Polish Proverbs
Polish proverbs (przysłowia) decoded — vocabulary, grammar, and cultural context in one.
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A co po czyjej wielkości, jak nie ma w głowie mądrości?
"What's the use of someone's greatness, if there's no wisdom in their head?" A rhetorical put-down of people who are …
Intermediate -
Adam cóż by poradził, gdyby Bóg w raju Ewy nie posadził?
"What would Adam have done, if God hadn't placed Eve in paradise?" A humorous observation that men would be lost without …
Intermediate -
Adam i Ewa pokazują, jaki styczeń i luty po nich następują.
"Adam and Eve show what January and February will be like after them." In the Polish name-day calendar, December 24 is …
Intermediate -
Adwokat niech głowę, a koń niech ma nogi.
"Let a lawyer have a head, and a horse have legs." Everyone should excel at what matters for their role — a lawyer needs …
Beginner -
Agnieszka łaskawa puszcza skowronka z rękawa.
"Gracious Agnes releases the skylark from her sleeve." Around January 21 — the feast day of Saint Agnes (Agnieszka) — …
Intermediate -
Ani kura za darmo nie gdacze.
"Not even a hen clucks for free." Nobody does anything without expecting something in return. A wry observation that …
Beginner -
Apetyt rośnie w miarę jedzenia.
"Appetite grows with eating." The more you have or get, the more you want. Used to describe greed, ambition, or any …
Beginner -
Baba o szydle, dziad o mydle.
"The woman about the awl, the old man about the soap." Each person talks only about their own concerns — they talk past …
Beginner -
Baba swoje, chłop swoje.
"The woman her thing, the man his thing." Both sides stubbornly stick to their own position. No one budges, no one …
Beginner -
Baba swoje, czart swoje.
"The woman her thing, the devil his thing." Even when faced with the devil himself, she won't give in. Used of someone …
Beginner -
Baba swoje, dziad swoje.
"The woman her thing, the old man his thing." Neither side gives an inch. A picture of two equally stubborn people going …
Beginner -
Baba z wozu, koniom lżej.
"The woman off the cart, the horses feel lighter." When a troublesome or burdensome person leaves, everyone else is …
Beginner -
Baju, baju – będziesz w raju.
"Lullaby, lullaby — you'll be in paradise." Sweet-sounding promises that will never come true. Used ironically of …
Beginner -
Barbara po wodzie, Boże Narodzenie po lodzie.
"Barbara on water, Christmas on ice." If it rains on Saint Barbara's Day (December 4), Christmas will be frosty and icy. …
Intermediate -
Barbara święta o górnikach pamięta.
"Holy Barbara remembers the miners." Saint Barbara (December 4) is the patron saint of Polish miners. This proverb is a …
Intermediate -
Bartłomiej zwiastuje, jaka jesień następuje.
"Bartholomew foretells what autumn will follow." The weather on Saint Bartholomew's Day (August 24) is said to predict …
Intermediate -
Bez ciekawości nie ma mądrości.
"Without curiosity there is no wisdom." You cannot become wise if you are not curious. Learning and understanding …
Beginner -
Bez garnka nie zrobi zupy kucharka.
"Without a pot, the cook cannot make soup." You cannot do a job without the right tools. Even the most skilled person is …
Beginner -
Bez kołaczy nie wesele.
"Without kołacze, there is no wedding." A celebration is not complete without the proper food and festivity. More …
Beginner -
Bez ludzi i raj się znudzi.
"Without people, even paradise becomes boring." Human company is essential to happiness. No matter how beautiful or …
Beginner -
Bez pracy nie ma kołaczy.
"Without work there are no kołacze." One of the most well-known Polish proverbs. You only get rewards — food, comfort, …
Beginner -
Bez pracy nie ma macy.
"Without work there is no matzo." A rhyming variant of the classic 'bez pracy nie ma kołaczy', substituting 'maca' …
Beginner -
Bez pracy nie ma płacy.
"Without work there is no pay." A direct, modern-sounding variant of the 'bez pracy' family of proverbs. If you don't …
Beginner -
Bez pracy trudno dostąpić honoru.
"Without work it is hard to attain honour." Respect and recognition must be earned through effort. Status or honour that …
Intermediate -
Bez zachodu nie ma miodu.
"Without effort there is no honey." You have to work for the sweet things in life. Like a beekeeper who must tend the …
Beginner -
Bęben dlatego tak głośny, bo próżny.
"The drum is loud because it is empty." Boastful, noisy people are hollow inside — they make the most noise precisely …
Beginner -
Będzie z niego ksiądz jak z diabła kościelny.
"He'll make a priest about as well as the devil makes a church sexton." He is completely unsuited for the role being …
Intermediate -
Będziesz ty z Litwy albo Kijowa, gdy masz co w mieszku, Warszawa schowa.
"Whether you're from Lithuania or Kyiv, if you have something in your purse, Warsaw will take care of you." Money opens …
Intermediate -
Bieda z dziećmi, bieda i bez dzieci.
"Poverty with children, poverty without children too." Having children brings hardship, but so does not having them. …
Beginner -
Biedna żona taka, która ma pijaka.
"Poor is the wife who has a drunkard." A wife whose husband is a drunkard is to be pitied above all others. The proverb …
Beginner -
Biednemu zawsze wiatr w oczy.
"The poor man always has the wind in his eyes." Bad luck and hardship always seem to fall on those who are already …
Beginner -
Blisko swej jabłoni jabłko pada.
"The apple falls close to its own apple tree." Children resemble their parents in character and behaviour. Like fruit …
Beginner -
Bliższa koszula ciału niż kaftan.
"The shirt is closer to the body than the coat." A more explicit version of the same idea: what is nearest to us — …
Beginner -
Bliższa koszula ciału niż sukmana.
"The shirt is closer to the body than the peasant coat." A regional variant of the same proverb, using 'sukmana' — the …
Intermediate -
Bliższa koszula ciału.
"The shirt is closer to the body." Self-interest comes first; we naturally look after ourselves and those closest to us …
Beginner -
Błogosławione są matki, co za złe karzą swe dziatki.
"Blessed are the mothers who punish their children for wrongdoing." Mothers who discipline their children are doing them …
Intermediate -
Boga na języku, a diabła ma w sercu.
"God on the tongue, but the devil in the heart." Said of hypocrites who speak piously but act wickedly. Fine words mean …
Intermediate -
Bogatego i na szubienicy diabli nie wezmą, a biednemu człowiekowi lada sznurek robi amen.
"Even on the gallows the devils won't take the rich man, but for the poor man any old rope spells the end." The rich …
Advanced -
Bogatemu diabeł dzieci kołysze.
"The devil rocks the rich man's children." The wealthy have everything done for them — even the devil is at their …
Intermediate -
Bogatemu to i byk się ocieli.
"For the rich man, even a bull will calve." The lucky and wealthy seem to defy nature itself — impossible things happen …
Intermediate -
Bogu się kłaniaj, a diabła nie gniewaj.
"Bow to God, but don't anger the devil." Be devout, but also be prudent — don't needlessly provoke dangerous forces. A …
Intermediate -
Bogu służ, a diabła nie gniewaj.
"Serve God, but don't anger the devil." A variant of the same pragmatic wisdom: fulfil your religious duties, but don't …
Intermediate -
Bogu świeczka, a diabłu ogarek.
"A candle for God, a stub for the devil." Trying to please everyone — or hedging between good and evil. Said of someone …
Intermediate -
Boże Narodzenie po wodzie, Wielkanoc po lodzie.
"Christmas in water, Easter on ice." If Christmas is mild and rainy, Easter will be cold and frosty. A traditional …
Beginner -
Bóg bez pracy nic nie daje.
"God gives nothing without work." Even divine providence requires human effort. You cannot simply pray and wait — you …
Beginner -
Bóg dał dziecko, da na dziecko.
"God gave the child, He will provide for the child." Trust that the means to raise a child will come. A reassurance to …
Beginner -
Bóg dał, Bóg wziął.
"God gave, God took." Said when someone dies or when something precious is lost. An expression of resignation and …
Beginner -
Bóg nie opuści, kto się nań spuści.
"God will not abandon those who trust in Him." Faith and reliance on God will be rewarded. Those who put their trust in …
Intermediate -
Bóg pomaga tym, co sami sobie pomagają.
"God helps those who help themselves." Divine assistance comes to those who take initiative. Passivity is not rewarded — …
Intermediate -
Bój się w styczniu wiosny, bo marzec zazdrosny.
"Fear spring in January, for March is jealous." If January brings unusually warm, spring-like weather, March will …
Intermediate -
Broda mędrcem nie czyni.
"A beard does not make a wise man." Outward appearance — even one associated with wisdom and age — is no guarantee of …
Beginner -
Być w Rzymie i nie widzieć papieża.
"To be in Rome and not see the Pope." To miss the most obvious or important thing when you are in the perfect position …
Beginner -
Było dwóch braci mądrych, a trzeci żonaty.
"There were two wise brothers, and the third was married." Marriage is humorously equated with a loss of wisdom or …
Beginner -
Cała mądrość nie mieści się w jednej głowie.
"All wisdom does not fit in one head." No single person can know everything. A reminder to stay humble and seek others' …
Beginner -
Cel uświęca środki.
"The end justifies the means." Often used critically to describe someone who pursues a goal without regard for ethical …
Intermediate -
Chcąc poznać przyjaciela, trzeba z nim beczkę soli zjeść.
"To know a friend, you must eat a barrel of salt with them." True friendship is built over a long time and through …
Intermediate -
Chcesz córuni, podobaj się wprzód mamuni.
"If you want the daughter, first win over the mother." To court a girl successfully, you must first make a good …
Intermediate -
Chcesz się dostać do nieba, nie żałuj biednym kęsa chleba.
"If you want to get to heaven, don't begrudge the poor a morsel of bread." Generosity toward the needy is a virtue that …
Intermediate -
Chleb cudzym nożem krajany — niesmaczny.
"Bread cut with someone else's knife is tasteless." What is obtained through others' effort or at others' expense does …
Intermediate -
Chleb i woda, nie ma głoda.
"Bread and water — no hunger." Simple food is enough to keep hunger away. A proverb about making do with little and …
Beginner -
Chleb ma rogi, nędza nogi.
"Bread has horns, poverty has legs." Earning bread is hard (it fights back), and poverty moves fast — it can catch up …
Beginner -
Chleb ma rogi.
"Bread has horns." Bread can be hard to come by — it can push back and resist you. Used to mean that earning a living is …
Beginner -
Chleb płacze, gdy go darmo jedzą.
"Bread weeps when eaten for free." Food obtained without work or payment is wasted and disrespected. One should earn …
Beginner -
Chleb pracą nabyty, bywa smaczny i syty.
"Bread earned by work is tasty and filling." Labour makes food more satisfying — both literally and morally. Hard work …
Intermediate -
Chleb stracił, a bułki nie znalazł.
"He lost the bread and didn't find a roll." Someone gave up something solid in hopes of something better, and ended up …
Intermediate -
Chleb świętej Agaty od ognia strzeże chaty.
"The bread of Saint Agata protects the home from fire." Blessed bread distributed on the feast of Saint Agata (February …
Advanced -
Chleb w drodze nie ciężý.
"Bread doesn't weigh heavy on the road." Food — especially bread — is never a burden when you're travelling. Encourages …
Beginner -
Chleb, piwo i świéca zdobią szlachcica.
"Bread, beer, and a candle adorn a nobleman." The essentials of a decent household — food, drink, and light — are what …
Intermediate -
Chlebem i solą ludzie ludzi niewoląý.
"With bread and salt people bind people." Offering bread and salt — the traditional Polish greeting of honour — creates …
Intermediate -
Chłop mowny a kot łowny z głodu nie zemrą.
"A talkative peasant and a hunting cat will not die of hunger." Those who use their natural gifts — speech or skill — …
Intermediate -
Chłop się nie przeżegna, dopóki piorunu nie usłyszy.
"A peasant won't cross himself until he hears thunder." People don't take precautions or turn to prayer until danger is …
Intermediate -
Chłop strzela, a Bóg kule nosi.
"The peasant shoots, but God carries the bullets." No matter how carefully a person aims, the outcome is ultimately in …
Beginner -
Chłop, co musi, rad uczyni.
"A peasant who must, will do it gladly." When there is no choice, people find a way to be content with what they have to …
Intermediate -
Chłopa korcem nie mierzą.
"You don't measure a man by the bushel." A person's worth cannot be judged by material wealth or possessions alone.
Intermediate -
Chłopa na korce, a rozumu na lata nie mierzą.
"You don't measure a man in bushels, nor wisdom in years." Neither wealth nor age is a reliable measure of a person's …
Intermediate -
Choć już w kwietniu słonko grzeje, nieraz pole śnieg zawieję.
"Though the sun already warms in April, snow may still sweep the fields." A warm April is no guarantee that winter is …
Intermediate -
Choćby chleb był rżany, byle leżany.
"Even if the bread is rye, as long as there's plenty of it." Humble food in abundance is better than fine food in short …
Intermediate -
Choćby pił, choćby bił, byle był.
"Even if he drinks, even if he beats, as long as he's there." A darkly ironic proverb about the desperation of women …
Intermediate -
Chytry dwa razy traci
A miser ends up losing twice — once by refusing to spend, and again by suffering the consequences of that stinginess.
Beginner -
Ciągnie swój do swego
People are naturally drawn to those who are similar to them — birds of a feather flock together.
Intermediate -
Cicha woda brzegi rwie
Still waters run deep — quiet, unassuming people can be surprisingly forceful or dangerous.
Intermediate -
Ciekawość to pierwszy stopień do piekła
Curiosity is the first step to hell — nosiness or prying into others' affairs leads to trouble.
Beginner -
Cierp ciało, skoroś chciało
You made your bed, now lie in it — if you wanted something and got it, you must endure the consequences.
Advanced -
Ciesz się nadzieją do ostatka, bo nadzieja głupich matka
Hope keeps fools going to the very end — a sardonic observation that clinging to hope can be a sign of foolishness.
Intermediate -
Cnota naukę przechodzi
Virtue surpasses learning — good character is worth more than book knowledge.
Intermediate -
Cnota zawżdy na dobre wynidziesz
Virtue always leads to a good outcome — doing the right thing will eventually be rewarded.
Advanced -
Co Anglik zmyśli, Francuz skréśli, a Niemiec doma nakrupi, wszystko to głupi Polak kupi
Whatever the Englishman invents, the Frenchman refines, and the German manufactures at home — the foolish Pole buys it …
Advanced -
Co dwie głowy, to nie jedna
Two heads are better than one — collaboration and shared thinking produce better results.
Beginner -
Co Francuz wymyśli, to Polak polubi
Whatever the French invent, the Pole will come to love — a comment on Polish admiration for French culture and fashion.
Intermediate -
Co kraj, to obyczaj
Every country has its own customs — when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Beginner -
Co marzec wypiecze, to kwiecień wysieczce
What March bakes, April will cut down — good weather in March may be undone by April frosts.
Intermediate -
Co matka, to matka, a co macocha, to macocha
A mother is a mother, and a stepmother is a stepmother — nothing can replace a biological mother's love.
Beginner -
Co mąż, to wąż, co żona, to męczeńska korona
A husband is a snake, a wife is a martyr's crown — a sardonic view of marriage in which the husband is treacherous and …
Intermediate -
Co nagle, to po diable
Whatever is done in haste is the devil's work — rushing leads to poor results.
Beginner -
Co ptakiem z gęby wyleci, wołem nazad nie wciągniesz
What flies out of your mouth like a bird, you can't pull back with an ox — once words are spoken, they cannot be taken …
Intermediate -
Co się Janek nie wyuczył, tego się Jan ciężko uczy
What little Janek didn't learn, Jan struggles to learn as an adult — habits and knowledge acquired in childhood are far …
Intermediate -
Co się stało, to się nie odstanie
What has happened cannot be undone — there is no point dwelling on the past or wishing things were different.
Beginner -
Co swój, to nie obcy
One's own is not a stranger — people naturally favour those close to them over outsiders.
Beginner -
Co wolno wojewodzie, to nie tobie, smrodzie
What is permitted to the governor is not permitted to you, stinker — rules differ for the powerful and the common …
Intermediate -
Co z oczu, to z serca
Out of sight, out of heart — when someone or something is no longer seen, feelings for them fade.
Beginner -
Co za dużo, to niezdrowo
Too much of anything is unhealthy — excess is always harmful, even of good things.
Beginner -
Córkę chromą do klasztoru
Send the lame daughter to the convent — a cynical observation that those considered less marriageable were historically …
Intermediate -
Cóż święty Józef zniesie? Kaczka pierwsze jaja zniesie
What will Saint Joseph bring? The duck will lay its first eggs — a weather proverb tied to Saint Joseph's Day (19 …
Advanced -
Cudza praca nie wzbogaca
Another person's work does not make you rich — you cannot prosper by relying on others' efforts; you must work yourself.
Beginner -
Cygan swymi dziećmi świadczy
A Romani man testifies through his children — one's character and values are revealed by how one's children turn out.
Advanced -
Czas leczy rany
Time heals wounds — grief, pain, and hardship diminish with the passage of time.
Beginner -
Czas to pieniądz
Time is money — time is a valuable resource and should not be wasted.
Beginner -
Czasem luty ostro kuty, czasem w luty same pluty
Sometimes February is sharply forged (bitterly cold), sometimes in February there is only slush — February weather is …
Advanced -
Czasem luty się zlituje, że człek niby wiosnę czuje; ale czasem tak się zżyma, że człek prawie nie wytrzyma
Sometimes February takes pity so that a person almost feels spring; but sometimes it rages so much that a person can …
Advanced -
Czego Jaś się nie nauczy, tego Jan nie będzie umiał
What little Jaś doesn't learn, Jan will not know — skills and habits not acquired in childhood are very hard to develop …
Intermediate -
Czego nie bierze Chrystus, to fiskus porwie
What Christ does not take, the taxman will grab — death and taxes are the two inescapable certainties of life.
Intermediate -
Czego oczy nie widzą, tego sercu nie żal
What the eyes don't see, the heart doesn't grieve — ignorance of something painful spares one from suffering.
Intermediate -
Czego oko nie widzi, tego sercu nie żal
What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve — a variant of the same proverb using the singular 'eye'.
Intermediate -
Czego się Jasio nauczyć nie może, temu dorosły Jan już nie pomoże
What little Jasio cannot learn, grown-up Jan will no longer be helped by — what is not learned in childhood cannot …
Advanced -
Czego się Jasio nie nauczył, Jan się nie nauczy
What little Jasio did not learn, Jan will not learn either — skills and habits not acquired in childhood are very hard …
Intermediate -
Czego się Jaś nie nauczy, Jan nie będzie umiał
What Jaś doesn't learn, Jan won't be able to do — a variant emphasising that childhood is the critical window for …
Intermediate -
Czekaj tatka latka
Wait, daddy, for a little while — used ironically to mean that something will never come, or that waiting is futile.
Intermediate -
Czekaj tatka latka, aż kobyłkę wilcy zjedzą
Wait, daddy, for a little while — until the wolves eat the mare. An ironic extension meaning the wait will be so long …
Advanced -
Czekaj tatka latka, aż kobyłkę wilki zjedzą
Wait, daddy, for a little while — until the wolves eat the mare. Modern-spelling variant; same ironic meaning as the …
Intermediate -
Czerwiec – przerwiec, bo przerywa gospodarkę aż do żniwa
June — the month of interruption, because it disrupts farm work right up until harvest. Refers to the busy, disruptive …
Advanced -
Czerwiec po deszczowym maju często dżdżysty w naszym kraju
June after a rainy May is often wet in our country — a weather observation noting that a rainy May tends to be followed …
Intermediate -
Czerwiec się czerwieni? Będzie dość w kieszeni
If June turns red (with ripe fruit and sunshine), there will be enough in the pocket — a good June harvest means …
Intermediate -
Czerwiec stały, grudzień doskonały
A steady June means a perfect December — stable summer weather predicts a good winter.
Beginner -
Człek do pracy stworzon, ptak do lotu
Man was made for work, the bird for flight — each creature has its natural purpose, and work is humanity's calling.
Advanced -
Człowiek człowiekowi wilkiem
Man is a wolf to man — people can be cruel and predatory towards one another.
