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  What it means

  Literally “without work, there are no cakes.” The Polish equivalent of “no pain, no gain” or “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.”

  Vocabulary

  • praca — work
  • kołacz — traditional Polish sweet bread / festive cake

  Grammar note

  'Bez pracy' uses the genitive after 'bez' (without). 'Kołaczy' is the genitive plural of 'kołacz', required after 'nie ma'.

  Cultural context

  'Kołacz' is a traditional Polish festive bread, historically a symbol of celebration and reward — making it the perfect thing to work for.

  Beginner

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