Episode 134: Not I Have Conscience!

Nie mam sumienia.

English Phonemes: “nyeh mahm soo-MYEH-nyah”

Literal Translation: Not I have conscience.

Elegant Translation: I don’t have the conscience.

English Equivalent: I can’t in good conscience.

This phrase is used when you’re faced with a moral dilemma. A crisis of conscience. You want the last slice of pizza, but you see that 10 year old Molly wants it, too, and you just don’t have it in you to take it. You “don’t have the heart” to take it, as it were.

This phrase is perfect for those situations. When you have the option to do something selfish or naughty, but your better angels take over and you just don’t have enough evil in you to act on that compulsion. It’s a good thing!

Keying off from last week, if you say that “tamten nie ma sumienia“, you are actually saying they have no conscience. In other words, that they sided with the devil on their shoulder. But here, when you are speaking in the first person, you actually mean that you sided with the angel on your shoulder. You can use this phrase to mean that you have no conscience (like “dust” is its own antonym) but it is less common to use it this way.

So, back to the Molly and the pizza example, if you took that last slice, you could follow it up with this phrase. (But don’t be surprised if folks don’t want to be friends with you after pulling a move like that.)

Anyway, it’s a neat little phrase with lots of texture and meaning.

Enjoy!

Nie = not, no [negates whatever comes next]
Mam = I have [1st p. s.]
Sumienia = conscience [s. obj. form]

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