słówka A-B

involve

wymagać

accept an offer

przyjąć ofertę I was reluctant at first, but I finally decided to accept the offer.

accept the fact that

pogodzić się z tym/z faktem, że I don’t like learning languages. I really want to learn English fast, but I have to accept the fact that it takes time.

accidents will happend

wypadki chodzą po ludziach No matter how careful you are, accidents will happen.

according to the custom

zgodnie ze zwyczajem According to custom, it’s the groom that has to pay for the wedding reception.

achieve a desired effect

osiągnąć zamierzony efekt The project is not perfect, yet. I am sure that if we put our heads together we will manage to achieve a desired effect.

achieve a goal

osiągnąć cel Peter is a really hard worker and always manages to achieve the goals he sets for himself.

act one’s age

zachowywać się, jak przystało na swój wiek Laura is 40 and incredibly irresponsible. It’s high time she started acting her age.

add fuel to the flames

dolewać oliwy do ognia Our managers had a really heated discussion during our last weekly meeting. Peter’s interference only added fuel to the flames.

add insult to injury

dodatkowo pogarszać sprawę To make things worse, he added insult to injury.

add variety to something

urozmaicać coś My flat is all white. I am considering redecorating. Some colour would definitely add variety to the interior.

admit defeat

przyznać się do porażki Kate had put a lot of work into the project, but unfortunately it fell through and she had to admit defeat in the end.

after a fashion

w pewnym sensie I agree with you after a fashion. He shouldn’t have done that but it seems he had no choice.

again and again

ciągle, w kółko I called him again and again and no one answered.

against somebody’s will

wbrew czyjejś woli I told my sister that I absolutely hated blue, but she decided to paint our sitting room blue against my will.

against the law

niezgodnie z prawem It is against the law to buy alcohol if you are under 18.

ahead of time

przed czasem/terminem He was really ahead of his time in terms of employing women, quite unusual at the turn of the last century.

all alone

zupełnie sam Samantha is only six but she still makes her way back home from school all alone.

all in All

ogólnie rzecz biorąc, w sumie All in all, we are happy with how it worked out. It could have been much worse.

all over again

jeszcze raz od początku I was writing my essay last night but my computer crashed. I lost all my work and had to start all over again.

all over the Word

na całym świecie Italy is known all over the world for its pastas and pizzas.

all rights reserved

wszelkie prawa zastrzeżone All rights for the book are reserved. Copying is not allowed.

all sorts of things

najróżniejsze rzeczy I do all sorts of things at work, run errands, assist managers, and organise meetings.

all’s well that ends well

wszystko dobre, co się dobrze kończy We had many problems while preparing the wedding, but in the end, it all worked out fine! All’s well that ends well!

and so on

i tak dalej As a secretary, she has to run errands, prepare tea and coffee, organise meetings and so on.

and that kind of thing

i tym podobne I would like to manage projects, organise conferences, and those kinds of things.

and that’s the end of the matter

i na tym koniec dyskusji I will not let you go on holiday on your own and that’s the end of the matter.

another time

innym razem Kate: Do you fancy a drink tonight? Sam: I’d love to but I can’t. I’ve already made some other plans. Kate: No problem, another time.

any luck?

udało się? Kate: I’m looking for the new book by Mac Ewan, have you got it? Peter: Yes, it’s on the shelf over there, help yourself. Kate: Thanks. Peter: Any luck? Kate: Yes, I’ve found it already. Many thanks.

any old thing

obojętnie co There’s nothing interesting on TV today, but I’m so bored that I can see any old thing.

anything can happen

wszystko się może zdarzyć We are going away for a year, on a round the world trip. We are very well prepared, but anything can happen when you travel for such a long time.

anything is possible

wszystko jest możliwe Anything is possible, when you really want it.

apply for a Job

starać/ubiegać się o pracę I always wanted to work in this company so I decided to apply for the job they advertised yesterday.

