much can make you sound like you're accusing someone of being a pathological liar.
The 'Boxing' Vibe
Remember that using this phrase often brings a mental image of a fight. It's more aggressive than 'I don't know'.
Test Yourself
Uzupełnij zdanie odpowiednią formą wyrażenia 'robić unik'.
Kiedy zapytałem go o błąd w kodzie, znowu ________ i zaczął mówić o pogodzie.
We need the perfective past tense because it describes a specific, completed action in the past.
Które zdanie najlepiej opisuje sytuację, w której ktoś 'robi unik'?
Sytuacja: Anna pyta Marka, czy ją kocha. Marek odpowiada: 'Głodna jesteś? Może pójdziemy na pizzę?'.
Marek is avoiding a direct emotional question by changing the subject.
Dopasuj przymiotnik do rodzaju uniku.
1. Unik, który jest bardzo mądry i nikogo nie obraża. 2. Unik, który pokazuje, że ktoś się boi.
Diplomatic dodges are skillful; cowardly dodges show fear.
🎉 Score: /3
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
3 exercisesKiedy zapytałem go o błąd w kodzie, znowu ________ i zaczął mówić o pogodzie.
We need the perfective past tense because it describes a specific, completed action in the past.
Sytuacja: Anna pyta Marka, czy ją kocha. Marek odpowiada: 'Głodna jesteś? Może pójdziemy na pizzę?'.
Marek is avoiding a direct emotional question by changing the subject.
1. Unik, który jest bardzo mądry i nikogo nie obraża. 2. Unik, który pokazuje, że ktoś się boi.
Diplomatic dodges are skillful; cowardly dodges show fear.
🎉 Score: /3
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsIt's not a swear word, but it is an accusation. If you say it to someone's face, you are calling them evasive.
Yes! 'Zrobiłem unik przed spadającą doniczką' (I dodged a falling flowerpot) is perfectly correct.
'Unik' is a single act (a dodge); 'unikanie' is the general concept or ongoing process of avoiding.
No, 'unik' is an inanimate masculine noun, so the accusative is the same as the nominative.
Yes, 'stosować uniki' or 'uchylać się od odpowiedzi' are more formal.
In Polish, we say 'uniknąć kuli' (literal) or 'fuks' (slang for a lucky escape), but 'robić unik' doesn't quite fit that specific English idiom.
Only if you are describing a third party's behavior. Don't use it to describe your own actions unless you're being very self-deprecating.
A 'skillful dodge'—it's when someone avoids a question so well you almost didn't notice.
Yes, fencing, volleyball (dodging a ball going out), and football.
No, for that we use 'unikać płacenia podatków' or 'uchylać się od podatków'.
Related Phrases
owijać w bawełnę
similarTo beat around the bush
wykręcać się
synonymTo worm one's way out of something
unikać jak ognia
builds onTo avoid like fire
stawić czoła
contrastTo face something head-on
grać na zwłokę
similarTo play for time
