How to Say It in English? Top 20 B2/C1 Phrases (and Translation Traps to Avoid)

At a B2/C1 level, your English is already fluid, and core grammar is rarely a main obstacle. The real challenge is precision: expressing your exact intent without falling back on literal word-for-word translations from Polish.

Polish conversational and business expressions carry rich contextual meaning. Translating them word-for-word usually leads to Polglish — phrasing that is grammatically understandable, but sounds unnatural or funny to a native speaker.

I have selected 20 expressions that my Polish students ask about most frequently during coaching sessions, along with their natural English equivalents.

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1. Ogarnąć / Ogarnąć się

• Translation trap: I need to embrace this (embrace means to hug or welcome something enthusiastically, not organize tasks).
• Sort out – organize tasks or clear up confusion (I need to sort out my schedule).
• Figure out – solve a problem (We need to figure out a solution).
• Get one's act together – compose oneself or organize one's life (He needs to get his act together).
• Handle / Take care of – take ownership of a work task (Don't worry, I'll handle it).

Example: Give me five minutes to get my act together, and we can leave.

2. Załatwić

• Translation trap: I will liquidate this matter / I will settle the deal (in incorrect contexts).
• Take care of / Handle – manage paperwork or tasks (I'll take care of the paperwork).
• Get something done – finalize a goal (We managed to get it done on time).
• Pull some strings – use connections to get something done (He pulled a few strings to get us VIP tickets).
• Pull something off – successfully accomplish something difficult (I can't believe we pulled it off!).

Example: Don't worry about the visa; my lawyer will take care of it.

3. Kombinować

• Translation trap: He is combining (combine means blending ingredients or items together).
• Find a workaround – find a clever solution to a technical or business obstacle (Let's find a workaround).
• Hustle – work hard and strategically for success (He's always hustling to make extra money).
• Cut corners – skip steps at the expense of quality or safety.
• Be up to something – scheme or do something suspicious (What are you up to?).

Example: We don't have the budget right now, so we'll have to find a workaround.

4. Daj znać

• Translation trap: Give me a sign (means asking for a sign from above or making a hand gesture).
• Let me know – standard and universal (Let me know when you arrive).
• Keep me posted / Keep me in the loop – keep me updated (Keep me in the loop regarding the project).
• Give me a shout / Hit me up – casual and informal.

Example: Please keep me posted if anything changes before tomorrow's meeting.

5. Wziąć się w garść

• Translation trap: Take yourself into hands (non-existent literal translation).
• Pull yourself together – compose yourself during stress (Pull yourself together, it's not the end of the world!).
• Snap out of it – snap out of a slump or bad mood.
• Bite the bullet – face a difficult situation with courage.

Example: You have a presentation in ten minutes, so pull yourself together!

6. Z góry dziękuję

• Translation trap: Thank you from the mountain (meme translation) or overused Thank you in advance (can sound demanding if not phrased carefully).
• Thanks for your help with this – natural closing for workplace emails.
• Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated – polite and diplomatic.
• Thanks in advance for your time – acceptable, focusing on appreciation for their time.

Example: Could you send over the report by 3 PM? Thanks in advance for your help with this.

7. Zgrać się w czasie / Być w kontakcie

• Translation trap: We need to play together in time / Be in contact (sounds stiff).
• Be on the same page – share the same understanding (Let's make sure we're on the same page).
• Touch base – briefly connect for an update (Let me touch base with the team).
• Align on something – reach agreement on priorities (We need to align on the project timeline).

Example: Let's touch base on Monday morning to confirm the details.

8. Rzucić okiem / Przyjrzeć się sprawie

• Translation trap: Throw an eye on it (sounds terrifying in English!).
• Take a look at / Cast an eye over – review a document (Could you cast an eye over this draft?).
• Look into – investigate an issue (I'll look into this issue right away).
• Have a glance at – scan quickly.

Example: Could you take a look at my presentation before I send it to the board?

9. Owijać w bawełnę

• Translation trap: Wrap in cotton (does not exist in English).
• Beat around the bush – avoid getting to the main point (Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth!).
• Sugarcoat – soften unpleasant facts (Don't sugarcoat it, just give me the raw numbers).
• Mince words – hold back plain speaking (usually negative: She doesn't mince her words).

Example: Let's not beat around the bush—our current strategy isn’t working.

10. Wyciągnąć wnioski

• Translation trap: Pull conclusions (conclusions are drawn, not pulled).
• Draw conclusions – formally infer conclusions from data (It's too early to draw any definitive conclusions).
• Key takeaways – main lessons learned (What are the main takeaways from this workshop?).
• Learn one's lesson – learn from a mistake (I learned my lesson, I'll always back up my data now).

Example: What are the main takeaways from yesterday's retrospective meeting?

11. Nie mieć głowy do czegoś / Mieć głowę na karku

• Translation trap: I don't have head for this / He doesn't have head on his neck.
• Not have the bandwidth for – lack mental energy for something (I don't have the bandwidth for another project right now).
• Not be in the right frame of mind – not feel mentally ready for something.
• Have a good head on one's shoulders – be sensible and wise (She has a really good head on her shoulders).

Example: I'm sorry, but I really don't have the bandwidth to deal with this conflict today.