are you all right?

nic ci nie jest? Are you all right? You look rather pale today! Are you sure you don’t want the afternoon off?

arms race

wyścig zbrojeń We are currently experiencing a developing arms race between the main political powers in the world.

arrive at a conclusion

dojść do wniosku I read the book twice and finally arrived at the conclusion that the ending is rather disappointing.

art for art’s sake

sztuka dla sztuki I really don’t understand the purpose of studying dance at university level. What kind of career can you get out of that? It really is art for art’s sake.

as a general rule

z reguły As a general rule, we do not employ students, but as you seem to have all the relevant experience we are happy to make an exception for you.

as a last resort

w ostateczności I really don’t want to ask John for help. I’d rather try to solve the problem myself. I’ll wait until tomorrow and if nothing happens I will ask him, as my last resort.

as a matter of fact

prawdę mówiąc, w rzeczywistości As a matter of fact, I didn’t know that they were together.

as a result

w rezultacie Kasia grew up in the USA. As a result, she speaks English fluently.

as a rule of thumb

w przybliżeniu, z grubsza, na oko As a rule of a thumb, we don’t work with students. You could try and apply when you graduate.

as ever

jak zawsze, jak zwykle Kate, so good to see you! And of course you are as beautiful as ever.

as far as I know

z tego co wiem, o ile mi wiadomo As far as I know this book is out of print but you could always try to find it in some second hand bookstores.

as far as possible

w miarę możliwości As far as possible I will try to help you out, but I can’t promise anything.

as likely as not

najprawdopodobniej, pewnie It really is as likely as not that you will not pass your driving licence test the first time you take it.

as long as I live

póki żyję As long as I live, I haven’t seen anything like that!

as luck would have it

traf chciał, że As luck would have it, the weather was good.

as many again

jeszcze raz tyle I’ve already done 25 exercises and have to do as many again to go to finish my home work.

as regards

jeśli chodzi o We are really pleased with your progress and involvement in the role. As regards to your holidays, I regret to inform you that we can’t spare you at the moment. It will have to wait until later.

as right as rain

zdrów jak ryba I am as right as rain.

as soon as possible

tak szybko, jak to możliwe Please send me the form as soon as possible. Without it we are unable to process you payment.

as the case may be

w zależności od okoliczności As the case may be, we might arrive a bit later.

as things stand

w tej sytuacji, w tych okolicznościach As things stand, it might be difficult to manage on time.

as usual

jak zwykle She’s late as usual.

ask somebody over for dinner

zaprosić kogoś do siebie na obiad I have twice as much cooking to do now because Peter invited the Browns over for dinner.

at a distance

z oddali I thought it was Kate, but it turned out to be someone else. The girl looked just like her at a distance.

at a guess

na oko There were 25 people at the last lecture, at a guess.

at a later stage

w późniejszym etapie At a later stage, we will all be taking part in the project.

at a profit

z zyskiem We can only do it at a profit. We are not a charity.

at a run

Biegiem He went off at a run.

at a steady pace

ze stałą prędkością We are progressing at a steady pace and will manage on time.

at all costs

za wszelką cenę I absolutely love Coldplay. I just have to get tickets for their next concert, at absolutely all costs.

at all events

w każdym razie At all events, we will finish the project on time, no worries.

at all points

pod każdym względem She is a perfectionist at all points.

at any moment

w każdej chwili The plane landed about 30 minutes ago so they will be coming out at any moment now

. at any rate

w każdym razie At any rate, we can’t afford any mistakes, you will have to do it again.

at any time

Kiedykolwiek I can meet you at any time. I am free all day on Friday.

at death’s door

u progu śmierci At 98, she is at death’s door.

at every step

na każdym kroku I felt the pain at every step.

at first glance

na pierwszy rzut oka I went to look at a flat that I wanted to buy. At first glance, it seemed quite nice, but it turned out to be in a very bad condition.

