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  What it means

  Literally “a hard piece of bread.” Means a tough way to earn a living — a difficult, demanding job or profession.

  Vocabulary

  • ciężki — heavy / hard / difficult
  • kawałek — piece / chunk
  • chleb — bread

  Grammar note

  'Kawałek chleba' — 'chleba' is genitive of 'chleb' (a piece of bread). The phrase is nominative.

  Cultural context

  Bread as a symbol of livelihood is deeply rooted in Polish culture. 'Zarabiać na chleb' (to earn one's bread) is the broader family of expressions.

  Beginner

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