Intermediate -
Człowiek myśli, Pan Bóg kreśli
Man plans, God erases — human intentions are subject to divine will; plans often come to nothing.
Beginner -
Człowiek strzela, a Pan Bóg kule nosi
Man shoots, but God carries the bullets — outcomes are ultimately in God's hands, not the shooter's.
Beginner -
Człowiek strzela, a wiatr kule nosi
Man shoots, but the wind carries the bullets — a secular variant stressing that chance and nature, not God, deflect …
Beginner -
Człowiek strzela, Pan Bóg kule nosi
Man shoots, God carries the bullets — a shorter, comma-only variant of the same proverb about divine providence …
Beginner -
Czwarty pas, karty w tas
Fourth pass, cards in the pile — said when the fourth player passes in a card game, ending the round; more broadly, when …
Advanced -
Czy się stoi, czy się leży, dwa tysiące się należy
Whether you stand or lie down, two thousand is owed — a sardonic comment on fixed costs or salaries that must be paid …
Intermediate -
Czym skorupka za młodu
As the shell in youth — a truncated form of the longer proverb, used as a shorthand for the idea that early impressions …
Beginner -
Czym skorupka za młodu nasiąknie
What the shell soaks up in youth — another truncated form, ending just before the consequence, implying the full meaning …
Intermediate -
Czym skorupka za młodu nasiąknie, tym na starość trąci
What the shell soaks up in youth, it smells of in old age — the habits, values, and knowledge absorbed in childhood stay …
Intermediate -
Ćwiczenie czyni mistrza
Practice makes a master — repeated effort and training lead to mastery of any skill.
Beginner -
Daj kurze grzędę, a ona: wyżej siędę
Give a hen a perch and she'll want to sit higher. Used to describe people who, given an inch, take a mile — always …
Intermediate -
Daj psu spokój, pies ci da dwa
Leave the dog alone and the dog will give you two (in return). Meaning: if you don't bother someone, they won't bother …
Beginner -
Dał Bóg dziecko, da i na dziecko
God gave the child, He will also provide for the child. An expression of faith that the means to raise a child will come …
Beginner -
Dał Pan Bóg zęby, da i chleb
The Lord God gave teeth, He will give bread too. Means that if you have been given the capacity to eat, you will also be …
Beginner -
Darowanemu koniowi w zęby się nie zagląda
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. One should not find fault with something received as a gift.
Intermediate -
Deszcz na świętą Małgorzatę jest orzechom na stratę
Rain on Saint Margaret's Day (July 20) is bad for the nut harvest. A folk weather proverb linking the saint's feast day …
Intermediate -
Deszcz na świętego Błażeja, słaba wiosny nadzieja
Rain on Saint Blaise's Day (February 3) means little hope for spring. A folk calendar proverb predicting a late or poor …
Intermediate -
Deszcze częste w kwietniu wróżą, że owoców będzie dużo
Frequent rains in April foretell an abundant fruit harvest. A folk agricultural proverb about spring rainfall and its …
Intermediate -
Deszcze Michałowe prawią w zimie powietrze zdrowe
Rains around Saint Michael's Day (September 29) promise healthy air in winter. A folk proverb linking autumn rainfall to …
Advanced -
Deszcze na lipca pierwszego, drugiego, zapowiedzią deszczu czterdziestodniowego
Rain on the first or second of July foretells forty days of rain. A folk weather proverb predicting a prolonged rainy …
Advanced -
Diabeł nie śpi
The devil never sleeps. A warning to stay vigilant, as evil or misfortune is always lurking and ready to take advantage …
Beginner -
Diabeł się w ornat ubrał i ogonem na mszę dzwoni
The devil dressed in vestments and rings the bell for mass with his tail. Describes a hypocrite who puts on a pious or …
Intermediate -
Diabeł tkwi w szczegółach
The devil is in the details. Small, overlooked details can cause big problems — careful attention to particulars is …
Beginner -
Dla chcącego nic trudnego
For one who wants, nothing is difficult. Where there's a will, there's a way — determination makes any task achievable.
Beginner -
Dla chleba, nie dla nieba chce być księdzem
He wants to be a priest for the bread, not for heaven. Said of someone who pursues a vocation or noble calling purely …
Intermediate -
Dla dwóch kogutów za mało miejsca na jednym gnoju
Two roosters on one dunghill is one too many. Two dominant personalities or rivals cannot comfortably share the same …
Intermediate -
Dla każdej matki miłe jej dziatki
Every mother finds her children dear. A mother's love is unconditional — she will always cherish her children regardless …
Beginner -
Dla kota za dużo, dla psa za mało
Too much for the cat, too little for the dog. Describes a situation where a portion or solution satisfies nobody — it's …
Beginner -
Dla towarzystwa dał się Cygan powiesić
For the sake of company, the Gypsy let himself be hanged. Said of someone who goes along with others into a foolish or …
Intermediate -
Do Boga, gdy trwoga
To God when there is fear. People turn to God (or religion) in times of danger or distress — equivalent to "there are no …
Beginner -
Do Michała przymrozków ile, i w maju tyle
However many frosts there are before St. Michael's Day (29 September), there will be just as many in May. A folk weather …
Intermediate -
Do ojca po grosz, do matki po koszulę
Go to father for a penny, go to mother for a shirt. Each parent has their own role: the father handles money, the mother …
Beginner -
Do Pana Boga się módl, a diabła nie obrażaj
Pray to God, but don't offend the devil. A pragmatic folk saying advising caution: honour what is good, but don't …
Intermediate -
Do panny Katarzyny nowych butów obłóczyny
By St. Catherine's Day (25 November) it is time to put on new shoes. A seasonal proverb marking the onset of winter and …
Intermediate -
Do siostry w rok szósty, do brata we trzy lata
Visit your sister every six years, your brother every three. A humorous proverb suggesting that family visits — …
Intermediate -
Do trzech razy sztuka
The third time is the charm. If something has failed twice, try once more — success comes on the third attempt.
Beginner -
Dobra i wdowa, gdy młoda i zdrowa
A widow is fine too, as long as she is young and healthy. A pragmatic proverb about remarriage, suggesting that a …
Intermediate -
Dobra psu i mucha
Even a fly is good for a dog. When one is hungry or desperate, even the smallest or most undesirable thing is welcome.
Beginner -
Dobra psu i mucha, kiedy głodny
A fly is good for a dog when it is hungry. Hunger makes even the most unappetising thing acceptable.
Beginner -
Dobra psu i mucha, kiedy nie ma chleba
A fly is good for a dog when there is no bread. In times of scarcity, one accepts whatever is available.
Beginner -
Dobra psu i mucha, kiedy sama wleci do brzucha
A fly is good for a dog when it flies into its belly by itself. The most humorous variant: even an accidental mouthful …
Intermediate -
Dobra psu mucha, a chłopowi rzepa
A fly does for a dog, a turnip does for a peasant. Each creature makes do with what it has; humble food is still food.
Intermediate -
Dobra rada tatusiowa
Father's advice is good advice. A proverb affirming the value of parental — specifically paternal — wisdom and guidance. …
Beginner -
Dobra żona – mężowi korona
A good wife is a crown to her husband. A proverb praising the value of a virtuous wife, who brings honour and dignity to …
Beginner -
Dobra żona tym się chlubi, że gotuje, co mąż lubi
A good wife prides herself on cooking what her husband likes. A traditional proverb linking a wife's virtue to her …
Intermediate -
Dobrane małżeństwo to raj na ziemi
A well-matched marriage is paradise on earth. A proverb celebrating the happiness that comes from a compatible, …
Beginner -
Dobrego gniazda dobre plemię
From a good nest comes good offspring. Children reflect the quality of their upbringing and family background.
Intermediate -
Dobrego syna nigdy Bóg nie zapomina
God never forgets a good son. A proverb of religious consolation: virtue and filial piety are noticed and rewarded by …
Beginner -
Dobry chleb z solą, byle z dobrą wolą
Good bread with salt, as long as it comes with goodwill. Simple food shared with a willing heart is worth more than a …
Beginner -
Dobry chleb, gdy kołacza nie masz
Bread is good when you have no cake. Plain things become precious when better alternatives are unavailable.
Beginner -
Dobry zwyczaj nie pożyczaj
A good custom — don't borrow it (keep it for yourself). Good habits and traditions should be maintained and not given …
Beginner -
Dobry żart tynfa wart
A good joke is worth a tynf. A witty remark or clever jest has real value — it is worth paying for.
Intermediate -
Dobrymi chęciami jest piekło wybrukowane
Good intentions alone are not enough — without action or good judgment, even well-meaning efforts can lead to bad …
Intermediate -
Doczeka się pieska gałąź, choć mu się odwlecze
Patience is rewarded — what is long delayed will eventually come. Even if something takes time, it will happen in the …
Advanced -
Dopóty dzban wodę nosi, dopóki mu się ucho nie urwie
You can push your luck only so far — eventually something will break. Used to warn against repeatedly taking risks.
Intermediate -
Drugiej matki nie znajdziesz
You only have one mother — her love and care are irreplaceable. A reminder to cherish and respect one's mother.
Beginner -
Dzieci i ryby głosu nie mają
Children should be seen and not heard — they have no say in adult matters. Often used humorously to silence children.
Beginner -
Dziś bal, jutro żal
Today's celebration brings tomorrow's regret. A warning that excess or indulgence is followed by consequences.
Beginner -
Dziś tylko ryby nie biorą
Used to say that today is a bad day for something — nothing is going right. A humorous complaint about bad luck or poor …
Beginner -
Dziura w worze, gość w komorze, piasek w mące, woda w łące, kąkol w życie, złość w habicie — rzeczy niecne
A list of things that are unwelcome or out of place: a hole in a sack, a guest in the pantry, sand in flour, water in a …
Advanced -
Elektryka prąd nie tyka
An electrician doesn't get shocked — expertise protects you. Used to say that professionals are immune to the dangers of …
Intermediate -
Familią kaszy nie okrasi
Family connections won't put food on the table — you can't eat kinship. A pragmatic saying about the limits of relying …
Advanced -
Figur na figur mawiał święty Igor
A rhyming saying used when someone pulls a trick or makes a clever move in response to another — meeting cunning with …
Intermediate -
Fortuna często rozumowi przeczy
Fortune often contradicts reason — luck does not follow logic. Things don't always go the way common sense would …
Intermediate -
Fortuna kołem się toczy
Fortune turns like a wheel — luck is always changing. What goes up must come down, and vice versa.
Beginner -
Gdy bez wiatrów luty chodzi, w kwietniu wicher nie zawodzi
If February passes without wind, April will surely bring it. A weather proverb noting that calm winters are often …
Intermediate -
Gdy chłop baby nie bije, to jej wątroba gnije
A dark historical proverb reflecting old patriarchal attitudes. It is cited today as an example of how harmful and …
Advanced -
Gdy ciepło w lutym, zimno w marcu bywa, długo trwa zima, to jest niewątpliwa
If February is warm and March is cold, winter will drag on — that much is certain. A folk weather observation about …
Intermediate -
Gdy deszcz w świętego Michała, będzie łagodna zima cała
Rain on the feast of Saint Michael (29 September) predicts a mild winter ahead. A saint's-day weather proverb.
Intermediate -
Gdy deszcz w świętego Urbana, mały profit z winobrania
Rain on Saint Urban's day (25 May) means a poor grape harvest. A proverb linking a saint's feast day to agricultural …
Intermediate -
Gdy Franciszka z wichrem po polu hasa, może sypnąć śniegiem powyżej pasa
If the feast of Saint Francis (4 October) comes with wind blowing across the fields, there may be deep snow — above the …
Intermediate -
Gdy Halina łąki zrosi, rolnik w wodzie siano kosi
If Saint Halina's day (26 March) brings rain and soaks the meadows, the farmer will be cutting hay in waterlogged …
Intermediate -
Gdy Katarzyna kurzy, wszystka się radość burzy
If Saint Catherine's day (25 November) is dusty or misty, all joy is ruined — meaning bad weather is coming. A …
Intermediate -
Gdy kota nie ma, myszy harcują
When the cat is away, the mice will play. Used when authority or supervision is absent and people take liberties they …
Beginner -
Gdy mróz w lutym ostro trzyma, tedy jest niedługa zima
If February brings a sharp frost, winter will not last much longer. A hopeful proverb: a hard February means spring is …
Intermediate -
Gdy na Małgorzaty mróz, jeszcze długo nie pojedzie wóz
If there is frost on Saint Margaret's day (13 July), the cart won't be rolling for a long time yet — meaning summer work …
Intermediate -
Gdy na Michała obrodzą żołędzie, dużo śniegów w zimie będzie
If acorns are plentiful on Saint Michael's day (29 September), expect heavy snowfall in winter. A nature-based weather …
Intermediate -
Gdy na świętą Barbarę gęś chodzi po lodzie, to Boże Narodzenie będzie po wodzie
If a goose walks on ice on Saint Barbara's day (4 December), Christmas will be wet and mild. A popular winter weather …
Beginner -
Gdy na świętą Barbarę mróz, sanie na górę włóż, a szykuj dobry wóz
If it freezes on Saint Barbara's day (4 December), put the sleigh away and prepare a good cart instead — meaning …
Intermediate -
Gdy na świętego Prota jest pogoda albo słota, to na świętego Hieronima jest deszcz albo go ni ma
Whatever the weather on Saint Protus's day (11 September) — fair or foul — Saint Jerome's day (30 September) will bring …
Advanced -
Gdy na święty Jerzy jeszcze nie rozkwita, niech się cieszy stary, młody, chłop i kobieta
If things haven't yet bloomed by Saint George's day (23 April), everyone — old and young, man and woman — should …
Intermediate -
Gdy na święty Józef bociek przybędzie, to już śniegu nie będzie
If the stork arrives by Saint Joseph's day (19 March), there will be no more snow. The stork's return is a classic …
Beginner -
Gdy na święty Paweł jasno, po żniwach też będzie ciasno
"When Saint Paul's day is bright, after the harvest it will also be crowded." A weather proverb: clear weather on the …
Intermediate -
Gdy na święty Paweł jasno, po żniwach w stodole ciasno
"When Saint Paul's day is bright, after the harvest the barn will be crowded." A variant of the previous proverb, …
Intermediate -
Gdy na święty Walek deszcze, mrozy wrócą jeszcze
"When it rains on Saint Walenty's day, the frosts will return yet." Rain on Saint Valentine's day (14 February) is a bad …
Intermediate -
Gdy na Walka są deszcze, będzie ostry mróz jeszcze
"When there is rain on Walenty's day, there will be a sharp frost yet." A variant of the previous proverb, emphasising …
Intermediate -
Gdy na Wawrzyńca orzechy obrodzą, to w zimie mrozy dogodzą
"When hazelnuts are plentiful on Saint Lawrence's day, the frosts in winter will be satisfying." A good nut harvest on …
Intermediate -
Gdy na Wincentego i nawrócenie Pawła pogoda świeci, spodziewajcie się dobrego lata, dzieci
"When the weather shines on Vincent's day and the Conversion of Paul, expect a good summer, children." Clear weather …
Intermediate -
Gdy noc jasna na Michała, to nastąpi zima trwała
"When the night of Saint Michael's is clear, a lasting winter will follow." A clear, starry night on 29 September …
Intermediate -
Gdy pająk w lipcu przychodzi, to za sobą deszcz przywodzi, gdy swą pajęczynę snuje, bliską burzę czuje
"When a spider comes in July, it brings rain with it; when it spins its web, it senses a nearby storm." Spiders …
Intermediate -
Gdy październik ciepło trzyma, zwykle mroźna bywa zima
"When October holds warmth, winter is usually frosty." A warm October is a folk sign that the coming winter will be cold …
Beginner -
Gdy przyjdzie Agnieszka, rozbije ogonem lód pliszka
"When Agnes comes, the wagtail will break the ice with its tail." Around Saint Agnes's day (21 January) the wagtail bird …
Intermediate -
Gdy przyjdzie marzec, umrze niejeden starzec
"When March comes, more than one old man will die." March's unpredictable, harsh weather — cold snaps, wind, and damp — …
Beginner -
Gdy przyjdzie święta Agnieszka, przebije lód ogonem pliszka
"When holy Agnes comes, the wagtail will pierce the ice with its tail." A variant of the Agnieszka proverb using …
Intermediate -
Gdy rodzina zgodna, tam dusza pogodna
"Where the family is harmonious, there the soul is serene." Family unity and peace bring inner happiness and peace of …
Beginner -
Gdy rodzina żyje w zgodzie, to jej bieda nie dobodzie
"When a family lives in harmony, poverty will not reach it." A united family can withstand hardship; discord weakens a …
Intermediate -
Gdy się człowiek spieszy, to się diabeł cieszy
"When a person hurries, the devil rejoices." Rushing leads to mistakes and poor decisions — exactly what the devil …
Beginner -
Gdy się diabeł zestarzeje, chce zostać mnichem
"When the devil grows old, he wants to become a monk." People who have lived sinfully or recklessly often turn pious or …
Intermediate -
Gdy się drzewo obali, każdy wióry zbiera
"When a tree falls, everyone gathers the chips." When a powerful person falls from grace or a great institution …
Intermediate -
Gdy się grzmot w lipcu od południa poda, drzewom się znaczy szwank i nieurodа
"When thunder comes from the south in July, it means damage to trees and a poor harvest." Southern thunder in July was a …
Advanced -
Gdy słońce przygrzewa na Jana Dobrego, spodziewać się można lata pogodnego
"When the sun warms on Good John's day, one can expect a sunny summer." Warm sunshine around Saint John's day (24 June) …
Intermediate -
Gdy styczeń z zimnem nie chodzi, marzec, kwiecień wychłodzi
"When January doesn't bring cold, March and April will chill you." A mild January means the cold is only postponed — it …
Intermediate -
Gdy święta Agata po błocie brodzi, człek w Zmartwychwstanie po lodzie chodzi
"When Saint Agatha wades through mud, a man walks on ice at Easter." If the feast of Saint Agatha (February 5) is warm …
Intermediate -
Gdy święty Andrzej ze śniegiem przybieży, sto dni śnieg na polu leży
"When Saint Andrew arrives with snow, the snow lies in the field for a hundred days." If it snows on Saint Andrew's Day …
Intermediate -
Gdy Święty Maciej zimę poprawia, to Oblubieniec mrozy zostawia
"When Saint Matthias improves winter, the Bridegroom leaves behind frosts." If the weather warms around Saint Matthias's …
Advanced -
Gdy Trzej Królowie ciepłem darzą, gospodarze o wiośnie gwarzą
"When the Three Kings bring warmth, farmers talk of spring." If the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6) is warm, farmers …
Intermediate -
Gdy w Andrzeja deszcz lub słota, w grudniu drogi bez błota
"When on Saint Andrew's Day there is rain or slush, in December the roads will be free of mud." Rain or wet weather on …
Intermediate -
Gdy w Katarzynę lód nie stanie – szykuj sanie, gdy w Katarzynę mróz – szykuj wóz
"When on Saint Catherine's Day the ice doesn't form – prepare a sleigh; when on Saint Catherine's Day there is frost – …
Intermediate -
Gdy w Katarzynę zima, śnieg nie poleży, mróz nie potrzyma
"When winter comes on Saint Catherine's Day, the snow won't last and the frost won't hold." An early winter starting on …
Intermediate -
Gdy w lipcu słońce dopieka, burza niedaleka
"When the July sun scorches, a storm is not far away." Intense summer heat in July is a sign that a thunderstorm is …
Beginner -
Gdy w Michała deszcz spadnie, lekka zima będzie snadnie
"When rain falls on Saint Michael's Day, winter will easily be mild." Rain on September 29 predicts a light, easy …
Advanced -
Gdy w Michała wiatr od wschodu lub północy, w zimie mrozy wielkiej mocy
"When on Saint Michael's Day the wind blows from the east or north, in winter there will be frosts of great force." An …
Intermediate -
Gdy w styczniu deszcz leje, złe robi nadzieje
"When it rains in January, it makes for bad hopes." Rain in January — instead of snow — is a bad omen for the year …
Beginner -
Gdy w świętą Barbarę gęś chodzi po lodzie, to Boże Narodzenie będzie po wodzie
"When on Saint Barbara's Day a goose walks on ice, Christmas will be on water." If there is ice on December 4, Christmas …
Beginner -
Gdy w świętą Barbarę gęś po stawie chodzi, w Boże Narodzenie pływać po nim się godzi
"When on Saint Barbara's Day a goose walks on the pond, at Christmas it is fitting to swim in it." If the pond is not …
Intermediate -
Gdy w świętą Barbarę ostre mrozy, to na zimę gotuj wozy; a gdy roztajanie, każ opatrzyć sanie
"When on Saint Barbara's Day there are sharp frosts, prepare carts for winter; but when there is a thaw, have the sleigh …
Advanced -
Gdy Wawrzyniec i Bartłomiej pogodą dopisują, piękną jesień obiecują
"When Lawrence and Bartholomew deliver good weather, they promise a beautiful autumn." Fine weather on the feasts of …
Intermediate -
Gdy wietrzno w Michała, będzie mroźna zima cała
"When it is windy on Saint Michael's Day, the whole winter will be frosty." Windy weather on September 29 predicts a …
Beginner -
Gdy wilk się zestarzeje, skubie go i wrona
"When a wolf grows old, even a crow pecks at him." Even the most powerful or feared person becomes vulnerable in old age …
Intermediate -
Gdy włos siwieje, rozum dojrzeje
"When the hair turns grey, wisdom matures." With age comes experience and better judgement. Growing older brings not …
Intermediate -
Gdy Zuzanna z pogodą chadza, piękną jesień przyprowadza
"When Zuzanna (Susan's feast day, August 11) comes with fair weather, she brings a beautiful autumn." A folk calendar …
Advanced -
Gdyby babcia miała wąsy, toby była dziadkiem
"If grandma had a moustache, she'd be grandpa." Used to dismiss pointless hypotheticals — speculating about impossible …
Beginner -
Gdyby kózka nie skakała, toby nóżki nie złamała
"If the little goat hadn't jumped, it wouldn't have broken its little legs." If you hadn't taken a reckless risk, you …
Beginner -
Gdzie chleb, tam się zęby znajdą
"Where there is bread, teeth will be found." Where there is opportunity or resources, people will appear to take …
Intermediate -
Gdzie diabeł nie może, tam babę pośle
"Where the devil cannot go, he sends a woman." Said (often humorously or ironically) when a woman succeeds where others …
Intermediate -
Gdzie drwa rąbią, tam wióry lecą
"Where wood is chopped, chips fly." Any significant action has side effects or collateral damage. You can't do big …
Intermediate -
Gdzie dwóch się bije, tam trzeci korzysta
"Where two fight, a third benefits." When two parties are in conflict, a third party often gains the most. Staying out …
Beginner -
Gdzie jedna kość, a dwa brytany – tam pokój nie znany
"Where there is one bone and two bulldogs, peace is unknown." When two rivals compete for a single prize or resource, …
Advanced -
Gdzie kucharek sześć, tam nie ma co jeść
"Where there are six cooks, there is nothing to eat." Too many people in charge of the same task leads to chaos and …
Beginner -
Gdzie nie zagląda słońce, tam zagląda lekarz
"Where the sun does not look in, the doctor does." Sunlight is essential for health. Dark, damp homes breed illness. A …
Beginner -
Gdzie praca, pilność na straży, tam się bieda wejść nie waży
"Where work and diligence stand guard, poverty dares not enter." Hard work and diligence keep poverty away. …
Advanced -
Gdzie rośnie dziewanna, bez posagu panna
"Where mullein grows, a girl has no dowry." Mullein (dziewanna) was associated with poor, uncultivated land. If it grows …
Advanced -
Gdzie Rzym, gdzie Krym
"Where Rome, where Crimea?" Said when someone makes a comparison or connection between two completely unrelated things. …
Beginner -
Gdzie się z chęcią zejdzie praca, tam się hojnie trud opłaca
"Where work meets willingness, effort is richly rewarded." When you combine hard work with genuine enthusiasm, the …
Advanced -
Gdzie święta Agata, bezpieczna tam chata
"Where Saint Agatha is, the home is safe." Blessed bread and salt on Saint Agatha's feast day (February 5) were believed …
Intermediate -
Gdzie święta Jagata, bezpieczna tam chata
"Where Saint Jagata is, the home is safe." A regional variant of the Saint Agatha proverb — 'Jagata' is a folk …
Intermediate -
Gdzie wielu dowódców, tam bitwa przegrana
"Where there are many commanders, the battle is lost." Too many leaders without clear authority leads to failure. …
Intermediate -
Głodnemu chleb na myśli.
