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  What it means

  Literally “better a sparrow in the hand than a black grouse on a branch.” Means a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush — a small certain gain is better than a larger uncertain one.

  Vocabulary

  • wróbel — sparrow
  • ręka — hand
  • cietrzew — black grouse (a larger game bird)
  • sęk — knot in wood / branch

  Grammar note

  'W ręku' uses the locative of 'ręka' after 'w'. 'Na sęku' uses the locative of 'sęk' after 'na'. 'Niż' introduces the comparison.

  Cultural context

  The Polish version uses a cietrzew (black grouse) instead of the English 'two in the bush' — a more specific and vivid hunting image.

  Intermediate

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