at full speed

z maksymalną prędkością I have a deadline tomorrow and still so much to do! If I work at full speed, chances are I’ll manage on time, though.

at least

Przynajmniej At least I have finished the first half, just 50 more pages to go.

at night

w nocy I can’t sleep at night so I read books or watch movies.

at once

natychmiast, naraz Kate! Come here at once! Why are you making me wait so long? I really don’t have time!

at random

losowo, na chybił trafił I chose the book totally at random and it turned out to be absolutely fantastic.

at short notice

bezzwłocznie, natychmiast I do appreciate it is very important but you have to realise that I am unable accept the task at such a short notice. There is simply not enough time to cover everything.

at somebody’s command

do czyjejś dyspozycji I am at your command. Just tell me what needs doing.

at somebody’s request

na czyjąś prośbę I am doing it at Kate’s request. I owe her a favour.

at the bottom of one’s heart

w głębi serca/duszy Alison works as a marketing manager but she studied performing arts. At the bottom of her heart, she really is an artist.

at the cost of something

kosztem czegoś I got promoted, but at the cost of my personal life.

at the crack of dawn

bladym świtem, skoro świt We had to get up at the crack of dawn to be able to catch the plane.

at the earliest opportunity

przy najbliższej okazji I am really sorry but I didn’t have time to look at your essay yet. I will do at the earliest opportunity though, I promise!

at the end of the year

pod koniec roku At the end of the year we always have much more work to do.

at the mercy of something

na łasce czegoś We are going away for a short break this weekend. It’s supposed to be a real outdoor trip and we are staying in a tent. So we are fully at the mercy of the weather! Let’s hope it doesn’t rain.

at the moment

w tej chwili We are very sorry, but the book is not available at the moment. You could come back next week. Chances are we will have it.

at the point of something

u progu czegoś I am currently at the point of nervous breakdown. I really can’t take it any more.

at the risk of something

ryzykując coś I decided to say what I thought at the risk of losing my job.

at the same time

w tym samym czasie, jednocześnie They did it at the same time.

at the sight of something

na widok czegoś I was absolutely speechless at the sight of the painting.

at the start of something

na początku czegoś I didn’t like him at all at the start of the play, but my approach changed later on.

at the top

na samej górze We are at the very top of the building. You need to take a lift.

at the top of one’s voice

na całe gardło, z całych sił (np. krzyczeć) I couldn’t stand her speaking at the top of her voice all the time. She was extremely loud and it really didn’t help my awful headache.

at the turn of the century

na przełomie wieków My granddad was born at the turn of the century.

at this rate

w tym tempie We will never manage to finish it at this rate.

back and forth

tam i z powrotem Yesterday I was moving to my new flat at the other end of the building. So I had to walk back and forth to transfer all my stuff along the corridor all day.

backward country

zacofany kraj I always thought Bulgaria was a backward country, however, I was positively surprised when I first went to see the country.

bad luck

pech It’s just bad luck. You can’t do anything about it.

bags under one’s eyes

worki pod oczami I was preparing a presentation for today’s meeting and didn’t have time to sleep at all. So I am really tired and have awful bags under my eyes.

be a nobody

być nikim I feel like I am a nobody whenever I talk to him.

be a perfect match for something

idealnie pasować do czegoś I think Sam is a perfect match for the role.

be a tool in somebody’s hands

być narzędziem w czyichś rękach Sarah is just a tool in his hands, she can’t make any decisions on her own.

be all Smiles

promieniować uśmiechem She is always all smiles. It’s a pleasure to have her around.

be all thumbs

mieć dwie lewe ręce I am useless at all arts and crafts. I am all thumbs.

be at a loss what to do

nie wiedzieć, co zrobić She got accepted into both Oxford and Cambridge and is really at a loss what to do. They are both amazing universities.

be at one’s wits’ end

nie wiedzieć, co zrobić I feel like I’m at my wits’ end.