"A hungry person thinks of bread." Whatever you lack most is what occupies your mind. People's thoughts are shaped by …
Beginner -
Głodny głodnemu wypomni.
"A hungry person will reproach another hungry person." Even those who share the same hardship can be unkind to each …
Intermediate -
Głos matki – głos Boga.
"A mother's voice is the voice of God." A mother's words carry the highest moral authority. Her advice and wishes should …
Beginner -
Głową muru nie przebijesz.
"You won't break through a wall with your head." Stubbornness and brute force alone cannot overcome every obstacle. …
Beginner -
Głód - najlepszy kucharz
"Hunger is the best cook." When you are truly hungry, any food tastes delicious. Appetite is the best seasoning.
Beginner -
Głuchemu próżne słowa.
"Words are wasted on the deaf." Advice or argument is pointless when directed at someone who refuses to listen or is …
Intermediate -
Głupich nie sieją, sami się rodzą.
"Fools are not sown — they are born on their own." Stupidity needs no cultivation; there is never a shortage of fools. …
Intermediate -
Głupiego wilka i cielęta liżą.
"Even calves lick a foolish wolf." A predator who loses his edge or cunning becomes harmless — even prey no longer fears …
Advanced -
Gość i ryba na trzeci dzień cuchnę.
"A guest and a fish stink after three days." Visitors, however welcome at first, become a burden if they stay too long. …
Beginner -
Gość i ryba trzeciego dnia cuchnie.
"A guest and a fish stink on the third day." A variant of the same proverb: hospitality wears thin quickly, and …
Beginner -
Gość w dom, Bóg w dom.
"A guest in the house, God in the house." Welcoming a guest is a sacred act — hospitality is a virtue blessed by God. …
Beginner -
Gówno chłopu nie zegarek.
"Shit is not a watch for a peasant." A crude, humorous saying meaning that something worthless or unpleasant is of no …
Intermediate -
Gra w kiery wyrabia maniery.
"Playing hearts builds manners." A rhyming saying suggesting that card games — particularly hearts — teach social graces …
Intermediate -
Gra w piki daje wyniki.
"Playing spades gives results." A rhyming companion to the hearts proverb, humorously suggesting that playing spades is …
Intermediate -
Gromnica – zimy połowica.
"Candlemas is the midpoint of winter." The feast of Candlemas (February 2nd) marks the halfway point of winter. After …
Intermediate -
Gromniczna pogodna, będzie jesień dorodna.
"If Candlemas is sunny, autumn will be bountiful." A weather proverb: clear weather on February 2nd predicts a rich …
Intermediate -
Grosz do grosza, a będzie kokosza.
"Penny to penny, and you'll have a hen." Small savings add up to something worthwhile. Consistent thrift, however …
Beginner -
Grudzień – łudzień.
"December is the month of illusions." December deceives with its mild spells and false promises of an early spring. The …
Beginner -
Grzmoty czerwca rozweselają rolnikom serca.
"June thunderstorms gladden the hearts of farmers." Thunder in June brings rain that nourishes crops, so farmers welcome …
Intermediate -
Habit nie czyni mnicha.
"The habit does not make the monk." Outward appearance or clothing does not define a person's true character or worth. …
Beginner -
Hulaj dusza – piekła nie ma.
"Let the soul run wild — there is no hell." Said by someone throwing caution to the wind and deciding to enjoy …
Intermediate -
Hultajska praca wniwecz się obraca.
"A rogue's work comes to nothing." Work done dishonestly or lazily always ends in failure. Effort without integrity is …
Intermediate -
I cyprysy mają swoje kaprysy.
"Even cypresses have their whims." Everyone and everything has their quirks and unpredictable moments — even things that …
Beginner -
I Herkules dupa, kiedy ludzi kupa.
"Even Hercules is helpless when there's a crowd against him." No matter how strong or capable a person is, they cannot …
Intermediate -
I Herkules nie pomoże, kiedy ludzi całe morze.
"Even Hercules cannot help when there is a whole sea of people." A more elevated variant of the same idea: individual …
Intermediate -
I król na dziurawym tronie siaduje, gdy dobrze obiaduje.
"Even a king sits on a broken throne when he dines well." A good meal makes any discomfort bearable. Comfort and …
Intermediate -
I króla robaki zjedzą.
"Even a king will be eaten by worms." Death is the great equaliser — no rank, wealth, or power can save anyone from …
Beginner -
I na starym krzaku róże kwitną.
"Even on an old bush, roses bloom." Age does not extinguish beauty, talent, or vitality. Old people can still flourish …
Beginner -
I ostatnim kęsem chleba podzielić się z bratem trzeba.
"Even the last piece of bread must be shared with a brother." Generosity and solidarity are obligations, not options — …
Intermediate -
I ten złodziej, co kradnie, i ten, co złodziejowi drabinę trzyma.
"Both the thief who steals and the one who holds the ladder for the thief are thieves." Complicity in wrongdoing makes …
Intermediate -
I w Paryżu nie zrobią z gówna ryżu
Even the best craftsmen or the most sophisticated place cannot make something good out of poor raw material. Quality of …
Intermediate -
I w Paryżu nie zrobią z owsa ryżu
A politer variant of the same idea: even in the most capable hands, you cannot transform one thing into something …
Beginner -
I wilk syty, i owca cała
A situation where both parties get what they want — a win-win outcome where no one has to sacrifice anything.
Beginner -
Idzie luty, podkuj buty
February brings harsh cold and icy conditions, so prepare yourself — literally and figuratively. A reminder to get ready …
Beginner -
Ile wina w głowie, tyle prawdy w słowie
The more wine (alcohol) someone has drunk, the more truth comes out in what they say. Drunk people tend to say what they …
Intermediate -
Im dalej w las, tym więcej drzew
The deeper you go into something, the more complex and overwhelming it becomes. Often used when a problem turns out to …
Beginner -
Im kot starszy, tym ogon twardszy
The older someone gets, the more stubborn and set in their ways they become. Old habits and attitudes harden with age.
Intermediate -
Im na Krzysztofa większe pogody, tym zimą sroższe nastaną lody
A weather proverb: the warmer and fairer the weather on Saint Christopher's Day (July 25), the harsher the ice and frost …
Advanced -
Im większa jest praca, tym są milsze znoje
The harder the work, the sweeter the reward and the more satisfying the effort feels. Struggle makes the outcome more …
Advanced -
Indyk myślał o niedzieli, a w sobotę łeb mu ścięto
Someone was making plans for the future while being completely unaware of the danger right in front of them. Plans are …
Intermediate -
Jabłko od jabłoni niedaleko się toczy
Children resemble their parents in character, behaviour, or abilities. Like father, like son.
Beginner -
Jajko chce być mądrzejsze od kury
Someone younger or less experienced is trying to teach or correct someone older and wiser. The student thinks they know …
Beginner -
Jajko mądrzejsze od kury
A shorter, punchier version of the same idea: someone inexperienced presumes to know more than those with greater …
Beginner -
Jak cię widzą, tak cię piszą
First impressions and appearances matter. People judge you and treat you based on how you present yourself.
Beginner -
Jak drozdy śpiewają na wierzchołkach drzew, wiosna wnet; a jak między gałęziami, to jeszcze het
A nature-based weather proverb: if thrushes sing from the treetops, spring is near; if they sing from within the …
Advanced -
Jak Kuba Bogu, tak Bóg Kubie
You get back what you give. If you treat others poorly, expect the same in return. Karma expressed in folk form.
Intermediate -
Jak na Matkę Gromniczną, tak na święty Józef
A weather proverb: whatever the weather is like on Candlemas (February 2), it will be the same on Saint Joseph's Day …
Advanced -
Jak na święty Józef bocian przyleci, to na skrzydłach resztki śniegu przynosi
If the stork arrives on Saint Joseph's Day (March 19), it still brings the last remnants of winter snow on its wings — …
Advanced -
Jak na święty Maciej ciepło, to się będzie długo wlekło
If it is warm on Saint Matthias's Day (February 24), the cold weather will drag on for a long time yet. Unseasonable …
Advanced -
Jak ojciec umrze, dziecko półsierota, ale jak matka, to cała sierota
Losing a father makes a child half an orphan, but losing a mother makes them a complete orphan. The proverb reflects the …
Intermediate -
Jak Pan Bóg dopuści, to i z kija wypuści
If God allows it, anything can happen — even a stick can sprout. Divine will can make the impossible possible.
Intermediate -
Jak pies je, to nie szczeka
When someone is busy eating (or occupied with something they want), they stop complaining. You can't do two things at …
Beginner -
Jak pszczółki na wiosnę z ula wcześnie wylatują, to pewnie mróz na drzewa w maju nam zwiastują
If bees leave the hive early in spring, it foretells a late frost in May. A folk weather proverb warning that an early …
Intermediate -
Jak się baby nie bije, to jej wątroba gnije
A deeply misogynistic old proverb claiming that a woman who is not beaten becomes morally corrupt. Recorded here as a …
Advanced -
Jak się chce psa uderzyć, kij się znajdzie
If you want to hit a dog, you'll find a stick. Meaning: if someone is determined to harm or blame another, they will …
Intermediate -
Jak się córka urodzi, to jakby się siedmiu złodziei do komory podkopało
When a daughter is born, it is as if seven thieves had tunnelled into the storeroom. An old proverb reflecting the …
Advanced -
Jak się człowiek spieszy, to się diabeł cieszy
When a person hurries, the devil rejoices. Haste leads to mistakes, and mistakes serve the devil's purposes. A warning …
Beginner -
Jak się drzewo powali, każdy je rąbie i pali
Once a tree has fallen, everyone chops it up and burns it. When someone powerful falls from grace, everyone is quick to …
Intermediate -
Jak się Katarzyna głosi, tak się Nowy Rok nosi
As Saint Catherine's Day (25 November) presents itself weatherwise, so will the New Year. A folk calendar proverb …
Intermediate -
Jak się nie ma, co się lubi, to się lubi, co się ma
If you don't have what you like, you like what you have. A pragmatic acceptance of one's circumstances — make the best …
Beginner -
Jak się nie ma, co się mówi, to się leży, z kim się gra
If you don't have what you say (i.e. can't back up your words), you end up in bed with whoever you're playing with. A …
Advanced -
Jak się zalecał, to obiecał; jak dostał, to przestał
When he was courting, he made promises; once he got what he wanted, he stopped. A wry observation about how people …
Intermediate -
Jak sobie pościelesz, tak się wyśpisz
As you make your bed, so you will sleep in it. Your outcomes are the direct result of your own actions and choices.
Beginner -
Jak styczeń zachlapany, to lipiec zapłakany
If January is wet and muddy, July will be rainy. A folk weather proverb pairing the first and seventh months.
Beginner -
Jak śnieg w świętego Błażeja, pogodna będzie Wielka Niedziela
If there is snow on St Blaise's Day (3 February), Easter Sunday will be sunny. A folk weather proverb linking the feast …
Intermediate -
Jak świat światem, nie będzie Niemiec Polakowi bratem
As long as the world exists, a German will never be a brother to a Pole. A historical proverb expressing deep-seated …
Intermediate -
Jak święta Agnieszka wypuści śnieg z mieszka, to go nie powstrzyma ani do Franciszka
If St Agnes (21 January) releases snow from her bag, it won't stop until St Francis's Day (4 October). A hyperbolic folk …
Advanced -
Jak trwoga, to do Boga
When there is fear, people turn to God. People remember religion most when they are in trouble or danger.
Beginner -
Jak ty komu, tak on tobie
As you treat others, so they will treat you. A concise statement of reciprocity and the golden rule.
Beginner -
Jak ty z ojcem, tak z tobą syn postąpi
As you treat your father, so your son will treat you. Children learn behaviour from their parents; what you model, you …
Intermediate -
Jak w gromadzie, to sporzej; jak samemu, to gorzej
In a group, things go better; alone, they go worse. There is strength and efficiency in numbers and community.
Intermediate -
Jak w świętą Annę deszcz pada, to robak orzechy zjada
If it rains on St Anne's Day (26 July), worms will eat the hazelnuts. A folk proverb predicting a poor nut harvest when …
Intermediate -
Jak w Wigilię gwiazdy świecą, kury dobrze jajka niosą
If the stars shine brightly on Christmas Eve, the hens will lay eggs well. A folk proverb linking clear Christmas Eve …
Beginner -
Jak z matki duch, to z dzieci puch
When the mother's spirit is gone (she dies), the children scatter like down. A proverb about how a mother holds the …
Intermediate -
Jak za króla Sasa: jedz, pij i popuszczaj pasa
"Like in the time of King Augustus: eat, drink, and loosen your belt." A sardonic reference to the reign of the Saxon …
Intermediate -
Jaka Gromniczna bracie, taki Święty Maciej
As Candlemas goes, so goes Saint Matthias's Day. A folk weather proverb: the weather on Candlemas (2 February) predicts …
Beginner -
Jaka jabłoń, takie jabłko
As the apple tree, so the apple. Children take after their parents — character and qualities are inherited.
Beginner -
Jaka mać, taka nać
As the mother, so the tops (of the plant). Children resemble their mothers. "Nać" refers to the leafy tops of root …
Intermediate -
Jaka Małgorzatka, takie będzie pół latka
As Saint Margaret's Day goes, so will the second half of summer. A folk weather proverb: the weather on Saint Margaret's …
Beginner -
Jaka matka, taka córka
As the mother, so the daughter. Daughters inherit their mothers' traits, habits, and character.
Beginner -
Jaka płaca, taka praca
As the pay, so the work. You get the quality of work you pay for — low wages produce low effort.
Beginner -
Jaka praca, taka płaca
As the work, so the pay. Reward is proportional to effort — hard work earns good pay, poor work earns little.
Beginner -
Jaki Bartek, taki wrzesień, jaki Marcin, taka zima
As Saint Bartholomew's Day goes, so goes September; as Saint Martin's Day goes, so goes winter. A folk weather proverb …
Beginner -
Jaki bochen, taka skórka, jaka matka, taka córka
As the loaf, so the crust; as the mother, so the daughter. The outer reflects the inner — and children reflect their …
Beginner -
Jaki był korzeń, takie różdżki, jaka matka, takie córki
As the root was, so the shoots; as the mother, so the daughters. Character and nature are passed down through …
Intermediate -
Jaki chleb, taka skórka, jaka matka, taka córka
As the bread, so the crust; as the mother, so the daughter. A variant of the loaf-and-crust proverb emphasising that …
Beginner -
Jaki dzień Bartłomieja, takiej jesieni nadzieja
As Saint Bartholomew's Day is, such is the hope for autumn. The weather on 24 August predicts what the coming autumn …
Intermediate -
Jaki korzeń, taka nać, taka córka, jaka mać
As the root, so the tops; as the daughter, so the mother. A rustic proverb about inherited character — the plant …
Intermediate -
Jaki Michał, taka wiosna
As Saint Michael's Day goes, so goes spring. The weather on 29 September is said to predict the following spring.
Beginner -
Jaki ojciec, taki syn
As the father, so the son. Sons inherit their fathers' character and ways.
Beginner -
Jaki pan, taki kram
As the master, so the stall. The quality of a business or enterprise reflects the character of the person running it.
Beginner -
Jaki wół, taka skóra, jaka mać, taka córa
As the ox, so the hide; as the mother, so the daughter. The outer quality reflects the inner nature — and daughters take …
Intermediate -
Jakie drzewo, taka kora, jaka matka, taka córa
As the tree, so the bark; as the mother, so the daughter. The outer reflects the inner, and children take after their …
Beginner -
Jakie drzewo, taki klin, jaki ojciec, taki syn
As the tree, so the wedge; as the father, so the son. The material determines the tool made from it — and sons take …
Beginner -
Jakie jabłko, taka skórka, jaka matka, taka córka
As the apple, so the skin; as the mother, so the daughter. The outer reflects the inner, and daughters take after their …
Beginner -
Jakie matki, takie dziatki
As the mothers, so the children. Children's character and behaviour reflect how their mothers raised them.
