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  What it means

  Literally “on the mouth / by word of mouth.” Means verbally, without written agreement — “on a handshake,” “by word of mouth,” “on one’s word.” E.g. “umowa na gębę” — a verbal agreement, a gentleman’s agreement.

  Vocabulary

  • gęba — mouth, gob (colloquial)

  Grammar note

  'Na gębę' uses the accusative of 'gęba' after 'na'.

  Cultural context

  In Polish business and social culture, verbal agreements ('na gębę') were traditionally binding — though the phrase now often implies something informal and unreliable.

  Intermediate

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