caodobowy

Całodobowy is a Polish adjective meaning open or operating for the entire 24-hour day, i.e., available around the clock. It is used to describe businesses, services, or facilities that function without daily breaks, such as shops, pharmacies, or emergency services. Common examples include sklep całodobowy (24-hour shop), apteka całodobowa (24-hour pharmacy), and dyżur całodobowy (24-hour duty). The adverbial form, całodobowo, describes actions performed continuously or without closing, as in pracować całodobowo (to work around the clock).

Etymology and form: the word is formed from cały (whole, entire) and doba (a day or 24-hour period), literally conveying the idea of the whole day. The standard Polish spelling uses the letter ł, yielding całodobowy; a non-diacritic variant caodobowy may appear in informal writing or systems that lack Polish diacritics, but it is considered incorrect in proper Polish.

Usage notes: całodobowy is most often applied to retail and service sectors, but can also describe facilities like hospitals, call centers, or transport services that operate continuously. In English translations, całodobowy is typically rendered as 24-hour or around-the-clock. The term may be combined with other adjectives, e.g., całodobowa opieka or całodobowa obsługa, to indicate the nature of service provided at all hours.