Beginner -
Jakie ojcostwo, takie posłuszeństwo
As the fatherhood, so the obedience. The way a father raises his children determines how obedient they will be.
Intermediate -
Jakie Zwiastowanie, takie Zmartwychwstanie
As the Annunciation goes, so goes Easter. The weather on the Annunciation (25 March) predicts the weather at Easter.
Intermediate -
Jakim człowiek się zdaje, takim chyłkiem zostaje
As a person appears, so they quietly remain. People's true nature matches the impression they give — or, more cynically, …
Advanced -
Jako ty rodzice swoje, tak cię uczczą dziatki twoje
As you honour your parents, so your children will honour you. A proverb about reciprocity across generations — how you …
Intermediate -
Jakoś chował syna, tak on z tobą poczyna
As you raised your son, so he will deal with you. How you bring up your children determines how they will treat you when …
Intermediate -
Jakoś chowała syna, tak on z tobą poczyna
As you (feminine) raised your son, so he will deal with you. The feminine-addressed variant of the proverb about reaping …
Intermediate -
Jaskółka i pszczółka lata, znakiem wiosny to dla świata
The swallow and the little bee fly — that is a sign of spring for the world. When swallows and bees appear, spring has …
Beginner -
Jeden ojciec dziesięć synów wychowa, a dziesięć synów jednego ojca żywić nie mogą
One father can raise ten sons, but ten sons cannot feed one father. A bitter observation about filial ingratitude — …
Intermediate -
Jedna jaskółka nie czyni wiosny
One swallow does not make a spring. A single positive sign is not enough to conclude that something good has fully …
Beginner -
Jedna jaskółka wiosny nie czyni
A variant of the same proverb: one swallow does not make spring. A single instance is not proof of a trend.
Beginner -
Jedna matka dziesięć synów wychowa, a jednej matki dziesięć synów żywić nie mogą
One mother can raise ten sons, but ten sons cannot feed one mother. Highlights the selflessness of a mother's love …
Intermediate -
Jedna owca parszywa całe stado zarazi
One mangy sheep infects the whole flock. One bad person or element can corrupt an entire group.
Beginner -
Jednego słońca dość na niebie
One sun is enough in the sky. There is room for only one leader or authority; too many chiefs cause conflict.
Beginner -
Jedz chleb z każdą warzą, a rób, co ci każą
Eat bread with whatever dish you have, and do what you are told. Be content with what you have and obedient to those in …
Intermediate -
Jest to cnota nad cnotami trzymać język za zębami
It is a virtue above all virtues to hold one's tongue. Knowing when to stay silent is the greatest of virtues.
Intermediate -
Jeszcze matce za cycek nie podziękował
He has not even thanked his mother for her breast yet. Said of someone who is very young and inexperienced, yet acts …
Intermediate -
Jeszcze się taki nie urodził, co by wszystkim dogodził
No one has yet been born who could please everyone. It is impossible to satisfy everybody, so do not try.
Intermediate -
Jeszcze tego nie było, by jajko kurę uczyło
It has never happened that an egg taught the hen. The young and inexperienced should not presume to instruct their …
Intermediate -
Jeśli bociany do Michała zostały, nie będzie mrozów przez grudzień cały
If storks are still here by St. Michael's Day (29 September), there will be no frosts throughout December. A folk …
Advanced -
Jeśli ci jeszcze nie dokuczył luty, to pal dobrze w kominie i miej kożuch suty
If February has not yet made you suffer, stoke the fire well and keep a thick sheepskin coat. Be prepared — the harshest …
Advanced -
Jeśli deszcz na Michała, zima będzie nietrwała
If it rains on St. Michael's Day, winter will be short-lived. A folk weather proverb.
Intermediate -
Jeśli nie odlecą ptaszki do Michała, do Wigilii zima nie nastąpi trwała
If the birds have not flown away by St. Michael's Day, a lasting winter will not arrive before Christmas Eve. A folk …
Advanced -
Jeśli upały w sianokosy i żniwa, to zima ostra i dokuczliwa, a jeżeli słota, to w zimie dużo błota
If there is a heatwave during haymaking and harvest, winter will be harsh and troublesome; if it is rainy, there will be …
Advanced -
Jeśli w dzień świętego Michała wiatr północny wieje, to na pogodę nie miejmy nadzieję
If a north wind blows on St. Michael's Day, we should not hope for good weather. A folk weather proverb.
Advanced -
Jeśli w święty Paweł śnieg albo deszcz pada, dobrych się urodzajów spodziewać wypada
If it snows or rains on the feast of St. Paul, one can expect a good harvest. A folk weather and agricultural proverb.
Advanced -
Jeśli wejdziesz między wrony, musisz krakać jak i one
If you go among crows, you must caw like them. When you join a group, you must conform to its customs and behaviour.
Intermediate -
Jeżeli ciepło w dzień świętego Piotra, to zima do Wielkiejnocy potrwa
If it is warm on the feast of St. Peter, winter will last until Easter. A folk weather proverb.
Advanced -
Jeżeli na Świętego Kazimierza pogoda, to na kartofle uroda
If the weather is fine on St. Casimir's Day (4 March), there will be a good potato harvest. A folk agricultural proverb. …
Advanced -
Jeżeli pszczoła w styczniu z ula wylatuje, rzadko pomyślny rok nam obiecuje
If a bee flies out of the hive in January, it rarely promises us a prosperous year. Unusual warmth in winter is not a …
Advanced -
Jeżeli święty Michał deszczem przysłuży, to suchą wiosnę nam wróży
If St. Michael's Day brings rain, it foretells a dry spring. A folk weather proverb.
Advanced -
Język i do Krakowa dopyta
The tongue will find its way even to Kraków. If you ask, you will find your way anywhere; asking questions is the best …
Beginner -
Kaj z Bogiem matka, tam z Bogiem dziatwa
"Where the mother goes with God, there the children go with God." Children follow the moral and spiritual example set by …
Advanced -
Karty przy orderach
"Cards next to medals." Said of someone who displays their achievements or decorations prominently, often implying …
Intermediate -
Katarzyny dzień jaki, cały grudzień będzie taki
"Whatever the weather on St. Catherine's Day, such will be the whole of December." A folk weather proverb tied to the …
Intermediate -
Katarzyny dzień jaki, cały grudzień taki
A shorter variant of the St. Catherine's Day weather proverb: "Whatever the day of Catherine's feast, such will all of …
Intermediate -
Kawalerowi wszędzie źle, żonatemu tylko w domu
"A bachelor is unhappy everywhere; a married man is unhappy only at home." A wry, humorous take on marriage — bachelors …
Intermediate -
Kawałek chleba nie spadnie z nieba
"A piece of bread won't fall from the sky." Nothing comes for free — you have to work for what you need. A reminder that …
Beginner -
Kawałek chleba nie spadnie z nieba – pracą na niego zarobić trzeba
"A piece of bread won't fall from the sky — you have to earn it through work." The extended form of the proverb makes …
Beginner -
Każda liszka swój ogonek chwali
"Every little fox praises its own tail." Everyone thinks highly of themselves and their own qualities. A variant of the …
Beginner -
Każda pliszka swój ogon chwali
"Every wagtail praises its own tail." Everyone is partial to their own qualities and achievements. A shorter variant …
Beginner -
Każda pliszka swój ogonek chwali
"Every wagtail praises its own little tail." The most common form of this proverb: everyone is their own biggest fan and …
Beginner -
Każda praca ma zapłatę
"Every work has its reward." Honest effort is always compensated in some way — whether financially, morally, or …
Beginner -
Każdy as bierze raz
"Every ace takes only once." Even the strongest card or the most powerful person can only win once in a given situation. …
Intermediate -
Każdy kogut na swych śmieciach śmielszy
"Every rooster is bolder on his own dunghill." People are more confident and assertive on their home turf. Similar to …
Intermediate -
Każdy kraje chleb do siebie
"Everyone cuts bread towards themselves." People naturally act in their own interest. When cutting bread, you pull the …
Beginner -
Każdy ma swojego mola, co go gryzie
"Everyone has their own moth that gnaws at them." Everyone has their own private worry, trouble, or obsession that eats …
Intermediate -
Każdy ród ma swój brud
"Every family has its own dirt." Every family has its secrets, flaws, or shameful episodes. Don't be too quick to judge …
Beginner -
Każdy sobie rzepkę skrobie
"Everyone scrapes their own turnip." Everyone looks after their own interests and doesn't worry about others. Often said …
Beginner -
Kiedy chłop ma dużo dzieci, to on bogaty; kiedy pan ma dużo dzieci, to on biedny
"When a peasant has many children, he is rich; when a nobleman has many children, he is poor." For a peasant, children …
Intermediate -
Kiedy gospodyni pierze i chleb piecze, to się ledwie nie wściecze
"When the housewife does laundry and bakes bread at the same time, she nearly goes mad." Doing too many demanding tasks …
Intermediate -
Kiedy Gromniczna zimę traci, to święty Maciej ją wzbogaci
"When Candlemas loses winter, St. Matthias will enrich it." If the weather is mild at Candlemas (February 2), St. …
Intermediate -
Kiedy Jerzy pogodą częstuje, wnet się pogoda zepsuje
"When St. George treats us to fine weather, the weather will soon turn bad." Good weather on St. George's Day (April 23) …
Intermediate -
Kiedy luty puści, to marzec wypiecze
"When February lets go, March will bake it dry." If February brings a thaw, March will compensate with harsh, drying …
Intermediate -
Kiedy luty schodzi, człek po wodzie brodzie
"When February departs, a person wades through water." The end of February brings snowmelt and mud, making paths …
Intermediate -
Kiedy luty, obuj buty
"When it's February, put on your boots." February is cold and wet — dress warmly and practically. A simple, direct piece …
Beginner -
Kiedy na Michała wiatr północny wieje, na ładną pogodę chłop traci nadzieję
"When a north wind blows on St. Michael's Day, the farmer loses hope for fine weather." A north wind on September 29 …
Intermediate -
Kiedy na świętą Łucję mróz, to smaruj wóz
"When there's frost on St. Lucy's Day, grease your cart." If it's frosty on December 13 (St. Lucy's Day), expect a mild …
Intermediate -
Kiedy Paweł się nawróci, zima na wspak się odwróci
"When Paul converts, winter turns back on itself." Around the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul (January 25), winter …
Intermediate -
Kiedy przyjdziesz między wrony, kraczże jak i ony
"When you come among crows, caw as they do." When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Adapt to the customs and behaviour of …
Intermediate -
Kiedy przyjdziesz między wrony, kraczże jako ony
"When you come among crows, caw just as they do." A variant of the same proverb using 'jako' (just as) instead of 'jak …
Intermediate -
Kiedy przyjdziesz między wrony, krakaj jak i one
When you find yourself among crows, caw like them. Adapt to the customs and behaviour of those around you.
Intermediate -
Kiedy przyjdziesz między wrony, musisz krakać jak i one
When you come among crows, you must caw like them. You must conform to the norms of the group you join.
Intermediate -
Kiedy przyjdziesz między wrony, musisz krakać jak i ony
Archaic variant using 'ony' instead of 'one'. Same meaning: adapt to the customs of those around you.
Intermediate -
Kiedy przyjdziesz między wrony, musisz krakać jako ony
Archaic variant using 'jako' and 'ony'. Adapt to the ways of those around you.
Intermediate -
Kiedy przyjdziesz między wrony, musisz robić jak i one
When you come among crows, you must do as they do. Conform to the behaviour of those around you.
Intermediate -
Kiedy przyjdziesz między wrony, tak kracz jako i ony
Archaic variant: when among crows, caw as they do. Adapt to your surroundings.
Intermediate -
Kiedy przyjdziesz między wrony, tak też krakaj jak i ony
Archaic variant: when among crows, caw just like them. Conform to the group's customs.
Intermediate -
Kiedy ptaki w styczniu śpiewają, to im w maju dzioby zamarzają
When birds sing in January, their beaks will freeze in May. Unseasonably warm winters are followed by cold springs.
Intermediate -
Kiedy się bracia kochają, to się czubią
When brothers love each other, they still quarrel. Even close relationships involve conflict.
Intermediate -
Kiedy się jaskółka zniża, deszcz się do nas zbliża
When the swallow flies low, rain is approaching. A weather proverb based on the behaviour of swallows before storms.
Beginner -
Kiedy styczeń najostrzejszy, wtedy roczek najpłodniejszy
When January is harshest, the year will be most fruitful. A harsh winter is seen as a sign of a good harvest.
Intermediate -
Kiedy w Małgorzatę kropi, siano się źle kopi
When it drizzles on St. Margaret's Day (July 20), hay is hard to rake. A farming calendar proverb.
Intermediate -
Kiedy w świętą Barbarę mróz, to chłopie sanie na górę włóż
When it freezes on St. Barbara's Day (December 4), put your sleigh away, farmer. Frost on that day means winter will not …
Intermediate -
Kiedy w świętą Barbarę mróz, to szukaj chłopie dobry wóz
When it freezes on St. Barbara's Day, look for a good cart, farmer. Frost on that day signals a mild winter ahead.
Intermediate -
Kiedy w świętą Barbarę mróz, to szykuj chłopie dobry wóz
When it freezes on St. Barbara's Day, prepare a good cart, farmer. A mild winter will follow.
Intermediate -
Kiedy w świętą Katarzynę lód nie stanie, to gotuj sanie
When ice doesn't form on St. Catherine's Day (November 25), prepare your sleigh. A late freeze means a hard winter is …
Intermediate -
Kiedy wejdziesz między wrony, krakajże jak i ony
Archaic emphatic variant: when you enter among crows, do caw like them. Adapt to your environment.
Intermediate -
Kłamstwem daleko się nie zajdzie
You won't get far with lies. Dishonesty is ultimately self-defeating.
Beginner -
Kłamstwo ma krótkie nogi
A lie has short legs — it can't run far. Lies are soon caught out.
Beginner -
Kochajmy się jak bracia, liczmy się jak Żydzi
Let us love each other like brothers, but settle accounts like Jews. Keep friendship and business separate; be generous …
Advanced -
Kochajmy się jak bracia, rachujmy się jak Żydzi
Variant using 'rachujmy się'. Love like brothers, but keep careful accounts. Friendship and finances should be handled …
Advanced -
Kogo akademia, dwór, obóz w rozum nie wypoleruje, tego żona rozumu, dowcipu douczyć powinna
Whom academy, court, and camp cannot polish in wit, his wife should teach him sense and cleverness. A wife's practical …
Advanced -
Komu Bóg rozumu nie da, kowal mu go nie ukuje
Whom God gives no wit, a blacksmith cannot forge it for him. Intelligence cannot be manufactured or forced.
Intermediate -
Komu chleb zaszkodzi, a komu kij pomoże
For some, bread does harm; for others, a stick helps. Different people need different treatment.
Intermediate -
Komu chleb zaszkodzi, temu kij pomoże
Whoever is harmed by bread will be helped by a stick. Some people only respond to harsh treatment.
Intermediate -
Komu praca kłopotem, oj! oj! będzie wołał potem
Whoever finds work a burden will cry out later. Those who avoid effort will suffer the consequences.
Intermediate -
Komu w drogę, temu czas
For one who must travel, time is of the essence. Said to urge someone who needs to leave to get going.
Beginner -
Konia kują, żaba nogę podstawia
While the horse is being shod, the frog sticks out its leg. Said of someone who meddles or tries to imitate those far …
Intermediate -
Koń ma cztery nogi i też się potknie
Even a horse with four legs stumbles. Everyone makes mistakes, no matter how capable.