be back to square one

wrócić do punktu wyjścia My last idea for the project was not accepted. I put so much work into it and now I am back at square one. I hate starting all over again with the project. It will take ages.

be between jobs

szukać nowej pracy I am currently between jobs and have quite a lot of time on my hands.

be blind to something

być ślepym na coś She is totally blind to what he’s really like.

be due to do something

mieć coś zrobić I am due to hand in the paper tomorrow.

be dying for something

marzyć o czymś It’s absolutely boiling in here. I am simply dying for a glass of ice cold water!

be expecting a baby

spodziewać się dziecka Anna has worked all through her pregnancy. She is expecting a baby in January so she will be leaving work soon I suppose.

be fully aware of something

w pełni zdawać sobie sprawę z czegoś I am fully aware of the fact that life will be much tougher in South Africa but I am really looking forward to my year there.

be getting on in years

starzeć się I feel like I am getting on in years.

be hard done by

zostać źle potraktowanym przez I can’t believe I was hard done by Peter, out of all the people I know.

be in a bind

być w trudnym położeniu I really don’t know what to do, I don’t have much choice, I am in a bind.

be in a hurry

spieszyć się I am sorry. I am in a hurry and can’t talk to you at the moment.

be in a state

być podenerwowanym She is in such a state, better leave her alone.

be in a tight corner

znajdować się w sytuacji bez wyjścia I feel like I am in a tight corner at the moment. I don’t have much of a choice as to what to do next.

be in good health

cieszyć się dobrym zdrowiem Sam is already 80 and still feels great. But he’s always been in good heath.

be in league with somebody

być z kimś w zmowie She is in league with Peter professionally.

be in line with something

zgadzać się z czymś We are preparing new Christmas Cards for our company but we have to make sure that they are in line with company’s rules and regulations. Otherwise we won’t be able to use them.

be in no position to do something

nie być w stanie czegoś zrobić, nie mieć możliwości I am only an assistant here. I am in no position to make any decisions. You will have to wait for my manager to come back to give you the answer.

be in one’s element

być w swoim żywiole Kate was in her element, organising everything.

be in short supply

brakować czegoś We are currently in short supply of water, so use sparingly.

be in somebody’s shadow

być/pozostawać w czyimś cieniu Anne and Kate are twin sisters. Anne has always been in Kate’s shadow. Kate has always been the more talented one and was always favoured by their parents.

be in the habit of doing something

mieć zwyczaj coś robić Now that I have moved into a shared flat, I have to get used to being really quiet in the morning not to wake everyone up. I used to be in the habit of switching the radio on really loud first thing when I got up every day.

be in the lead

być na prowadzeniu, prowadzić Kate, you are in the lead for today.

be in the process of doing something

być w trakcie robienia czegoś I am now in the process of writing it all up. It will be ready by tomorrow.

be in the public eye

być osobą publiczną, być w centrum zainteresowania I hate being in the public eye, but that’s a big part of my job.

be in the same boat

jechać na jednym wózku I totally understand what you mean; we are in the same boat.

be in use

być w użyciu The bathroom is now in use, you’ll have to wait.

be looking for trouble

szukać kłopotów Sam is always looking for trouble. He will be sorry one day.

be lost for words

nie móc znaleźć słów I was delivering a speech in front of 100 people and suddenly forgot what to say next. I was simply lost for words for a while.

be lost in thoughts

być pogrążonym w myślach I was lost in thought when the telephone rang.

be marked by something

charakteryzować się czymś The decade was marked by rapid economic growth.

be master of something

być panem czegoś Sam is a master of public speaking.

be meant for

być przeznaczonym dla Don’t even try to ride this bike. It’s way too small for you. It is meant for children aged 5!

be more of a hindrance than a help

bardziej przeszkadzać niż pomagać I feel like I am more of a hindrance than a help to you.

