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  What it means

  Literally “the soul would like to go to heaven, but sins won’t allow it.” Used when someone wants something but their own past actions or flaws stand in the way. A wry acknowledgment of one’s own contradictions.

  Vocabulary

  • dusza — soul
  • raj — paradise / heaven
  • grzechy — sins (plural)
  • dawać — to give / to allow (here: to let)

  Grammar note

  'Do raju' uses the genitive after 'do' expressing direction. 'Nie dają' — the sins are the subject, personified as the ones blocking the way.

  Cultural context

  A deeply Polish expression rooted in Catholic culture, used humorously in everyday situations far removed from theology.

  Intermediate

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