Meaning
Difficulty recalling things.
Cultural Background
The term 'skleroza' is used colloquially by people of all ages to mean 'forgetfulness', not the actual medical condition. In Polish schools, students often use 'słaba pamięć' as a humorous excuse when they fail to memorize a poem or date. There is a popular Polish proverb: 'Kto nie ma w głowie, ten ma w nogach' (He who doesn't have it in his head, has it in his legs), meaning if you forget something, you have to walk back to get it.
The 'Do' Rule
Always use 'do' + Genitive to specify what you forget. 'Mam słabą pamięć DO [czegoś]'.
Gender Agreement
Remember 'pamięć' is feminine. Even if you are a man, you say 'mam słabą pamięć'.
Meaning
Difficulty recalling things.
The 'Do' Rule
Always use 'do' + Genitive to specify what you forget. 'Mam słabą pamięć DO [czegoś]'.
Gender Agreement
Remember 'pamięć' is feminine. Even if you are a man, you say 'mam słabą pamięć'.
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'słaba pamięć'.
Przepraszam, mam bardzo ______ ______ do dat.
The verb 'mam' requires the Accusative case.
Which sentence is correct?
How do you say 'He has a weak memory'?
'Pamięć' is feminine, so the adjective must be 'słabą' in the Accusative.
Match the Polish phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are all common ways to describe forgetfulness in Polish.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Czy pamiętasz, gdzie są klucze? B: Nie, wiesz, że mam ______ ______.
Context suggests the speaker forgot, so 'słabą pamięć' is the logical choice.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Common things we have a 'słaba pamięć' for
Social
- • imiona (names)
- • twarze (faces)
Numbers
- • daty (dates)
- • numery (numbers)
Practice Bank
4 exercisesPrzepraszam, mam bardzo ______ ______ do dat.
The verb 'mam' requires the Accusative case.
How do you say 'He has a weak memory'?
'Pamięć' is feminine, so the adjective must be 'słabą' in the Accusative.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
These are all common ways to describe forgetfulness in Polish.
A: Czy pamiętasz, gdzie są klucze? B: Nie, wiesz, że mam ______ ______.
Context suggests the speaker forgot, so 'słabą pamięć' is the logical choice.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
3 questionsYes, it is grammatically correct, but 'mam słabą pamięć' is much more common in conversation.
No, it's a neutral way to describe yourself or others. However, use 'problemy z pamięcią' for more serious medical talk.
'Słaba' is neutral/formal; 'dziurawa' (holey) is informal and more descriptive.
Related Phrases
dobra pamięć
contrastgood memory
krótka pamięć
similarshort memory
pamięć absolutna
specialized formphotographic memory
zapominalski
builds ona forgetful person