be my guest

nie krępuj się, proszę bardzo – Can I have a look around? – Be my guest.

be no match for somebody

nie dorównywać komuś Sam is really no match for Tim when it comes to sailing.

be not long for this world

długo nie pociągnąć, długo nie pożyć I am afraid that my computer is not long for this world.

be on everybody’s lips

być na ustach wszystkich Laura has never been particularly controversial. Not many people noticed her, but since she dyed her hair blue, she is on everybody’s lips.

be on good terms with somebody

być z kimś w dobrych stosunkach I am on very good terms with him so I will talk to him.

be on somebody’s side

być po czyjejś stronie No matter what Peter says, Sam is always on his side. He always supports him.

be on the dole

być na bezrobociu I have been on the dole for the past month, I really need to find a job.

be on the right track

być na właściwym tropie I feel like I am finally on the right track to achieve what I want.

be on top form

być w szczytowej formie I am on top form at the moment, so I have chances of winning this time.

be oneself again

być znowu sobą I have been feeling rather depressed for a while, but now that I found a new and really satisfying job I am myself again.

be out of question

nie wchodzić w rachubę, być wykluczonym My mum says that it’s out of the question for me to go on holiday on my own as I am only 15.

be out of work

być bez pracy I have been out of work for 2 months and now I am struggling financially.

be par for the course

być czymś powszednim/normalnym He said long hours were par for the course.

be playing a waiting game

grać na czas We have to play a waiting game and hope we’ll manage on time.

be quick on the draw

szybko zrozumieć o co chodzi, w mig chwytać o co chodzi He was quick on the draw answering the journalist’s questions.

be ranked third

być sklasyfikowanym na trzecim miejscu I was ranked third after the competition.

be right about something

mieć rację w jakiejś sprawie You are right about that, thanks for the advice.

be second to none

nie mieć sobie równych You are second to none when it comes to cooking.

be seized with something

być ogarniętym czymś (np. strachem) I was suddenly seized with fear of the unknown when I crossed the border.

be subject to something

podlegać czemuś Everyone in UK is subject to police checks before they can start working with children.

be supposed to do something

mieć coś zrobić I have to go home to study. I was supposed to start doing my homework at 3 pm. It’s already 5 pm and I still haven’t started.

be the opposite of somebody

być przeciwieństwem kogoś Although Anne and Laura are twins, they are total opposites of each other. Anne is blond and really quiet while Laura is ginger and always the soul of the party.

be up and running

działać, być sprawnym We still have a lot of preparations to do, but I hope that the shop will be up and running next week. We are planning to open on Wednesday.

be up to one’s ears in work

być zagrzebanym w pracy I am up to my ears in work. I have been working all Saturday and Sunday. I have been staying at work long hours and still haven’t managed to cover everything.

beat around the Bush

owijać w bawełnę Stop beating around the bush and tell me whether you want to go on holiday or not. I am tired of waiting for your answer.

beat somebody black and blue

zbić kogoś na kwaśne jabłko, posiniaczyć I told him not to go there on his own. He got beaten black and blue.

beat the Brest

bić się w piersi He keeps beating his breast and swearing that it’s all true, but I still don’t believe him.

because of something

z powodu czegoś I was really late today because of terrible traffic in the city centre.

become a burden to somebody

stać się dla kogoś ciężarem I really need to find a job soon. I graduated 6 months ago and still live with my parents. I really don’t want to become a burden to them.

become aware of something

uświadomić sobie coś It was only after I moved abroad that I became aware of the fact that Warsaw has a lot to offer.

before somebody’s eyes

na czyichś oczach We turned around the corner and there was an amazing view before our eyes.

behind the scenes

za kulisami There are many things going on behind the scenes that we don’t know of.

behind the Wheel

za kierownicą Harry was lucky not to get injured in the accident he caused when he fell asleep behind the wheel.