Beginner -
Kot kotkę okaleczył, kot kotkę będzie leczył
"The cat injured the kitten, the cat will treat the kitten." The one who caused harm is now expected to fix it — often …
Intermediate -
Kot się myje, będą goście
"The cat is washing itself, guests will come." A folk belief that when a cat washes its face, visitors are on their way. …
Beginner -
Kowal zawinił, a Cygana powiesili
"The blacksmith was at fault, but they hanged the Gypsy." The guilty party goes free while an innocent or weaker person …
Intermediate -
Kradzione nie tuczy
"Stolen goods don't fatten you." Ill-gotten gains bring no real benefit or satisfaction. What is stolen may fill your …
Beginner -
Kropla drąży skałę
"A drop wears away the stone." Persistent, patient effort — even small and seemingly insignificant — will eventually …
Beginner -
Krowa, która dużo ryczy, mało mleka daje
"The cow that moos a lot gives little milk." Those who talk the most often produce the least. Loud boasting is a sign of …
Beginner -
Król jest nagi
"The king is naked." Used when someone in power is exposed as having no real substance, competence, or moral authority — …
Beginner -
Króla Popiela myszy zjadły
"The mice ate King Popiel." Refers to the legendary Polish ruler Popiel who, according to chronicle tradition, was …
Advanced -
Kruk krukowi oka nie wykole
"A crow will not poke out another crow's eye." People of the same kind, especially those engaged in shady dealings, …
Intermediate -
Krzywa praca nie opłaca
"Crooked work doesn't pay." Dishonest or shoddy work brings no real reward. Cutting corners or acting unethically is …
Beginner -
Ksiądz dwa razy kazania nie mówi
"A priest doesn't give his sermon twice." Something important is said once; if you missed it, that's your problem. Don't …
Intermediate -
Kto Bogu służy, temu szczęście płuży
"He who serves God, luck flows to him." A pious life is rewarded with good fortune. Faith and virtue attract divine …
Advanced -
Kto chce nieba, cierpieć trzeba, a kto chce chleba, pracować trzeba
"He who wants heaven must suffer, and he who wants bread must work." Nothing worthwhile comes without effort or …
Intermediate -
Kto chce żyć z swojej pracy, dolegać nie trzeba
"He who wants to live by his own work need not complain." If you earn your living honestly through your own labour, you …
Intermediate -
Kto chleb nosi, tego też chleb nosi
"He who carries bread, bread carries him too." Those who provide for others will themselves be provided for. Generosity …
Intermediate -
Kto chleba nie chce, nie godzien kołacza
"He who doesn't want bread is not worthy of cake." If you reject the basic and ordinary, you have no right to expect …
Intermediate -
Kto chlebem gardzi, to nim Pan Bóg bardziej
"He who scorns bread, God scorns him even more." Wasting or disrespecting food — especially bread — is a sin that brings …
Intermediate -
Kto daje i odbiera, ten się w piekle poniewiera
"He who gives and takes back wallows in hell." Taking back a gift is considered deeply shameful — worse than never …
Beginner -
Kto dał zęby, da i chleb
"He who gave teeth will also give bread." God (or fate) who gave you the means to eat will also provide the food. Trust …
Beginner -
Kto folguje rózdze, nienawidzi syna swego, lecz kto go miłuje, ustawnie ćwiczy
"He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him constantly." Strict upbringing is an …
Advanced -
Kto gra karo, przegra zaro
"He who plays diamonds will lose for sure." A rhyming warning from card-playing culture: certain choices lead inevitably …
Intermediate -
Kto kogo łaje, niech sam przykład daje
"He who scolds another should himself set an example." Before criticising others, make sure your own conduct is beyond …
Intermediate -
Kto ku pracy ręce skłoni, nie uniży w gmachach skroni
"He who bends his hands to work will not bow his brow in palaces." The person who works hard with their hands will never …
Advanced -
Kto kupuje, czego mu nie trzeba, nie ma potem za co kupić chleba
"He who buys what he doesn't need will later have no money to buy bread." Wasteful spending on unnecessary things leads …
Intermediate -
Kto latem pracuje, zimą głodu nie czuje
"He who works in summer does not feel hunger in winter." Hard work and preparation during good times ensures you won't …
Beginner -
Kto ma ręce do pracy, ten się naje kołaczy
"He who has hands for work will eat his fill of sweet rolls." Those willing to work hard will be rewarded with good …
Beginner -
Kto ma sumienie w duszy, ten cudzego nie ruszy
"He who has a conscience in his soul will not touch what belongs to others." A person of good character respects others' …
Intermediate -
Kto ma szczęście, temu i wół cielę urodzi
"He who has luck — even his ox will give birth to a calf." Lucky people seem to benefit even from impossible or …
Intermediate -
Kto małego nie chce, to i dużego nie ogląda
"He who doesn't want the small will not see the large either." Rejecting modest gains out of greed or pride means you …
Beginner -
Kto mieczem wojuje, (ten) od miecza ginie
"He who fights by the sword dies by the sword." Those who use violence or aggression as their means will ultimately be …
Intermediate -
Kto nie chce pracy znieść, ten nie ma co jeść
"He who won't endure work has nothing to eat." Refusing to work means going hungry. A blunt reminder that sustenance …
Beginner -
Kto nie ma córek, ten nie ma dzieci
"He who has no daughters has no children." A humorous or ironic saying suggesting that daughters are the true children — …
Beginner -
Kto nie ma szczęścia w kartach, ten ma szczęście w miłości
"He who has no luck at cards has luck in love." A consolation: if fortune eludes you in one area of life, it compensates …
Beginner -
Kto nie ma w głowie, ten ma w nogach
"He who doesn't have it in his head has it in his legs." Someone who fails to plan or think ahead ends up having to run …
Beginner -
Kto nie słucha brata, słuchać będzie bata
"He who won't listen to his brother will have to listen to the whip." Ignoring good advice from those close to you leads …
Beginner -
Kto nie słucha matki, ten pójdzie za kratki
"He who doesn't listen to his mother will end up behind bars." Disobeying parental guidance leads to a life of crime and …
Beginner -
Kto nie słucha ojca, matki, będą bić go własne dziatki
"He who doesn't listen to his father and mother will be beaten by his own children." Disrespecting your parents sets a …
Intermediate -
Kto nie słucha ojca, matki, niech słucha psiej skóry
"He who won't listen to his father and mother, let him listen to the dog's hide." A threat: if you ignore your parents' …
Intermediate -
Kto nie słucha ojca, matki, ten słucha psiej skóry
"He who doesn't listen to his father and mother listens to the dog's hide." A declarative variant of the same warning: …
Intermediate -
Kto nie ściąga atutów, ten chodzi bez butów
"He who doesn't draw trumps walks without shoes." In card games, failing to use your trump cards leads to losing …
Intermediate -
Kto nie umie kraść i oszukiwać, nie ma się po co w Warszawie znajdywać
"Whoever can't steal and deceive has no business being in Warsaw." A sardonic proverb poking fun at Warsaw's reputation …
Advanced -
Kto ojca i matkę czci, temu Bóg błogosławi
"Whoever honours their father and mother, God blesses them." A religious proverb reinforcing the commandment to honour …
Beginner -
Kto ojca i matki nie słucha, ten na zimną wodę dmucha
"Whoever doesn't listen to their father and mother blows on cold water." Blowing on cold water is pointless — so is the …
Beginner -
Kto ojca i matki słuchać nie chce, ten katu musi przyjść w ręce
"Whoever refuses to obey their father and mother must end up in the executioner's hands." A stark warning that …
Intermediate -
Kto pierwej do młyna przyniesie, temu pierwej zmielą
"Whoever brings grain to the mill first gets it ground first." First come, first served. Acting promptly gives you an …
Intermediate -
Kto pierwszy, ten lepszy
"Whoever is first is better off." A concise expression of the advantage of acting before others. Speed and initiative …
Beginner -
Kto pod kim dołki kopie, sam w nie wpada
"Whoever digs pits under someone else falls into them himself." Those who scheme against others end up harming …
Intermediate -
Kto pod kim dołki kopie, ten sam w nie wpada
"Whoever digs pits under someone else, that very person falls into them." A variant of the same proverb with 'ten sam' …
Intermediate -
Kto późno przychodzi, sam sobie szkodzi
"Whoever arrives late harms only themselves." Lateness is self-defeating. The consequences of tardiness fall on the …
Beginner -
Kto przyjdzie między wrony, musi krakać jako ony
"Whoever comes among crows must caw like them." When you join a group, you must conform to its customs and behaviour. …
Intermediate -
Kto pyta, nie błądzi
"Whoever asks doesn't go astray." Asking for directions or advice keeps you on the right path. There's no shame in …
Beginner -
Kto rano wstaje, temu Pan Bóg daje
"Whoever rises early, God gives to them." Early risers are rewarded. Hard work and an early start bring divine favour …
Beginner -
Kto rozrzuca grosze, zmarnieje potrosze
"Whoever scatters pennies will waste away little by little." Careless spending leads to gradual ruin. Small …
Intermediate -
Kto sieje jęczmień na Urbana, będzie pił piwo ze dzbana
"Whoever sows barley on St Urban's Day will drink beer from a jug." Sowing barley at the right time (around 25 May, the …
Advanced -
Kto sieje wiatr, ten zbiera burzę
"Whoever sows wind reaps a storm." Reckless or provocative actions lead to serious, destructive consequences. You get …
Intermediate -
Kto się do pracy leni, niewart jeść pieczeni
"Whoever is lazy about work is not worthy of eating roast meat." Those who avoid work don't deserve the rewards. No …
Intermediate -
Kto się lubi, ten się czubi
"Those who like each other also quarrel with each other." Close relationships involve both affection and conflict. …
Beginner -
Kto się na gorącym sparzył, ten na zimne dmucha
"Whoever has been burned by something hot blows on cold things too." A bad experience makes people overly cautious even …
Intermediate -
Kto się nie leni, robi złoto z kamieni
"Whoever is not lazy makes gold from stones." Diligence can turn even the most unpromising raw material into something …
Beginner -
Kto się w maju urodzi, dobrze mu się powodzi
"Whoever is born in May will fare well." A folk belief that a May birth brings good fortune throughout life.
Beginner -
Kto się wstydzi pracy, niewart chleba i kołaczy
"Whoever is ashamed of work is not worthy of bread or sweet rolls." Those who look down on honest labour deserve neither …
Intermediate -
Kto się z groszem nie liczy, tego bieda wyćwiczy
"Whoever doesn't count their pennies, poverty will teach them to." Careless handling of money leads to hardship, which …
Intermediate -
Kto szuka, ten znajdzie
"Whoever seeks will find." Persistence and effort are rewarded. If you look hard enough, you will find what you're …
Beginner -
Kto w lipcu patrzy chłodu, nacierpi się w zimie głodu
"Whoever seeks coolness in July will suffer hunger in winter." Avoiding summer work in favour of comfort means you won't …
Advanced -
Kto wiatr sieje, zbiera burzę
"Whoever sows wind reaps a storm." A variant word order of the same proverb. Reckless actions bring severe consequences. …
Intermediate -
Kto z Bogiem zacznie, uczyni bacznie
"Whoever begins with God will act wisely." Starting any endeavour with prayer or faith ensures it will be done well and …
Intermediate -
Kto z Bogiem, Bóg z nim
"Whoever is with God, God is with them." A reciprocal expression of faith: those who turn to God receive God's presence …
Beginner -
Kto z chłopem pije, ten też z nim pod płotem leży
"Whoever drinks with a peasant also ends up lying with him under the fence." If you keep company with people of rough …
Intermediate -
Kto z kim przestaje, takim się staje
"Whoever keeps company with someone becomes like them." You are shaped by the people around you. Choose your companions …
Beginner -
Kto z pracy rąk swych żyje, wnet taki utyje
"Whoever lives by the work of their own hands will soon grow fat." Hard, honest work brings prosperity and well-being. A …
Intermediate -
Kto z przyrodzenia głupi, i w Paryżu sobie rozumu nie kupi
"Whoever is stupid by nature won't buy themselves any sense even in Paris." No amount of travel or education can fix …
Intermediate -
Kto za młodu ojca, matki nie słucha, ten na starość byczej skóry posłucha
"Whoever in youth doesn't listen to their father and mother will in old age listen to ox-hide." Those who ignore …
Intermediate -
Kto ze mną jeść nie chce chleba, ja z nim nie będę kołacza
"Whoever doesn't want to eat bread with me, I won't share sweet bread with them either." Those who refuse simple, …
Intermediate -
Kuć żelazo, póki gorące
"Strike the iron while it's hot." Act at the right moment, while conditions are favourable. Delay causes missed …
Beginner -
Kurwa kurwie łba nie urwie
"A whore won't tear off another whore's head." People of the same kind or with the same vices protect each other and …
Advanced -
Kwiat lipcowy, napój zdrowy
"July blossom, healthy drink." Flowers that bloom in July — especially linden (lipa) — make the best herbal teas and …
Beginner -
Kwiecień plecień, bo przeplata trochę zimy, trochę lata
"April is a weaver, because it interweaves a little winter and a little summer." April weather is unpredictable, mixing …
Beginner -
Kwiecień, co deszczem rosi, wiele owoców przynosi
"April that sprinkles with rain brings many fruits." Rainy April weather is a good omen for a plentiful harvest later in …
Beginner -
Lekko przyszło, lekko poszło
"Lightly it came, lightly it went." A variant of 'łatwo przyszło, łatwo poszło'. What is gained without effort or weight …
Beginner -
Lepiej dzieciom dać, niż od dzieci brać
"Better to give to children than to take from them." It is nobler and more dignified to be a provider for the next …
Beginner -
Lepiej późno niż wcale
"Better late than never." Doing something belatedly is still preferable to not doing it at all. Used to excuse or accept …
Beginner -
Lepiej w nocy na wsi niż w dzień w Warszawie
"Better at night in the countryside than by day in Warsaw." Rural peace and quiet — even at night — is preferable to the …
Intermediate -
Lepiej z mądrym zgubić, niż z głupim znaleźć
"Better to lose with a wise person than to find with a fool." The company you keep matters more than the outcome. …
Intermediate -
Lepiej zapobiegać niż leczyć
"Better to prevent than to cure." It is wiser to take precautions and avoid problems than to deal with the consequences …
Beginner -
Lepsza Agata niźli jej tata
"Better Agata than her father." A humorous proverb suggesting that daughters can surpass their fathers, or more broadly …
Intermediate -
Lepsze jest wrogiem dobrego
"The better is the enemy of the good." Striving for something better can undermine what is already good enough. …
Intermediate -
Lepszy dzięcioł w ręku niż orzeł na sęku
"Better a woodpecker in hand than an eagle on a branch." A variant of the 'bird in hand' family of proverbs. What you …
Intermediate -
Lepszy rydz niż nic
"Better a saffron milk cap than nothing." Even something small or modest is better than nothing at all. The rydz (a type …
Beginner -
Lepszy w domu groch, kapusta niż na wojnie kura tłusta
"Better peas and cabbage at home than a fat hen at war." Simple, humble food enjoyed in peace and safety at home is …
Intermediate -
Lepszy wróbel w garści niż gołąb na dachu
"Better a sparrow in the fist than a pigeon on the roof." A certain, modest possession is more valuable than a larger …
Beginner -
Lepszy wróbel w ręku niż cietrzew na sęku
"Better a sparrow in hand than a black grouse on a branch." A variant of the 'bird in hand' proverb. A small, certain …
Intermediate -
Lepszy wróbel w ręku niż sokół na sęku
"Better a sparrow in hand than a falcon on a branch." Another variant of the 'bird in hand' family. The humble sparrow …
Intermediate -
Licho nie śpi
"The devil doesn't sleep." Evil, mischief, or bad luck is always lurking and never rests. Used as a warning to stay …
Beginner -
Ludzi moc, a o człowieka bieda
"There are plenty of people, but a shortage of real human beings." A crowd of people does not guarantee the presence of …
Advanced -
Luty w lódokuty
"February is shod in ice." February is the coldest, most frozen month of the year. A folk observation about the …
Intermediate -
Luty, napije się wół płuty
"In February, the ox will drink from the thaw." Despite February's cold, there are signs of the coming thaw — melting …
Advanced -
Łaska pańska na pstrym koniu jeździ
"A lord's favour rides on a dappled horse." The goodwill of those in power is unreliable and changeable — it can vanish …
Intermediate -
Łatwo przyszło, łatwo poszło
"Easy come, easy go." Things gained without effort are lost just as easily. What costs nothing is not valued and not …
Beginner -
Łowić ryby przed niewodem
"To fish before the net." To act prematurely, before the proper tools or conditions are in place. Equivalent to counting …
Intermediate -
Macocha, choćby z cukru, zawsze gorzka
"A stepmother, even if made of sugar, is always bitter." No matter how kind a stepmother tries to be, she will never be …
Intermediate -
Marność nad marnościami i wszystko marność
"Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity." Everything in the world is fleeting and ultimately meaningless. Used to express …
Intermediate -
Matka tłucze, ale uczy
"A mother beats, but she teaches." A mother's discipline, even when harsh, comes from love and the desire to raise a …
Beginner -
Matki nie kupisz
"You cannot buy a mother." A mother's love is priceless and irreplaceable — no amount of money can substitute for it. …
Beginner -
Mądrej głowie dość dwie słowie
"For a wise head, two words are enough." A clever person needs only a brief hint to understand; lengthy explanations are …
Intermediate -
Mądry Polak po szkodzie
"A Pole is wise after the damage is done." Poles (or people in general) tend to learn from mistakes only after suffering …
Beginner -
Mądry przyjmie radę, głupi nią wzgardzi
"The wise will accept advice; the fool will scorn it." Intelligent people are open to counsel, while foolish ones reject …
Intermediate -
Mądrzejsze jajko od kury
"The egg thinks it's wiser than the hen." Said when a younger or less experienced person presumes to know better than …
Beginner -
Mąż doradza, a przy żonie władza
"The husband advises, but the power lies with the wife." Despite appearances, it is the wife who holds real authority in …
Intermediate -
Mędrzejsze jajca niż kokosz
"The eggs are wiser than the hen." An older variant expressing the same idea as 'Mądrzejsze jajko od kury' — a younger …
Advanced -
Mędrzejsze jaje niż kura
"The egg is wiser than the hen." Another variant of the proverb about presumptuous youth or inexperience claiming to …
Intermediate -
Miesiąc styczeń, czas do życzeń: a więc życzymy pomyślności, Boga, chleba, dobrych gości
"The month of January, time for wishes: so we wish you prosperity, God, bread, and good guests." A traditional New Year …
Intermediate -
Miękko na Andrzeja, oj! niedobra nadzieja
"Mild weather on St Andrew's Day — oh, that's a bad omen." If the weather is warm and soft around St Andrew's Day (30 …
Intermediate -
Miękko na Jędrzeja, oj! niedobra nadzieja
"Mild weather on St Andrew's Day — oh, that's a bad omen." A variant of the same proverb using the older Polish form …
Intermediate -
Miła praca, lubo trudna, póki nie daremna
"Work is pleasant, though hard, as long as it is not in vain." Effort and toil are bearable and even enjoyable when they …
Advanced -
Miłość jest ślepa
"Love is blind." Those in love fail to see the faults of the person they love. One of the most universal proverbs, found …
Beginner -
Miłość miłość rodzi
"Love begets love." Showing love and kindness to others inspires them to respond in kind. Affection and goodwill are …
Beginner -
Młodość leniwa, starość płaczliwa
"A lazy youth makes for a tearful old age." Those who are idle and irresponsible when young will suffer and regret it in …
Beginner -
Młody może umrzeć, a stary musi
"The young may die, but the old must." Death is inevitable for everyone, but the old have no escape from it — it is only …
Beginner -
Mnich mnichowi kaptura nie oberwie
"A monk will not tear another monk's hood." People of the same group, profession, or interest protect one another and do …
Advanced -
Mnich niemowny, kot niełowny źle się miewają
"A monk who doesn't speak and a cat that doesn't hunt are both in a bad way." Everyone must fulfil their natural role or …
Intermediate -
Modli się pod figurą, a diabła ma za skórą
"He prays before a holy statue, yet has the devil under his skin." Said of hypocrites who appear pious or virtuous in …
Intermediate -
Moja chata z kraju
"My cottage is on the edge." I want nothing to do with this — it's not my problem. Used to express deliberate …
Beginner -
Mokry czerwiec, chłodny maj – wszystkim gburom prawy raj
"A wet June and a cool May are a true paradise for all farmers." Good weather conditions for crops — rain in June and …
Intermediate -
Mowa jest srebrem, a milczenie złotem
"Speech is silver, but silence is golden." Knowing when to stay quiet is more valuable than speaking. Discretion and …
Beginner -
Musi to na Rusi
"Must is only in Russia." There is no such thing as absolute compulsion — you always have a choice. Used to push back …
Beginner -
Musi to na Rusi, a w Polsce jak kto chce
"Must is in Russia, but in Poland everyone does as they please." An ironic comment on Polish individualism and …
Beginner -
Mysz kiedy się mąki obje, tedy się jej gorzka widzi
"When a mouse has eaten its fill of flour, it finds it bitter." Once you have had too much of something good, you grow …
Advanced -
Myszy dokazują, gdy kota nie czują
"Mice play up when they don't sense the cat." People misbehave or take liberties when authority or supervision is …
Beginner -
Myszy tańcują, gdy kota nie czują
"Mice dance when they don't sense the cat." A variant of the same idea: people take advantage and enjoy themselves …
Beginner -
Na Adama pięknie, zima prędko pęknie
"If it's beautiful on Adam's day, winter will soon crack." A weather proverb: if the feast day of Saint Adam (December …
