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  What it means

  Literally “if a person hurries, the devil rejoices.” Means haste makes waste — rushing leads to mistakes, and the devil is delighted when we act impulsively without thinking.

  Vocabulary

  • spieszyć się — to hurry / to rush
  • diabeł — devil
  • cieszyć się — to be glad / to rejoice

  Grammar note

  Two parallel reflexive constructions — 'się spieszy' (hurries) and 'się cieszy' (rejoices). The rhyme between 'spieszy' and 'cieszy' makes it memorable.

  Cultural context

  A well-known Polish proverb. The rhyming form makes it easy to remember and quote.

  Beginner

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