below average

poniżej przeciętnej The results of the last exam were below average. I don’t know what happened.

below the Mark

poniżej wymaganego poziomu Our profits last year were unfortunately below the mark.

bend over backwards to do something

bardzo starać się coś zrobić I have been bending over backwards all week to make sure that the clients are happy. I did everything they wanted and they still aren’t satisfied with our service.

bend the rules

naginać przepisy I handed my application in too late, but the company agreed to bend the rules and accept it.

beside the point

bez związku z tematem, nie na temat This is really beside the point. I won’t discuss it any further.

best of All

najlepszy ze wszystkich/wszystkiego It all sounds amazing, best of all we are going to visit the castle.

better and better

coraz lepszy It’s getting better and better, I have nothing to complain about.

better luck next time

następnym razem będzie lepiej Let’s hope I’ll have better luck next time. I don’t want to go through all that again.

better than ever

lepszy niż kiedykolwiek It’s better than ever this time and it’s all thanks to Kate’s help.

beyond doubt

poza wszelką wątpliwość His guilt was established straight away. It’s beyond doubt that he’s the one to blame.

big deal!

też mi coś! Big deal! I would have done much better than he.

big Fish

gruba ryba Harry is a big fish in the world of financial management. There aren’t many others who are more influential.

birds of a Feather

ludzie tego samego pokroju “Birds of a feather flock together”, as the popular saying goes.

bite one’s tongue

ugryźć się w język I was just about to criticise my manager when she turned up in my office. Thank god I bit my tongue in time and didn’t say anything!

bits and pieces

drobiazgi I didn’t have all the materials so had to use bits and pieces to work it out.

blind alley

ślepa uliczka; ślepy zaułek We are all trying to realise that this type of music is a blind alley and we won’t get any further with it.

blindly obey somebody

być ślepo posłusznym komuś I can’t believe Anne is blindly obeying her boyfriend at all times! She does whatever he tells her and never questions it!

block somebody’s view

zasłaniać komuś widok I went to the cinema yesterday but didn’t really enjoy the film, mainly because the guy who was sitting in front of me was totally blocking my view

. blood type

grupa krwi I decided to be a blood donor. I had to have a blood test to determine what blood type I was. It turns out that I am type A.

blue with cold

zsiniały z zimna I got absolutely soaked and was blue with cold.

body and soul

duszą i ciałem She always dedicates herself body and soul to whatever she does.

boil down to something

sprowadzać się do czegoś It all boils down to the fact that he doesn’t want to do what he was asked for.

bored to death

śmiertelnie znudzony The last lecture I went to wasn’t particularly interesting. In fact I was bored to death and left before it was finished.

botch a Job

spartaczyć pracę You should have been more careful and now you just botched the job.

bottoms up!

do dna! zdrowie! (przy toastach) Bottoms up! It’s been a good year and we should celebrate it!

break a Promise

złamać obietnicę Mary told me she would keep what I told her to herself, but she broke the promise! She is such a gossip, now everyone knows my secret!

break a rekord

pobić rekord I think Sam broke a record of not doing anything! How can you be that lazy?

break free

uwolnić się I want to break free from your lies.

break into pieces

rozbić/rozlecieć się na kawałki I was washing the dishes yesterday and dropped my mum’s favourite plate. It broke into pieces and she is now really upset.

break one’s back

harować, ciężko pracować I am breaking my back, trying to do it all on time.

break somebody’s heart

złamać komuś serce I don’t really want to break his heart.

break the habit

zerwać z nałogiem I am trying to break the habit and quit smoking, but it’s not easy.

break the news to somebody

powiadomić kogoś No one wanted to tell Luke he was to lose his job. In the end, I had to break the news to him.

bring bad luck to somebody

przynosić komuś pecha She brings bad luck to you.

bring credit to somebody

przynosić komuś chlubę The team’s victory in the finals has brought credit to the school.