Intermediate -
Na bezrybiu i rak ryba
"When there are no fish, even a crayfish counts as a fish." When you can't get what you really want, you make do with …
Beginner -
Na dzień świętej Doroty ma być śniega nad płotem
"On Saint Dorothy's day there should be snow above the fence." A weather proverb predicting that around the feast of …
Intermediate -
Na gnój i różę słońce jednako świeci
"The sun shines equally on dung and on a rose." Nature — and by extension, God or fate — treats everyone and everything …
Intermediate -
Na Katarzynę gęś po wodzie, Boże Narodzenie po lodzie
"If geese walk on water on Saint Catherine's day, Christmas will be on ice." A weather proverb: if there is no frost and …
Intermediate -
Na Katarzynę schowaj się pod pierzynę
"On Saint Catherine's day, hide under the duvet." Around November 25 the cold sets in properly — time to stay warm …
Beginner -
Na Nowy Rok przybywa dnia na barani skok
"On New Year's Day, the day grows by a lamb's leap." After the winter solstice, daylight begins to return — but only by …
Intermediate -
Na styczniu i lutym trzeba mieć konie kute
"In January and February you need to have shod horses." Winter ice and frozen ground make horseshoes essential — a …
Intermediate -
Na świętą Agatę wysuszysz na słońcu szmatę
"On Saint Agatha's day you can dry a rag in the sun." Around February 5th (Saint Agatha's feast), the sun is strong …
Beginner -
Na świętą Agnieszkę wychodzi woda na ścieżkę
"On Saint Agnes's day, water comes out onto the path." Around January 21st, thawing begins and meltwater appears on …
Beginner -
Na świętą Annę mrowiska, szukaj w zimie ogniska
"On Saint Anne's day, ant hills — seek a bonfire in winter." If ants are active around July 26th, it foretells a cold …
Intermediate -
Na świętą Barbarę dobądź ze skrzyni czamarę
"On Saint Barbara's day, get your czamara out of the chest." December 4th signals serious cold — time to dig out the …
Intermediate -
Na świętą Barbarę wyciągnij z kąta czamarę
"On Saint Barbara's day, pull your czamara out of the corner." A variant of the same seasonal advice: when December 4th …
Intermediate -
Na świętą Katarzynę szykuj ciepłą pierzynę
"On Saint Catherine's day, prepare a warm feather duvet." November 25th is a traditional marker of serious winter cold — …
Beginner -
Na świętą Małgorzatę kopa zawsze w polu stanie
"On Saint Margaret's day, a shock of grain will always stand in the field." Around July 20th, the harvest is well …
Intermediate -
Na świętego Andrzeja błyska dziewkom nadzieja
"On Saint Andrew's day, hope shines for girls." November 30th is the traditional date of Andrzejki — fortune-telling …
Intermediate -
Na świętego Andrzeja błyska pannom nadzieja
"On Saint Andrew's day, hope shines for maidens." A variant of the Andrzejki proverb using 'panna' (maiden/miss) instead …
Intermediate -
Na świętego Andrzeja dziewkom z wróżby nadzieja
"On Saint Andrew's day, girls find hope in fortune-telling." Another variant emphasising the wróżba (divination) aspect …
Intermediate -
Na świętego Andrzeja trza kożucha dobrodzieja
"On Saint Andrew's day, you need a good sheepskin coat." By November 30th, the cold is serious enough that a warm fur …
Intermediate -
Na świętego Franciszka chłop w polu nic nie zyska
"On Saint Francis's day, a peasant gains nothing in the field." By October 4th, the harvest season is over and there is …
Intermediate -
Na świętego Franciszka nieraz dobrze grzmi i łyska
"On Saint Francis's day, it often thunders and lightens well." Around October 4th, autumn storms with thunder and …
Intermediate -
Na świętego Franciszka odlatuje pliszka
"On Saint Francis's day, the wagtail flies away." The wagtail (pliszka) migrates south around October 4th — a sign that …
Beginner -
Na świętego Franciszka przylatuje pliszka
"On Saint Francis's day, the wagtail arrives." The counterpart to the departure proverb — the wagtail returns in spring …
Beginner -
Na świętego Franciszka szuka ziarnek w polu myszka
"On Saint Francis's day, a little mouse searches for grains in the field." By October 4th, the harvest is done and mice …
Beginner -
Na świętego Franciszka zielenią się łany i ze swego zimowiska wracają bociany
"On Saint Francis's day, the fields turn green and storks return from their winter quarters." An early spring proverb …
Intermediate -
Na świętego Grzegorza idą rzeki do morza
"On Saint Gregory's day, rivers flow to the sea." Tied to March 12th (St. Gregory), this proverb marks the spring thaw …
Beginner -
Na świętego Grzegorza idzie zima do morza
"On Saint Gregory's day, winter goes to the sea." A variant of the St. Gregory thaw proverbs, personifying winter as …
Beginner -
Na świętego Grzegorza zima idzie do morza
"On Saint Gregory's day, winter walks to the sea." Another variant of the St. Gregory thaw proverbs, with the same …
Beginner -
Na świętego Hieronima jest pogoda albo jej ni ma
"On Saint Jerome's day, there's good weather or there isn't." Tied to September 30th (St. Jerome), this wry proverb …
Intermediate -
Na świętego Kazimierza zima do morza zmierza
"On Saint Casimir's day, winter heads toward the sea." Tied to March 4th (St. Casimir), this proverb marks the …
Beginner -
Na świętego Macieja prędzej wiosny nadzieja
"On Saint Matthias's day, sooner hope for spring." Tied to February 24th (St. Matthias), this proverb says that once …
Beginner -
Na świętego Macieja zniesie gęś pierwsze jejca
"On Saint Matthias's day, the goose will lay her first eggs." Another St. Matthias (February 24) proverb, marking the …
Intermediate -
Na świętego Mikołaja czeka dziąt cała zgraja: da posłusznym ciasteczko, złych przekropi rózeczką
"On Saint Nicholas's day, a whole crowd of children waits: he'll give obedient ones a little cookie, and sprinkle the …
Intermediate -
Na świętego Pawła połowa zimy przepadła
"On Saint Paul's day, half of winter has vanished." Tied to January 25th (Conversion of St. Paul), this proverb marks …
Beginner -
Na świętego Walentego bywa zwykle mróz niczego, lecz jak Walek się rozdeszcze, pewne mrozy wrócą jeszcze
"On Saint Valentine's day there's usually a decent frost, but if Walek (Valentine) turns rainy, the frosts will surely …
Advanced -
Na świętego Wawrzyna śpieszą do młyna
"On Saint Lawrence's day, they hurry to the mill." Tied to August 10th (St. Lawrence), this proverb marks the height of …
Beginner -
Na świętej Agaty wychodzą muchy zza łaty
"On Saint Agatha's day, flies come out from behind the lath." Tied to February 5th (St. Agatha), this proverb notes that …
Intermediate -
Na świętej Katarzyny szykuj babo pierzynę
"On Saint Catherine's Day, woman, prepare your feather duvet." Tied to November 25th (St. Catherine), this proverb warns …
Beginner -
Na święty Dominik, kopy z pola mig, mig
"On Saint Dominic's Day, haystacks off the field — quick, quick!" Tied to August 4th (St. Dominic), this proverb urges …
Beginner -
Na święty Jerzy nie trzeba koniom owsa
"On Saint George's Day, horses don't need oats." Tied to April 23rd (St. George), this proverb means that by late April …
Intermediate -
Na święty Jerzy rosa, nie trzeba koniom owsa
"On Saint George's Day there is dew — horses don't need oats." A variant of the previous proverb, adding that the …
Intermediate -
Na święty Józef czasem śniegu wózek
"On Saint Joseph's Day, sometimes a cartload of snow." Tied to March 19th (St. Joseph), this proverb acknowledges that …
Beginner -
Na święty Józef gdy płyną wody, na święty Wojciech rznij trawę dla trzody
"If the waters flow on Saint Joseph's Day, cut grass for the livestock on Saint Adalbert's Day." If the snow is melting …
Intermediate -
Na święty Józef pogoda, będzie w polu uroda
"Fine weather on Saint Joseph's Day means beauty in the fields." If March 19th is sunny and clear, it foretells a good …
Beginner -
Na święty Maciej lody wróżą długie chłody, a gdy płyną już strugą, to i zimy niedługo
"On Saint Matthias's Day, ice foretells a long cold spell; but if the water already flows in a stream, winter won't last …
Intermediate -
Na święty Maciej skowronek zapieje
"On Saint Matthias's Day the skylark will sing." Tied to February 24th (St. Matthias), this proverb says that by this …
Beginner -
Na święty Tomasz dzień się z nocą sili, mniej nocy, więcej dnia będzie po chwili
"On Saint Thomas's Day, day wrestles with night — soon there will be less night and more day." Tied to December 21st …
Intermediate -
Na święty Walenty uciekają z domu centy
"On Saint Valentine's Day, cents flee the house." A humorous proverb noting that Valentine's Day (February 14) is an …
Beginner -
Na święty Wawrzyniec, wolny przez pola gościniec
"On Saint Lawrence's Day, the road through the fields is free." Tied to August 10th (St. Lawrence), this proverb means …
Beginner -
Na święty Wojciech zniesie jajko bociek
"On Saint Adalbert's Day the stork will lay an egg." Tied to April 23rd (St. Adalbert/Wojciech), this proverb marks the …
Beginner -
Na Tomasza najdłuższa noc nasza
"On Thomas's Day is our longest night." A concise proverb marking the winter solstice (December 21, old calendar St. …
Beginner -
Na Urbana chwile jakie, i lato takie
"Whatever the weather on Urban's Day, such will be the summer." Tied to May 25th (St. Urban), this proverb uses the …
Beginner -
Na Urbana chwile jakie, mówią, że i lato takie
"Whatever the weather on Urban's Day, they say the summer will be the same." A variant of the previous proverb, adding …
Beginner -
Na wiosnę ceber deszczu, łyżka błota; na jesieni łyżka deszczu, ceber błota
"In spring, a bucketful of rain makes a spoonful of mud; in autumn, a spoonful of rain makes a bucketful of mud." Spring …
Intermediate -
Na złodzieju czapka gore
"The thief's hat is on fire." A guilty person gives themselves away by their own nervous reaction — they feel accused …
Intermediate -
Nadzieja głupich matka
"Hope is the mother of fools." Blind optimism without realistic assessment leads people astray. Those who rely on hope …
Intermediate -
Nadzieja matką głupich
"Hope is the mother of fools." A variant word order of the same proverb. Warns against placing too much faith in wishful …
Intermediate -
Nadzieja umiera ostatnia
"Hope dies last." No matter how dire the situation, hope is the very last thing to abandon us. An encouragement to keep …
Beginner -
Najciemniej jest pod latarnią
"It is darkest under the lantern." The answer to a problem is often right in front of us, yet we overlook it. Those …
Intermediate -
Najczęściej brzuch tłusty dzierżawi łeb pusty
"Most often a fat belly is paired with an empty head." Wealth and physical comfort do not guarantee intelligence. A …
Advanced -
Najlepsza zasada – patrz w karty sąsiada
"The best rule – look at your neighbour's cards." A humorous, ironic proverb about cheating or taking advantage of …
Intermediate -
Najtrudniej pierwszy krok zrobić
"The hardest thing is to take the first step." Starting is the most difficult part of any undertaking; once begun, the …
Beginner -
Natura ciągnie wilka do lasu
"Nature draws the wolf back to the forest." Old habits and instincts are hard to suppress. A person's true nature will …
Beginner -
Nauka bez cnoty jako miecz u szalonego: i sobie i ludziom szkodzi
"Learning without virtue is like a sword in the hands of a madman: it harms both oneself and others." Knowledge or skill …
Advanced -
Nawarzyłeś piwa, to musisz je teraz wypić
"You brewed the beer, so now you must drink it." You must face the consequences of your own actions. If you created a …
Intermediate -
Nawet szubienica milsza w towarzystwie
"Even the gallows is more pleasant in company." Any hardship or misfortune is easier to bear when shared with others. …
Advanced -
Ni do ambony, ni do żony
"Neither fit for the pulpit nor for a wife." Said of someone who is completely useless or unsuitable — good for nothing …
Advanced -
Nic nie droższe jest na świecie nad rodzinne swoje śmieci
"Nothing in the world is dearer than one's own family rubbish." Home, however humble or imperfect, is irreplaceable. We …
Advanced -
Nic po chlebie, kiedy brak zębów
"Bread is no use when you have no teeth." Having something valuable is pointless if you lack the means or ability to …
Intermediate -
Nie chwal dnia przed zachodem słońca
"Don't praise the day before sunset." Do not celebrate or judge something until it is truly finished. Things can go …
Beginner -
Nie czas żałować róż, gdy płoną lasy
"It is no time to mourn roses when the forests are burning." In a major crisis, do not waste energy on minor losses. …
Intermediate -
Nie czyń drugiemu, co tobie niemiłe
"Do not do to another what is unpleasant to you." The Golden Rule in Polish proverbial form. Treat others as you …
Beginner -
Nie dla psa kiełbasa
"Sausage is not for the dog." Some things are simply not meant for certain people. Used to say that something is beyond …
Beginner -
Nie dla psa kiełbasa, nie dla kota sadło
"Sausage is not for the dog, lard is not for the cat." Extended version of the same idea: certain things are simply out …
Beginner -
Nie dla psa kiełbasa, nie dla kota spyrka
"Sausage is not for the dog, spyrka is not for the cat." A regional variant using 'spyrka' (smoked bacon fat, typical of …
Intermediate -
Nie dla psa kiełbasa, nie dla prosiąt miód
"Sausage is not for the dog, honey is not for piglets." Some things are simply not meant for certain people — you don't …
Beginner -
Nie dospać trzeba, kto chce dostać chleba
"One must not oversleep if one wants to get bread." Success and sustenance require early rising and hard work — laziness …
Intermediate -
Nie graj, bawole, czego nie ma na stole
"Don't play, ox, what isn't on the table." Don't pretend to have or offer something you don't actually possess. A rebuke …
Intermediate -
Nie graj, matole, czego nie ma na stole
"Don't play, fool, what isn't on the table." A variant of the same proverb using 'matół' (fool, dimwit) instead of …
Intermediate -
Nie igraj, kotku, z niedźwiedziеm
"Don't play, little cat, with the bear." Don't pick fights or mess around with someone far more powerful than you — you …
Beginner -
Nie kładź palca pomiędzy familię, bo ci go urwią
"Don't put your finger between family members, or they'll tear it off." Don't interfere in other people's family …
Intermediate -
Nie ma dymu bez ognia
"There's no smoke without fire." Every rumour or suspicion has some basis in reality. If people are talking, something …
Beginner -
Nie ma rodu bez smrodu
"There's no family without a stench." Every family has its shameful secrets, black sheep, or embarrassing members. No …
Intermediate -
Nie ma rodu bez wyrodu
"There's no family without a degenerate." A variant of the same idea: every family has at least one member who brings …
Intermediate -
Nie ma rodziny we złe godziny
"There's no family in bad times." When things go wrong, even family members disappear. People who claim to be close to …
Intermediate -
Nie ma róży bez kolców
"There's no rose without thorns." Nothing good comes without some difficulty or downside. Every pleasure or advantage …
Beginner -
Nie ma tego złego, co by na dobre nie wyszło
"There's no bad thing that wouldn't turn out for the good." Every misfortune can have a silver lining. Bad events often …
Intermediate -
Nie masz na świecie małżonka, na którego by nie krakała żonka
"There's no husband in the world that his wife wouldn't caw at." Every wife nags or criticises her husband at some …
Advanced -
Nie miła jest taka praca, za którą nie bywa płaca
"Work for which there is no pay is not pleasant." Unpaid labour is unpleasant and demoralising. People work better and …
Intermediate -
Nie mów hop, póki nie przeskoczysz
"Don't say 'hop' until you've jumped." Don't celebrate or boast before you've actually succeeded. Count your chickens …
Beginner -
Nie mów nikomu, co się dzieje w domu
"Don't tell anyone what goes on at home." Keep family matters private. What happens inside the home should stay there — …
Beginner -
Nie ociec, nie matka ceruszke wydaje: robota, ochota, piękne obyczaje
"It's not the father, not the mother who gives away the daughter: it's work, willingness, and good manners." A girl's …
Advanced -
Nie od razu Kraków zbudowano
"Kraków wasn't built in a day." Used to encourage patience — great things take time and cannot be rushed. A reminder …
Beginner -
Nie od razu Rzym zbudowano
"Rome wasn't built in a day." The direct Polish equivalent of the international proverb, urging patience and …
Beginner -
Nie pamiętał wół, jak cielęciem był
"The ox forgot what it was like to be a calf." Said of people who have grown old or successful and no longer remember …
Intermediate -
Nie porywaj się z motyką na słońce
"Don't charge at the sun with a hoe." A warning against taking on tasks or opponents that are far beyond one's …
Intermediate -
Nie przesadza się starych drzew
"You don't transplant old trees." Old people (or deeply rooted habits and institutions) cannot easily be uprooted and …
Intermediate -
Nie przez litanie, psalmy i posty buduje się do nieba mosty
"It's not through litanies, psalms, and fasts that one builds bridges to heaven." Piety alone — prayers and rituals — is …
Advanced -
Nie rób drugiemu, co tobie niemiłe
"Don't do to another what is unpleasant to you." The Golden Rule in Polish proverbial form — treat others as you wish to …
Beginner -
Nie samym chlebem człowiek żyje
"Man does not live by bread alone." People need more than material sustenance — spiritual, intellectual, and emotional …
Beginner -
Nie strasz, nie strasz, bo się zesrasz
"Don't threaten, don't threaten, or you'll soil yourself." A blunt, vulgar retort to someone who makes empty threats. …
Intermediate -
Nie szata zdobi człowieka
"It's not the garment that adorns the person." Clothes and outward appearance don't define a person's worth — character …
Beginner -
Nie święci garnki lepią
"It's not saints who make pots." Ordinary people do ordinary work — you don't need to be exceptional or specially gifted …
Beginner -
Nie ta matka, co porodziła, ale ta, co wychowała
"Not the mother who gave birth, but the one who raised you." True parenthood is defined by nurturing and upbringing, not …
Intermediate -
Nie taki diabeł straszny, jak go malują
"The devil isn't as frightening as he's painted." Things are rarely as bad as they seem or as others make them out to …
Beginner -
Nie ten bogaty, kto ma dukaty
"Not the one who has ducats is rich." True wealth is not measured in money. A person can be rich in other ways — in …
Beginner -
Nie to ociec, co spłodził, lecz ten, co wychował
"Not the one who fathered is the father, but the one who raised." Fatherhood is earned through care and upbringing, not …
Intermediate -
Nie toż macocha, co matka
"A stepmother is not the same as a mother." A stepparent, however kind, is not a substitute for a biological parent. The …
Intermediate -
Nie urodzi sikora słowika
"A tit will not give birth to a nightingale." You cannot produce something beyond your own nature or station. Like …
Intermediate -
Nie urodzi sowa sokoła
"An owl will not give birth to a falcon." A variant of the same idea — you cannot expect a noble, powerful outcome from …
Intermediate -
Nie wisi syn za ojca, tylko sam za siebie
"A son is not answerable for his father, only for himself." Each person is responsible for their own actions. You should …
Intermediate -
Nie wójtowska córka, a gada do rzeczy
"Not the mayor's daughter, yet she speaks sensibly." Said when someone of humble or unexpected background turns out to …
Advanced -
Nie wszystko złoto, co się świeci
"Not all that glitters is gold." Appearances can be deceiving — something that looks valuable or attractive may not be …
Beginner -
Nie wywołuj wilka z lasu
"Don't call the wolf out of the forest." Don't invite trouble by talking about it or drawing attention to it. Mentioning …
Beginner -
Nie zawsze z dobrych rodziców synowie dobrzy
"Good parents don't always have good sons." A child's character is not guaranteed by the virtue of their parents. Each …
Intermediate -
Niech nie wie lewica, co czyni prawica
"Let the left hand not know what the right hand is doing." Do good deeds quietly, without seeking recognition or …
Intermediate -
Niedaleko drzewa jabłko pada
"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Children tend to resemble their parents in character, habits, or abilities.
Beginner -
Niedaleko jabłko od jabłoni pada
"The apple doesn't fall far from the apple tree." A variant emphasising the apple tree specifically. Children inherit …
Beginner -
Niedaleko jabłko pada od jabłoni
"The apple falls not far from the apple tree." Another common word-order variant of the same proverb about children …
Beginner -
Niedaleko jabłko padnie jabłoni, tylko koło niéj
"The apple will fall not far from the apple tree, only near it." An emphatic variant stressing that the apple lands …
Advanced -
Niedaleko jabłoni jabłko upada
"The apple falls not far from the apple tree." A variant using the perfective 'upaść' (to fall down/land). Same meaning: …
Beginner -
Niedaleko leci jabłko od jabłoni swojej
"The apple doesn't fly far from its own apple tree." A poetic variant using 'lecieć' (to fly/travel through the air), …
Intermediate -
Niedaleko odleci jabłko od jabłonie
"The apple won't fly far from the apple tree." A future-tense variant of the classic proverb. Children resemble their …
Intermediate -
Niedaleko pada jabłko od jabłoni
"The apple falls not far from the apple tree." One of the most common Polish formulations of this proverb. Children …
Beginner -
Nieobecni nie mają racji
"Those who are absent are not right." If you're not present to speak for yourself, others will decide without you — and …
Intermediate -
Nieszczęścia chodzą parami
"Misfortunes come in pairs." Bad luck rarely strikes just once — troubles tend to arrive together or in quick …
Beginner -
Nigdy jabłko daleko od jabłoni nie odleci
"An apple will never fly far from the apple tree." A negated future variant stressing the impossibility of straying far …
Intermediate -
Nikt nie jest prorokiem we własnym kraju
"No one is a prophet in their own country." Familiarity breeds contempt — people rarely appreciate the talents of …
Intermediate -
Nikt nie może dwom panom służyć
"No one can serve two masters." You cannot be fully loyal to two competing authorities or interests at the same time.