12. Czuć pismo nosem / Mieć przeczucie

• Translation trap: Feel writing with nose (absurd literal translation).
• Smell a rat – suspect trouble or foul play (When he lowered the price so drastically, I smelled a rat).
• Have a gut feeling – have an intuitive feeling (I have a gut feeling that this deal will go through).
• Sense trouble – feel imminent problems.

Example: Everything seemed fine, but I had a gut feeling something was off.

13. Przegiąć / Przesadzić

• Translation trap: Over-bend / Over-do (overdo means overexerting oneself, not crossing behavioral boundaries).
• Go too far / Overstep – exceed reasonable boundaries (You've gone too far this time!).
• Cross the line – violate decency standards.
• Go overboard – do something to an extreme degree (Don't go overboard with the decorations).

Example: His joke at the conference really crossed the line.

14. Czuć się nie swojo / Być nie w sosie

• Translation trap: Be not in the sauce / Not feel oneself.
• Feel out of place – feel uncomfortable in a setting (I felt out of place at that fancy party).
• Under the weather / Off – feel slightly sick or down (I'm feeling a bit under the weather today).
• Off one's game – perform below usual standards (Sorry, I was a bit off my game during the pitch).

Example: She was unusually quiet today—I think she was feeling under the weather.

15. Pójść na całość / Pójść po linii najmniejszego oporu

• Translation trap: Go on whole / Go by line of small resistance.
• Go all out / Pull out all the stops – put in 100% effort (They went all out for their daughter's birthday party).
• Take the path of least resistance – choose the easiest option (Don't just take the path of least resistance, aim higher!).

Example: If we want to win this contract, we need to go all out.

16. Mieć zaległości / Nadrobić

• Translation trap: Have arrears (arrears refers to overdue debt payments, not work tasks!).
• Fall behind (on) – drop behind schedule (I've fallen behind on my emails).
• Catch up on – complete backlogged work or sleep (I need to catch up on my work).
• Catch up with someone – reconnect socially (Let me catch up with you over lunch).

Example: I was sick last week, so I need to catch up on a lot of backlogged tasks.

17. Być w plecy / Wyjść na swoje

• Translation trap: Be in the back (means standing at the back of a room).
• Be out of pocket – suffer a financial loss (After paying for repairs, I was £200 out of pocket).
• Break even – reach zero profit/loss balance (We didn't make a huge profit, but at least we broke even).
• Come out ahead – end up with a net gain (In the long run, you'll come out ahead).

Example: It took our startup two years just to break even.

18. Na własną rękę / Samodzielnie

• Translation trap: On one's own hand (non-existent idiom).
• On one's own initiative – acting independently (She started the project on her own initiative).
• Off one's own bat – acting without being prompted.
• Single-handedly – without assistance (He single-handedly built the entire app).

Example: Nobody told him to fix the code—he did it on his own initiative.

19. Wchodzić komuś w słowo

• Translation trap: Enter into somebody's word (literal translation error).
• Interrupt someone – standard term (Sorry to interrupt, but...).
• Cut someone off – abruptly stop someone mid-sentence (He completely cut me off during the presentation).
• Chime in – politely join an ongoing discussion (May I chime in here?).

Example: I hate to cut you off, but we are running out of time.

20. Nie mieć nic przeciwko / Nie ma sprawy

• Translation trap: I don't have anything against (in English, implies personal prejudice, e.g., I have nothing against him).
• Don't mind – have no objection (I don't mind staying late today).
• By all means – feel free to proceed (Can I borrow your pen? – By all means!).
• No sweat / No worries – no problem at all.

Example: Do you mind if I open the window? — Not at all, by all means!

Quick reference guide

Polish Expression	TRAP to Avoid	Best Choice
Ogarnąć / Ogarnąć się	embrace / ogarnąć	sort out / figure out / get one's act together
Załatwić	liquidate / settle deal	take care of / handle / get done
Kombinować	combine	find a workaround / hustle / cut corners
Daj znać	give me a sign	let me know / keep me posted / keep in the loop
Wziąć się w garść	take into hands	pull yourself together / snap out of it
Z góry dziękuję	thank you from mountain	thanks for your help with this / in advance
Zgrać się w czasie	play together in time	be on the same page / touch base / align
Rzucić okiem	throw an eye	take a look at / cast an eye over / look into
Owijać w bawełnę	wrap in cotton	beat around the bush / sugarcoat
Wyciągnąć wnioski	pull conclusions	draw conclusions / key takeaways
Nie mieć głowy do...	no head for this	not have the bandwidth for
Czuć pismo nosem	feel writing with nose	smell a rat / have a gut feeling
Przegiąć / Przesadzić	over-bend	go too far / cross the line / go overboard
Być nie w sosie	be not in sauce	under the weather / feel out of place
Pójść na całość	go on whole	go all out / pull out all the stops
Mieć zaległości	have arrears	fall behind on / catch up on
Być w plecy	be in the back	be out of pocket / break even
Na własną rękę	on one's own hand	on one's own initiative / single-handedly
Wchodzić w słowo	enter into word	interrupt / cut someone off / chime in
Nie mieć nic przeciwko	don't have against	don't mind / by all means / no sweat

Final takeaway

A meaningful breakthrough at C1 comes from learning full collocations in context rather than memorizing isolated vocabulary lists. Focus on learning complete chunks — such as “I don't have the bandwidth for this” — and your usage will naturally align with native phrasing.