bring good results

przynieść/dać dobre wyniki We just introduced a new ad campaign and it’s bringing great results. We are selling more copies of the magazine than ever before.

bring pressure

wywierać nacisk Our boss brings a lot of pressure when he talks about sales results and nothing else.

bring shame on somebody

przynieść komuś wstyd Sally brought shame on me when she got really drunk at Peter’s party. No one else knew her, so she didn’t really make a good first impression.

bring something to an end

doprowadzić coś do końca I am about to change jobs, but I want to bring all of my current projects I am currently responsible for to an end.

bring up a subject

poruszyć temat Don’t even bring up the subject. I don’t want to talk about it, yet.

bring up children

wychowywać dzieci Their grandmother brought up my children as I was working at two different companies.

bundle of nerves

kłębek nerwów Kate is a real bundle of nerves. She gets stressed at even the most trivial of things.

burn the midnight oil

pracować do późna w nocy Sam is now asleep after burning the midnight oil and trying to finish his essay.

burst into flam es

buchnąć płomieniem It was a really scary sight when the car burst into flames.

burst into tears

wybuchnąć płaczem I was managing myself really well all through the wedding, but I finally burst into tears. I couldn’t help myself, I was really moved.

burst out laughing

wybuchnąć śmiechem I couldn’t stop myself. I burst out laughing in the middle of the meeting.

but for you

gdyby nie ty I couldn’t have done it in time but for you.

but that’s another story

ale to już inna historia We are going on Holiday to Spain this year. I wanted to go to Norway. Peter said no, but that’s another story.

but then again

ale z drugiej strony I would like to go to Italy. Then again, I have already been there and there are so many other places to see.

by a process of elimination

przez eliminację I really did not know the answer to question 5, but by process of elimination I chose answer A.

by a strange twist of fate

dziwnym zrządzeniem losu By a strange twist of fate, I met Sarah in the middle of London.

by birth

z pochodzenia I am Polish by birth, but I grew up in England.

by Chance

przypadkowo I met Sam totally by chance yesterday. We originally planned to meet next week.

by common consent

za ogólną zgodą We decided, by common consent, that we were going to sell grandma’s house.

by Day

za dnia I am a teacher by day and a DJ by night.

by default

standardowo, domyślnie By default, we only used headed paper.

by fair means or foul

nie przebierając w środkach He always gets what he wants, by fair means or foul. I’m scarred to think of what he could potentially resort to.

by force

przemocą, siłą The squatters refused to leave the building and had to be removed by force.

by heart

na pamięć We had to learn about 200 words by heart to pass our first English test.

by lot

w drodze losowania There was a parking space shortage and I got mine by lot.

by means of something

za pomocą czegoś This is a one-year course taught by means of seminars and field trips.

by Mistake

przez pomyłkę I am really sorry, I called you totally by mistake. I meant to call Mike.

by nature

z natury (np. agresywny) Smoking is addictive by nature. The majority of people who start just can’t help but to get addicted sooner or later.

by night

nocą Paris by night looks totally different than during the day.

by no means

w żadnym wypadku This is by no means out of the ordinary! In fact, it’s quite typical for the Spanish to have a siesta after lunch

by now

do teraz, do tej pory You have been our student for over a year. You should have learned by now that we do not accept lateness.

by profession

z zawodu I am a teacher by profession but I currently work as a journalist.

by the back door

tylnymi drzwiami His father works there so he got in by the back door.

by the way

przy okazji, nawiasem mówiąc Can you go to the shop and buy some sugar? By the way, do you know that Sam works there?

by trial and error

metodą prób i błędów A large number of scientific discoveries have been found by trial and error.

by turns

kolejno His tone was by turns angry and aggravated.

by way of something

w charakterze czegoś, tytułem czegoś “I get very worried about things like that”, she said by way of explanation.

to avert

zapobiegać They say that the violent attack could have been averted by the police.

creep in/into sth

wkradać się