Intermediate -
Nikt nie może dwóm panom służyć
"No one can serve two masters." Orthographic variant with 'dwóm' (older/formal dative form). Identical in meaning to the …
Advanced -
Noc Andrzeja świętego przyniesie nam narzeczonego
"The night of Saint Andrew will bring us a fiancé." On Saint Andrew's Eve (Andrzejki, 29–30 November), young women …
Intermediate -
Noc jasna na Michała, zima ostra i trwała, gdy noc słotna, zima do końca grudnia lekka i błotna
"A clear night on Saint Michael's Day means a harsh and lasting winter; a rainy night means a mild and muddy winter …
Advanced -
Nosił wilk razy kilka, ponieśli i wilka
"The wolf carried off prey many times, but in the end they carried off the wolf." Even the most successful predator or …
Intermediate -
Nowy Rok jaki, cały rok taki
"As the New Year goes, so goes the whole year." How you spend New Year's Day sets the tone for the entire year ahead — …
Beginner -
O świętej Dorocie pójdziesz po błocie
"On Saint Dorothy's Day you'll walk through mud." Saint Dorothy's feast falls on 6 February, when winter thaw often …
Beginner -
O świętej Katarzynie pomyśl o pierzynię
"On Saint Catherine's Day, think about your feather duvet." Saint Catherine's feast is 25 November, a reminder that cold …
Beginner -
Obiecanki cacanki, a głupiemu radość
"Promises are just sweet nothings, and only a fool rejoices at them." Empty promises may sound pleasant, but only a …
Beginner -
Oblubieniec pogodny, rok będzie urodny
"A sunny bridegroom's day means a fruitful year." If the weather is fair on a wedding day, the coming year will be …
Intermediate -
Obżarty brzuch rozumu bystrego nie czyni
"A stuffed belly does not make for a sharp mind." Overeating dulls the intellect. Moderation at the table is a …
Intermediate -
Od Grzegorza zima idzie do morza
"From Saint Gregory's Day, winter heads to the sea." Saint Gregory's feast is 12 March, traditionally seen as the …
Beginner -
Od łyczka do rzemyczka, od rzemyczka do koniczka, po koniczku — szubieniczka
"From a little string to a strap, from a strap to a horse, and after the horse — the gallows." Small thefts lead to …
Intermediate -
Od piwa głowa się kiwa
"Beer makes your head sway." Drinking beer makes you drowsy or unsteady. A light-hearted observation about the effects …
Beginner -
Od przybytku głowa nie boli
"Having too much of something never gives you a headache." More is better — abundance doesn't hurt. Used ironically or …
Beginner -
Od rzemyczka do koniczka
"From a strap to a horse." A shortened form of the longer proverb about escalating theft. Used on its own to warn that …
Beginner -
Od rzemyczka do koziczka
"From a strap to a little goat." A variant of the escalating-theft proverb where the stolen animal is a goat rather than …
Beginner -
Od sadu niedaleko jabłko pada
"The apple doesn't fall far from the orchard." Children resemble their parents or family environment. A variant of the …
Beginner -
Od swej jabłoni blisko jabłko pada
"The apple falls close to its own apple tree." Children take after their parents. A variant emphasising the possessive …
Intermediate -
Od świętej Anki chłodne wieczory, poranki
"From Saint Anne's Day, cool evenings and mornings." Saint Anne's feast is 26 July. After this date, summer evenings and …
Beginner -
Od świętej Anki zimne poranki
"From Saint Anne's Day, cold mornings." A shorter variant of the same seasonal proverb: after 26 July, mornings turn …
Beginner -
Od świętej Anki zimne wieczory i ranki
"From Saint Anne's Day, cold evenings and mornings." Another variant of the Saint Anne weather proverb, using 'ranki' …
Beginner -
Od świętej Anny nie doczeka południa deszcz poranny
"After Saint Anne's Day, morning rain won't last until noon." From late July onwards, morning showers clear up quickly …
Intermediate -
Od świętej Hanki zimne poranki
From Saint Anne's Day (26 July) onwards, the mornings start to feel cold. A seasonal weather proverb marking the end of …
Beginner -
Od świętej Hanki zimne wieczory i ranki
From Saint Anne's Day (26 July), both evenings and mornings turn cold. An expanded version of the same seasonal proverb, …
Beginner -
Od świętej Katarzyny nie prześladuj już zwierzyny
From Saint Catherine's Day (25 November) onwards, stop hunting game. A traditional reminder that the hunting season ends …
Intermediate -
Od świętej Katarzyny nie wyganiaj już żywiny
From Saint Catherine's Day (25 November), stop driving livestock out to pasture. A farming proverb signalling that …
Intermediate -
Od świętej Katarzyny szukaj pierzyny
From Saint Catherine's Day (25 November), start looking for your feather duvet. A humorous proverb warning that cold …
Beginner -
Ojca i matki tylko za grosz nie dostanie
You cannot buy a father and mother for even a penny. No amount of money can replace or substitute real parents — their …
Intermediate -
Ojciec dzieci nie zhoduje, matka chaty nie zbuduje
A father cannot raise children alone, and a mother cannot build a house alone. Each parent has their role, and neither …
Intermediate -
Ojcowska łagodność syna psuje
A father's gentleness spoils his son. Too much leniency from a father leads to a badly raised child — discipline is …
Intermediate -
Ojczysta w dzieciach dziedziczy wada: blisko swej jabłoni jabłko pada
A father's flaw is inherited by his children: the apple falls close to its own apple tree. Children tend to repeat the …
Intermediate -
Okazja czyni złodzieja
Opportunity makes a thief. Even an honest person may be tempted to steal when the opportunity presents itself — …
Beginner -
Oko za oko, ząb za ząb
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Retaliation in kind — punishment or revenge should match the original offence …
Beginner -
Oliwa sprawiedliwa zawsze na wierzch wypływa
Righteous oil always rises to the top. Truth and justice will always come to light in the end, no matter how hard …
Intermediate -
Osioł konia nie spłodzi
A donkey will not sire a horse. You cannot expect quality or excellence from inferior origins — like produces like, and …
Intermediate -
Ostatnich gryzą psy
Dogs bite those at the back. Those who lag behind or come last suffer the most — it pays to be quick and not fall behind …
Beginner -
Oszczędnością i pracą ludy się bogacą
Nations grow wealthy through thrift and work. Collective prosperity comes from saving and hard labour — not luck or …
Intermediate -
Oszczędnością i pracą ludzie się bogacą
People grow wealthy through thrift and work. The everyday variant of the same proverb — hard work and saving are the …
Beginner -
Ożeń syna, kiedy zechcesz, a wydaj córkę, kiedy możesz
Marry off your son whenever you like, but marry off your daughter as soon as you can. A traditional proverb reflecting …
Intermediate -
Pamiętaj chemiku młody, wlewaj zawsze kwas do wody
Remember, young chemist: always pour acid into water. A safety rhyme taught in Polish schools — when diluting acid, …
Beginner -
Pan Bóg nierychliwy, ale pamiętliwy
God is not quick, but He has a long memory. Divine justice may be slow in coming, but it never forgets — wrongdoers will …
Intermediate -
Pan Bóg nierychliwy, ale sprawiedliwy
God is not quick, but He is just. Divine justice may be slow, but it is certain — in the end, fairness will prevail.
Intermediate -
Pankracy, Serwacy i Bonifacy – źli na ogrody chłopacy
Pancras, Servatius and Boniface — bad lads for gardens. The feast days of these three saints (12, 13, 14 May) fall …
Intermediate -
Pankracy, Serwacy, Bonifacy i Zośka to zimni święci
Pancras, Servatius, Boniface and Sophie are the cold saints. This variant adds Saint Sophie (15 May) to the Ice Saints, …
Intermediate -
Pankracy, Serwacy, Bonifacy, każdy swoim zimnem raczy
Pancras, Servatius, Boniface — each one treats you to his own cold. Each of the three Ice Saints brings his own cold …
Intermediate -
Panu Bogu lichtarz, a diabłu świeczkę
Trying to please two opposing sides at once — God and the devil. Said of someone who hedges their bets morally or …
Intermediate -
Panu Bogu świeczkę i diabłu ogarek
A variant of the same idea: giving God a proper candle and the devil a candle stub. Someone who tries to keep both good …
Intermediate -
Panu Bogu świeczkę, a diabłu ogarek
Another common form of the same proverb: lighting a candle for God and a stub for the devil. Describes someone who tries …
Intermediate -
Pańskie oko konia tuczy
The master's eye fattens the horse. When the owner personally oversees their property or business, things thrive — …
Beginner -
Papier jest cierpliwy
Paper is patient. You can write anything on paper — it won't object or push back. Used to warn that written words, …
Beginner -
Pieczone gołąbki nie lecą same do gąbki
Roasted pigeons don't fly into your mouth on their own. Nothing good comes without effort — you have to work for what …
Beginner -
Pieniądze nie śmierdzą
Money doesn't stink. The origin or means by which money was earned doesn't matter — money is money. Often used cynically …
Beginner -
Pierwsze koty za płoty
The first cats go over the fences. The first attempt at something rarely succeeds — it's a warm-up, a trial run. Used to …
Beginner -
Pijak pijaka znajdzie
A drunkard will find another drunkard. Birds of a feather flock together — people with the same vices or habits …
Beginner -
Pijak podobny jest do zwierza: ni do roboty, ni do pacierza
A drunkard is like a beast: good for neither work nor prayer. A sharp moral condemnation of drunkenness — the drunk …
Intermediate -
Płot trzy lata, kot trzy płoty, koń trzy koty
A fence lasts three years, a cat outlives three fences, a horse outlives three cats. A folk saying about the relative …
Intermediate -
Po dobrej strawie dobra i woda w stawie
After a good meal, even the water in the pond tastes good. When you are satisfied and content, everything around you …
Intermediate -
Po pracy miły odpoczynek: tym milszy, kto własny posiada kominek
After work, rest is sweet — all the sweeter for those who have their own hearth. Hard work makes rest more enjoyable, …
Intermediate -
Po pracy nie wadzi się ucieszyć
After work, it doesn't hurt to enjoy yourself. A gentle endorsement of leisure and celebration after honest labour — all …
Intermediate -
Po świętej Agacie wyschną na słońcu gacie
After Saint Agatha's day, underpants will dry in the sun. A folk weather proverb: after February 5th (St. Agatha's feast …
Intermediate -
Po świętej Agacie wyschnie bielizna na płocie
After Saint Agatha's day, laundry will dry on the fence. A variant of the same seasonal proverb: from February 5th …
Intermediate -
Po świętej Agnieszce napije się wół na ścieżce
After Saint Agnes's day, the ox will drink from the path. From January 21st onward, the thaw begins — puddles form on …
Intermediate -
Po świętej Dorocie wieszaj chusty na płocie
After Saint Dorothy's day, hang your scarves on the fence. From February 6th, the weather is mild enough to dry …
Intermediate -
Po świętej Dorocie wyschną chusty na płocie
After Saint Dorothy's day, scarves will dry on the fence. A variant of the same proverb, using the future tense rather …
Intermediate -
Po świętej Katarzynie pomyśl o pierzynię
After Saint Catherine's day, think about your duvet. From November 25th, winter cold sets in seriously — time to get out …
Intermediate -
Po świętej Łucji dzień trwa najkrócej
Around Saint Lucy's day, the day is shortest. December 13th (St. Lucy's feast day) was traditionally considered the …
Beginner -
Po świętym Pawle i Pietrze muchy tłuste jak wieprze
After the feast of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29), flies grow fat as pigs. A summer observation: by late June the warm …
Intermediate -
Po świętym Tadeuszu trzeba chodzić w kapeluszu
After Saint Thaddeus's day (October 28), you need to wear a hat. A weather proverb warning that late October brings cold …
Beginner -
Po tłuste cielę i do domu trafią, a chudego i na targu nie kupią
For a fat calf people will come to your home, but a skinny one they won't buy even at the market. Quality attracts …
Intermediate -
Po Urbanie lato nastanie
After Saint Urban's day, summer will come. A seasonal proverb marking May 25 (feast of Saint Urban) as the threshold …
Beginner -
Począwszy od Adama, każdy człowiek kłamie
Starting from Adam, every person lies. Lying is presented as a universal human trait inherited since the very beginning …
Intermediate -
Podchorąży zawsze zdąży
A cadet always makes it in time. Ironic saying about someone who is perpetually late yet always manages to arrive just …
Intermediate -
Pogoda na świętego Błażeja, dobra wiosny nadzieja
Good weather on Saint Blaise's day is a good omen for spring. If February 3 is fair, an early and pleasant spring can be …
Beginner -
Pokornej głowy miecz nie siecze
The sword does not cut a humble head. Humility protects a person from attack and conflict; those who bow down are not …
Intermediate -
Polak, Węgier – dwa bratanki, i do szabli, i do szklanki
A Pole and a Hungarian are two brothers — both for the sabre and for the glass. Celebrates the historic friendship …
Intermediate -
Polski most, niemiecki post, włoskie nabożeństwo, to wszystko błazeństwo
A Polish bridge, a German fast, an Italian devotion — all of it is foolishness. A sardonic proverb mocking stereotypes: …
Advanced -
Połknął czart babę, ale nie mógł jej strawić
The devil swallowed the old woman but couldn't digest her. Said of a stubborn, difficult person who is too tough even …
Intermediate -
Poślij do Paryża osła głupiego, jeśli tu był osłem, nie będzie koń z niego
Send a stupid donkey to Paris — if he was a donkey here, he won't become a horse there. Travel and education cannot …
Intermediate -
Potrzeba jest matką wynalazków
Necessity is the mother of invention. People find creative solutions when they have no other choice; hardship drives …
Beginner -
Powiedziałeś A, powiedz B
You said A, now say B. Once you have started something or made a commitment, you must follow through to the end.
Beginner -
Powinna być temu płaca, za którą podjęta praca
Work that has been undertaken deserves its pay. A statement that labour should be fairly rewarded — if someone has done …
Intermediate -
Powtarzanie jest matką wiedzy
Repetition is the mother of knowledge. Reviewing and practising material repeatedly is the surest path to mastering it.
Beginner -
Praca dobrowolna większą ma wartość, jak przymuszona
Voluntary work has greater value than forced work. Effort given freely and willingly is worth more than labour extracted …
Intermediate -
Praca doskonali cnotę
Work perfects virtue. Diligent labour not only produces results but also builds moral character and excellence in the …
Intermediate -
Praca i statek dają dostatek
Work and thrift bring plenty. Combining diligent effort with careful, steady habits leads to prosperity and sufficiency. …
Intermediate -
Praca każda ma zapłatę; rozkosz sromotę, utratę
Every work has its reward; pleasure brings shame and loss. Honest labour is repaid with good, while the pursuit of …
Advanced -
Praca lat skraca
Work shortens the years. Time passes quickly when one is busy and productive; hard work makes life feel shorter and more …
Beginner -
Praca największe bogactwo
Work is the greatest wealth. The capacity and willingness to work is more valuable than any material possession.
Beginner -
Praca nikogo nie krzywdzi
Work harms no one. Hard work never hurt anybody; there is no shame or damage in honest labour.
Beginner -
Praca od ubóstwa strzeże: kto nie sieje, nic nie zbierze
Work guards against poverty: whoever does not sow will reap nothing. Diligence protects you from want; if you put in no …
Intermediate -
Praca odkładana niewiele warta
Work put off is worth little. Procrastination diminishes the value of any task; delayed effort rarely produces good …
Intermediate -
Praca pozłaca
Work gilds. Labour enriches and brings a golden reward; diligence turns effort into something precious.
Beginner -
Praca sama sobie płaci
Work pays for itself. The act of working is its own reward — the skills, satisfaction, and results it produces are …
Intermediate -
Praca tuczy, bieda uczy
Work fattens, poverty teaches. Prosperity from work nourishes the body, while hardship and poverty teach valuable …
Beginner -
Praca ustawiczna wszystko przemoże
Constant work overcomes everything. Persistent, unrelenting effort can conquer any obstacle or difficulty.
Intermediate -
Praca wzbogaca
Work enriches. Diligent labour leads to wealth and prosperity; working hard makes you richer.
Beginner -
Praca z ochotą przerabia słomę w złoto
Work done with enthusiasm turns straw into gold. Willingness and eagerness transform even the humblest materials or …
Intermediate -
Praca, gniew, picie najzdrowsze w miarę
Work, anger, and drinking are healthiest in moderation. Even beneficial things like work, or natural emotions like …
Intermediate -
Prawda w oczy kole
"The truth pokes you in the eyes." Honest words can be uncomfortable or painful to hear. People often react badly to the …
Intermediate -
Prawdziwych przyjaciół poznaje się w biedzie
"True friends are known in hardship." You only discover who your real friends are when times are tough. Fair-weather …
Intermediate -
Prawo jest po to, aby je omijać
"The law is there to be circumvented." A cynical observation that rules and laws exist mainly to be worked around. Often …
Intermediate -
Przed Pankracym nie ma lata, po Bonifacym mróz ulata
"Before St Pancras's day there is no summer; after St Boniface's day the frost flies away." A folk weather proverb: true …
Advanced -
Przez pany do króla, a przez święte do Boga
"Through lords to the king, and through the saints to God." To reach someone powerful you must go through …
Advanced -
Przez żołądek do serca
"Through the stomach to the heart." The way to win someone's affection — especially a man's — is through good food. …
Beginner -
Przyganiał kocioł garnkowi
"The pot was scolding the pan." Used when someone criticises another for a fault they share themselves. A shorter form …
Intermediate -
Przyganiał kocioł garnkowi, a sam smoli
"The pot was scolding the pan, yet it blackens itself." The fuller version of the proverb: the one doing the criticising …
Intermediate -
Przyjaźń szczera nie umiera
"Sincere friendship never dies." True, genuine friendship is lasting and endures through time and hardship.
Beginner -
Przysłowia są mądrością narodów
"Proverbs are the wisdom of nations." Proverbs distil the collective experience and insight of entire peoples across …
Intermediate -
Przysłowia są mądrością narodu
"Proverbs are the wisdom of the nation." A variant of the same idea using the singular 'narodu' (of the nation) rather …
Intermediate -
Przyszła kryska na Matyska
"The reckoning has come for Matyska." Everyone eventually faces the consequences of their actions. The day of reckoning …
Advanced -
Psy szczekają, karawana idzie dalej
"The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on." Critics and detractors make noise, but those with purpose continue …
Intermediate -
Raz kozie śmierć
"A goat dies only once." You only live once, so take the risk. Said when someone decides to do something bold or …
Intermediate -
Raz na wozie, raz pod wozem
"Sometimes on the cart, sometimes under the cart." Life has its ups and downs. Fortune is changeable — today you may be …
Beginner -
Robota nie zając, nie ucieknie
"Work is not a hare — it won't run away." There's no rush; the work will still be there later. Often used to justify …
Beginner -
Rok Nowy pogodny, zbiór będzie dorodny
"A clear New Year means a bountiful harvest." A folk weather proverb: if New Year's Day is sunny and clear, the year's …
Intermediate -
Różdżką Duch Święty dziateczek bić radzi, różdżka bynajmniej zdrowiu nie zawadzi
"The Holy Spirit advises beating children with a switch; a switch will not harm their health at all." An old proverb …
Advanced -
Ryba i gość po trzech dniach śmierdzi
"Fish and guests smell after three days." Guests who overstay their welcome become as unwelcome as rotting fish. …
Intermediate -
Ryba lubi pływać
"Fish like to swim." A humorous justification for washing down a fish meal — or any meal — with alcohol. The fish needs …
Beginner -
Ryba psuje się od głowy
"A fish rots from the head." Corruption, failure, or dysfunction in an organisation starts at the top — with its …
Beginner -
Rybka lubi pływać
"A little fish likes to swim." A playful justification for washing down a fish meal — or any food — with alcohol. Used …
Beginner -
Ryby, choć dobre bywają, w trzeci dzień się przejadają
"Fish, though they may be good, become tiresome by the third day." Even the best things lose their appeal with …
Intermediate -
Rzadka rzecz między braćmi zgoda
"Agreement between brothers is a rare thing." Harmony among siblings — or close associates — is hard to maintain. …
Intermediate -
Rzadki dzień świętej Doroty bez mrozu, zawiei, słoty
"Rare is the feast day of Saint Dorothy without frost, blizzard, or sleet." Saint Dorothy's day (6 February) almost …
Intermediate -
Rzadko ten jastrząb kuropatwę schwyci, który się za całym ugania stadem
"Rarely does the hawk catch a partridge when it chases the whole flock." Trying to pursue everything at once means …
Advanced -
Samotnemu świat pustynia
"For the lonely person, the world is a desert." Loneliness makes even a full world feel empty and barren. Human …
Intermediate -
Sen – mara, Bóg – wiara
"A dream is an illusion; God is faith." Dreams are fleeting and deceptive, but faith in God is the true and lasting …
Intermediate -
Skąpy dwa razy traci
"A miser loses twice." Being stingy backfires — the money saved is eventually lost in greater measure, or the miser …
Beginner -
Skleroza nie boli, ale nachodzić się trzeba
"Forgetfulness doesn't hurt, but you do have to walk a lot." A humorous observation about memory lapses — forgetting …
Intermediate -
Skleroza nie choroba, tylko nogi bolą
"Forgetfulness isn't an illness — it's just that your legs ache." A comic variant on the same theme: forgetting things …
Beginner -
Słabe w gosposi nadzieje, gdy śpi, jak kogut pieje
"Little hope in a housewife who sleeps when the rooster crows." A hardworking household depends on the mistress rising …
Advanced -
Słota w dzień Adama i Ewy, zabezpiecz od zimna cholewy
"Foul weather on the feast of Adam and Eve — protect your boot-tops from the cold." If it rains or sleets on 24 December …
Advanced -
Słowa nic nie kosztują
"Words cost nothing." It is easy to make promises or say fine things — words are cheap and require no effort or …
Beginner -
Słowo się rzekło, kobyłka u płota
"The word was spoken, the mare is at the fence." Once something has been said (or promised), it must be done — the horse …
Intermediate -
Słówko wyleci wróblem, a powróci wołem
"A little word flies out like a sparrow but comes back like an ox." A careless remark leaves quickly and lightly, but …
Intermediate -
Słuchaj ojca, matki, da Bóg i dostatki
"Obey your father and mother, and God will grant you prosperity too." Honouring one's parents is rewarded by God with …
Intermediate -
Smakować jak psu zboże
"To taste like grain to a dog." Dogs don't eat grain — so something that tastes this way is completely unpalatable to …
Intermediate -
Sowa huczy, choć jej nikt nie uczy
"The owl hoots, though no one teaches it." Natural talent or instinct needs no instruction — some things come from …
Beginner -
Sowa na dachu kwili, komuś umrzeć po chwili
"The owl wails on the roof — someone will die shortly." A folk omen: hearing an owl cry near the house foretells a death …
Intermediate -
Sól świętej Agaty broni od ognia chaty
"The salt of Saint Agatha protects the cottage from fire." On the feast of Saint Agatha (5 February), blessed salt was …
Intermediate -
Sól świętej Agaty od ognia strzeże chaty
"The salt of Saint Agatha guards the cottage from fire." A variant of the same folk belief — blessed salt obtained on …
Intermediate -
Spyta cię luty: maszli buty?
