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  What it means

  “That’s where the dog is buried.” Used when the real reason, hidden cause, or crux of a matter is finally revealed. Equivalent to “that’s the crux of the matter” or “that’s the catch.”

  English equivalent

  That's the crux of the matter. / There's the rub.

  Vocabulary

  • leżeć — to lie (be located)
  • pies — dog
  • pogrzebany — buried

  Grammar note

  'Pogrzebany' is a past passive participle agreeing with 'pies' (masculine nominative singular).

  Cultural context

  The phrase is a calque from German ('Da liegt der Hund begraben') and entered Polish via literary tradition. It is widely used in journalism and everyday speech.

  Intermediate

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