What does “należy się” mean when paying in Polish?

When the Lego seller names a price, he doesn’t say “I want” or “you must pay” — he says “110 złotych się należy,” literally “110 zloty is owed to itself.” “Należeć się” turns the money into the thing doing the owing, so nobody has to point a finger. It’s the polite, businesslike way Poles state a price or a fee.

The same reflexive shows up anywhere something is rightfully due: “należy ci się przerwa” (you deserve a break), “co się należy?” (how much do I owe you?). Swap in whatever’s owed, and the grammar carries the fairness for you.