"February will ask you: do you have boots?" February is the harshest winter month — be prepared with warm footwear or …
Intermediate -
Stara miłość nie rdzewieje
"Old love does not rust." True love endures the passage of time without fading or corroding — feelings for an old flame …
Beginner -
Starszy brat mięso kraje, a młodszy obiera
"The older brother carves the meat, and the younger one peels (vegetables)." Each person has a role suited to their age …
Intermediate -
Stary człowiek w rodzinie to skarb
"An old person in the family is a treasure." The elderly carry wisdom, experience, and memory — they are an asset, not a …
Beginner -
Strach ma wielkie oczy
"Fear has big eyes." When we are afraid, we exaggerate the danger — things seem far worse than they really are.
Beginner -
Strzeż mnie, Boże, od przyjaciół, bo z wrogami poradzę sobie sam
"God, protect me from friends — I can handle my enemies myself." False friends cause more harm than open enemies, …
Intermediate -
Strzeżonego Pan Bóg strzeże
"God protects the one who protects himself." Providence favours those who take precautions — caution and preparation …
Intermediate -
Styczeń bywa łagodny, gdy październik śnieżny i chłodny
"January tends to be mild when October is snowy and cold." A folk weather proverb linking autumn conditions to the …
Intermediate -
Styczeń pogodny wróży rok płodny
"A fair January foretells a fruitful year." Clear, sunny weather in January was taken as a good omen for the harvest and …
Beginner -
Swoje brudy trzeba prać w domu
"You should wash your own dirty laundry at home." Don't air your private problems or family conflicts in public — keep …
Beginner -
Syn mój, a rozum u niego swój
"My son, but his mind is his own." Children grow up to think for themselves, regardless of what their parents believe or …
Intermediate -
Syn ojca naśladuje
"A son imitates his father." Children learn by watching their parents; behaviour and character are passed down through …
Beginner -
Syn tylko worki zliczy, w rozumie nie dziedziczy
"A son only counts the bags (of money), he doesn't inherit the brains." Wealth can be passed on, but intelligence and …
Intermediate -
Szczęścia ojcowskiego syn nie dziedziczy
"A son does not inherit his father's luck." Good fortune is personal and cannot be passed down — each person must make …
Intermediate -
Szewc bez butów chodzi
"The cobbler goes without shoes." Experts often neglect to apply their own skills to themselves — the person best placed …
Beginner -
Szkoda psu białego chleba
"It's a waste to give white bread to a dog." White bread was once a luxury; giving it to a dog is pointless …
Intermediate -
Szkoda wielkiej pracy, kędy małą zmożesz
"It's a waste of great effort where a small one will do." Don't over-complicate or over-invest when a simpler solution …
Advanced -
Szlachcic na zagrodzie równy wojewodzie
"A nobleman on his farmstead is equal to a voivode." Even the humblest nobleman, on his own land, is the equal of the …
Intermediate -
Szukaj pracy jak chleba, nie jak noża
"Seek work like bread, not like a knife." Look for work as something that sustains and nourishes you, not as a weapon or …
Intermediate -
Szukajcie, a znajdziecie
"Seek and you shall find." Persistence in searching is rewarded. Often used to encourage someone not to give up looking …
Beginner -
Ściany mają uszy
"Walls have ears." Be careful what you say — someone may always be listening, even in seemingly private places.
Beginner -
Śmiałym szczęście sprzyja
"Fortune favours the bold." Those who act with courage and daring are more likely to succeed than those who hesitate.
Beginner -
Śmiech to zdrowie
"Laughter is health." Laughing is good for you — a simple, cheerful proverb encouraging a positive outlook and a sense …
Beginner -
Śpiesz się powoli
"Hurry slowly." More haste, less speed — rushing leads to mistakes, so it is better to work steadily and carefully.
Beginner -
Święta Agata chatę wymiata
"Saint Agatha sweeps the cottage." The feast of Saint Agatha (5 February) marks the time to clean the house thoroughly — …
Beginner -
Święta Agata w zimie bogata
"Saint Agatha is rich in winter." The feast of Saint Agatha falls in the depths of winter, a season associated with …
Beginner -
Święta Agnieszka wypuszcza skowronka z mieszka
"Saint Agnes releases the skylark from her purse." On Saint Agnes's Day (21 January), the skylark is said to emerge from …
Intermediate -
Święta Agnieszka wypuściła skowronka z mieszka
"Saint Agnes let the skylark out of her purse." Around the feast of Saint Agnes (21 January), the first skylarks may be …
Intermediate -
Święta Anno! uproś wnuka, niech ma każdy, czego szuka
"Saint Anne! Beg for a grandson — may everyone find what they seek." A folk prayer addressed to Saint Anne (grandmother …
Intermediate -
Święta Barbara po lodzie, Boże Narodzenie po wodzie
"If Saint Barbara's Day brings ice, Christmas will bring water (mild weather)." A weather proverb: a cold, frozen 4 …
Beginner -
Święta Barbara po wodzie, Boże Narodzenie po lodzie
"If Saint Barbara's Day brings water (mild weather), Christmas will bring ice." The mirror image of the previous …
Beginner -
Święta Dorota suszy chusty u płota
"Saint Dorothy dries her kerchiefs on the fence." A weather proverb for 6 February: if the day is dry and sunny enough …
Beginner -
Święta Dorota! wyratuj z błota
"Saint Dorothy! Save us from the mud." A humorous folk cry for 6 February, when February thaws turn roads and fields …
Beginner -
Święta Hanna to już jesienna panna
"Saint Anne is already an autumn maiden." Saint Anne's Day (26 July) marks the point in the year when summer begins to …
Beginner -
Święta Jagna taje bagna
"Saint Agnes thaws the bogs." On Saint Agnes's Day (21 January), the ground begins to soften and marshy areas start to …
Beginner -
Święta Katarzyna adwent rozpoczyna
"Saint Catherine begins Advent." Saint Catherine's Day (25 November) was traditionally seen as the opening of the Advent …
Beginner -
Święta Katarzyna adwent zaczyna
"Saint Catherine starts Advent." A variant of the previous proverb using 'zaczyna' instead of 'rozpoczyna' — both mean …
Beginner -
Święta Katarzyna adwent zaczyna, święty Jędrzej jeszcze mędrzej
"Saint Catherine starts Advent, Saint Andrew is even wiser." Saint Catherine (25 November) opens Advent, but Saint …
Intermediate -
Święta Katarzyna adwent zawiązuje, sama hula, pije, a nam zakazuje
"Saint Catherine ties up Advent — she herself feasts and drinks, yet forbids us." A humorous, irreverent proverb: …
Intermediate -
Święta Katarzyna adwent zawięzuje, a święty Andrzej poprawuje
"Saint Catherine ties Advent's knot, and Saint Andrew tightens it." Catherine (25 November) begins Advent and Andrew (30 …
Intermediate -
Święta Katarzyna klucz zgubiła, święty Jędrzej znalazł, zamknął skrzypki zaraz
"Saint Catherine lost the key, Saint Andrew found it and immediately locked away the fiddles." Catherine's feast (25 …
Intermediate -
Święta Katarzyna po lodzie, Boże Narodzenie po wodzie
"If Saint Catherine's Day brings ice, Christmas will bring water." A cold, frozen 25 November predicts a mild, wet …
Beginner -
Święta Katarzyna po wodzie, Boże Narodzenie po lodzie
"If Saint Catherine's Day brings water (mild weather), Christmas will bring ice." The mirror proverb: a mild 25 November …
Beginner -
Święta Katarzyna pokazuje, jaką pogodę nam styczeń zgotuje
"Saint Catherine shows what weather January will cook up for us." The weather on 25 November is said to foretell what …
Intermediate -
Święta Katarzyna śluby ucina
"Saint Catherine cuts off weddings." From Catherine's Day (25 November) the Advent fast begins, and with it the ban on …
Intermediate -
Święta Katarzyna śmiechem, święty Andrzej grzechem
"Saint Catherine with laughter, Saint Andrew with sin." Catherine's feast (25 November) is still a time for merriment, …
Intermediate -
Święta Katarzyna śmiechem, święty Jędrzej grzechem
"Saint Catherine with laughter, Saint Andrew with sin." A variant of the previous proverb using the folk form 'Jędrzej' …
Intermediate -
Święta Katarzyna zawięzuje adwent łyczkiem, a święty Marcin rzemyczkiem
"Saint Catherine ties Advent with a bast cord, and Saint Martin with a leather strap." Martin (11 November) loosely …
Advanced -
Święta Łucja dnia przyrzuca
"Saint Lucy adds to the day." Around Saint Lucy's Day (13 December), the days begin to lengthen again after the winter …
Beginner -
Święta Łucja głosi, jaką pogodę styczeń przynosi
"Saint Lucy announces what weather January will bring." The weather on 13 December is said to foretell January's …
Intermediate -
Święta Małgorzata zapowiada środek lata
"Saint Margaret announces the middle of summer." Saint Margaret's Day (20 July) marks the midpoint of summer in the …
Beginner -
Świętej Agaty uschną szmaty
"On Saint Agatha's Day the rags will dry." A weather proverb for 5 February: if the day is dry and sunny enough to dry …
Beginner -
Świętej Agnieszki uschną pieluszki; świętej Agaty uschną i szmaty
"On Saint Agnes's Day the nappies will dry; on Saint Agatha's Day even the rags will dry." Agnes (21 January) brings …
Intermediate -
Święto Barbary po wodzie, Boże Narodzenie po lodzie
"If the Feast of Barbara brings water (mild weather), Christmas will bring ice." A variant of the Barbara weather …
Beginner -
Święto Łucji dzień króci
"The Feast of Lucy shortens the day." Around Saint Lucy's Day (13 December) the days are at their shortest — or in older …
Beginner -
Święto Łucy noc króci
"The Feast of Lucy shortens the night." A variant perspective: after the solstice, nights begin to shorten. Lucy is …
Beginner -
Święty Ambroży zimy przysporzy
"Saint Ambrose will bring more winter." Saint Ambrose's Day (7 December) was seen as a sign that the harshest winter …
Intermediate -
Święty Andrzej ci ukaże, co ci los przyniesie w darze
"Saint Andrew will show you what fate will bring you as a gift." Saint Andrew's Day (30 November) was the traditional …
Intermediate -
Święty Andrzej grzechem, święta Katarzyna śmiechem
"Saint Andrew with sin, Saint Catherine with laughter." A folk saying contrasting the solemn, penitential mood of Saint …
Intermediate -
Święty Andrzej wróży szczęście i szybkie zamęście
"Saint Andrew foretells happiness and a quick marriage." On Saint Andrew's Eve, young women performed rituals to divine …
Intermediate -
Święty Bartłomiej pogodny, jesień pogodna
"If Saint Bartholomew's Day is fair, autumn will be fair." A weather proverb: clear weather on 24 August predicts a …
Beginner -
Święty Błażej gardła zagrzej
"Saint Blaise, warm the throats." Saint Blaise (3 February) is the patron of throat ailments. On his feast day, priests …
Beginner -
Święty Błażej po świecach łazi
"Saint Blaise crawls among the candles." A humorous folk saying about the Saint Blaise blessing ritual, in which candles …
Intermediate -
Święty Jędrzej adwent przytwierdzil
"Saint Andrew confirmed Advent." Saint Andrew's Day (30 November) marks the beginning of the Advent season in the Polish …
Intermediate -
Święty Józef kiwnie brodą, idzie zimno na dół z wodą
"Saint Joseph nods his beard, the cold goes down with water." A weather proverb for Saint Joseph's Day (19 March): if …
Intermediate -
Święty Józef pogodny, będzie roczek urodny
"If Saint Joseph's Day is fair, the year will be fruitful." Clear weather on 19 March was taken as a good omen for the …
Intermediate -
Święty Józek wiezie trawy wózek, ale czasem smuci, bo śniegiem przyrzuci
"Saint Joseph brings a cartload of grass, but sometimes disappoints by dumping snow." A humorous proverb about the …
Intermediate -
Tak krawiec kraje, jak mu materii staje
"A tailor cuts as much cloth as he has." You can only work with what you have; one must adapt plans and ambitions to …
Intermediate -
Tego kwiatu jest pół świata
"There's half the world of that flower." Said of something — or someone — that is extremely common and plentiful. Often …
Intermediate -
Ten się śmieje, kto się śmieje ostatni
"He who laughs last, laughs best." Don't celebrate too early — the final outcome determines who truly wins. Patience and …
Beginner -
Ten swoje, a ten swoje
"This one his own, and that one his own." Each person sticks to their own opinion, interest, or way — neither side …
Intermediate -
Tłuc się jak Marek po piekle
"To knock about like Marek in hell." To wander aimlessly, bumping into things, getting nowhere — like someone lost and …
Intermediate -
Tonący brzytwy się chwyta
"A drowning man grasps at a razor." In desperation, people will clutch at anything — even something that will hurt them …
Intermediate -
Trafiła kosa na kamień
"The scythe met the stone." Someone who is used to getting their way has finally met their match — a force or person …
Intermediate -
Trafiło się ślepej kurze ziarno
"Even a blind hen finds a grain." Even the most incompetent or unlucky person occasionally stumbles upon success by …
Intermediate -
Trefelki kolorek niewielki
"Clubs — a small suit." In card games, clubs (trefl) was considered the lowest suit. Used to describe something or …
Advanced -
Trza być w butach na weselu
"You must wear shoes to a wedding." There are occasions that demand proper preparation and appropriate dress. Don't show …
Intermediate -
Trzeba chleba i nieba
"One needs bread and heaven." Human beings need both material sustenance (bread) and spiritual nourishment (heaven). …
Beginner -
Trzeba nieba i chleba
"One needs heaven and bread." A variant of the same proverb with the order reversed, placing spiritual need first. The …
Beginner -
Trzeba nieba, ale trza i chleba
"One needs heaven, but one also needs bread." A fuller, more balanced version of the same idea: spiritual life is …
Intermediate -
Trzecia ręka bije
"The third hand strikes." In card games, the third player (or the third hand dealt) often has the decisive advantage. …
Advanced -
Trzecia ręka bije i płacze
"The third hand beats and weeps." An extension of the card-game proverb: the decisive third party wins but also suffers. …
Advanced -
Trzymaj język za zębami
"Keep your tongue behind your teeth." A direct instruction to stay silent, hold back what you know, and not say things …
Beginner -
Tu leży pies pogrzebany
"That's where the dog is buried." Used when the real reason, hidden cause, or crux of a matter is finally revealed. …
Intermediate -
Tylko ryby nie biorą
"Only fish don't take (bribes)." A cynical observation that everyone can be bribed or persuaded — except fish. Used …
Intermediate -
U dobrego męża dobra żona
"A good husband has a good wife." The quality of a marriage reflects the character of both partners; a good man brings …
Beginner -
U wdowy chleb gotowy
"At a widow's, bread is ready." A widow who has managed a household alone is self-sufficient and resourceful — her table …
Beginner -
U wdowy chleb gotowy, ale nie każdemu zdrowy
"At a widow's, bread is ready, but not healthy for everyone." What seems like an easy gain or a convenient arrangement …
Intermediate -
U wdowy chleb gotowy, ale niezdrowy
"At a widow's, bread is ready, but unhealthy." A shorter variant of the same warning: easy comfort comes with a price. …
Beginner -
Uczył Marcin Marcina, a sam głupi jak świnia
"Marcin taught Marcin, yet he himself is as stupid as a pig." Used to mock someone who presumes to teach others while …
Intermediate -
Uczyła matula: nie wychodź spod króla
"Mother taught: don't leave the king's side." In card games, staying close to the king (the strongest card) is wise …
Advanced -
Uderz w stół, a nożyce się odezwą
"Bang on the table and the scissors will speak up." If you make a general accusation or criticism, the guilty party will …
Intermediate -
Ukłon niski fałszu bliski
"A deep bow is close to falsehood." Excessive flattery and exaggerated deference are signs of insincerity. Beware of …
Intermediate -
Umarł król, niech żyje król
"The king is dead, long live the king." Power and institutions continue regardless of who holds them; one leader …
Intermediate -
Upały lipcowe wróżą mrozy styczniowe
"July heat foretells January frosts." A folk weather proverb: a very hot July predicts a very cold January. Extremes in …
Intermediate -
Urszula jaka, cała zima taka
"As Saint Ursula's day is, so will the whole winter be." The weather on 21 October (feast of Saint Ursula) predicts the …
Beginner -
W dzień Adama i Ewy daruj bliźnim gniewów
"On the day of Adam and Eve, forgive your neighbours their wrongs." The feast of Adam and Eve (24 December) is a time …
Intermediate -
W dzień Agaty to dopiero pół zimy rogatej
"On Saint Agatha's day it is only half of the horned winter." Saint Agatha's feast (5 February) marks the midpoint of …
Beginner -
W dzień świętego Andrzeja pannom z wróżby nadzieja
"On Saint Andrew's day, maidens have hope from fortune-telling." Saint Andrew's Eve (29–30 November) is the traditional …
Intermediate -
W dzień świętej Agaty, jeśli słonko przez okienko zajrzy do chaty, to wiosenka na świat podgląda zza zimowej kraty
"On Saint Agatha's day, if the little sun peeks through the little window into the cottage, then spring is peeking at …
Intermediate -
W dzień świętej Małgorzaty pierwsze gruszki do chaty
"On Saint Margaret's day, the first pears come into the house." The feast of Saint Margaret (20 July) traditionally …
Beginner -
W dzień Trzech Króli każdy się do pieca tuli
"On the day of the Three Kings, everyone cuddles up to the stove." Epiphany (6 January) falls in the depths of winter, …
Beginner -
W górach początek wody, a koniec chleba
"In the mountains there is the beginning of water, but the end of bread." Mountain springs are the source of rivers, but …
Intermediate -
W Katarzynę z nieba nic nie spadnie, będzie w przyszłym lutym chyba jeszcze ładniej
"On Saint Catherine's day nothing will fall from the sky — next February will probably be even nicer." A dry, clear …
Intermediate -
W lipcu się już kłosek korzy, że niesie dar Boży, a najpierwsza Małgorzata sierp w zboże założy
"In July the little ear of grain already bows, carrying God's gift, and it is Saint Margaret who first sets the sickle …
Advanced -
W lutym gdy zagrzmi od wschodniego boku, burze i wiatry walne są w tym roku
"In February, if thunder comes from the eastern side, there will be great storms and winds that year." Thunder from the …
Advanced -
W lutym wody wiele – w lecie głodne nawet cielę
"Much water in February — in summer even the calf goes hungry." A wet, rainy February predicts a poor summer harvest, …
Beginner -
W lutym wody wiele, w lecie głodne i cielę
"Much water in February, in summer even the calf is hungry." A variant of the same proverb: a rainy February means a …
Beginner -
W małżeństwie raj i piekło
"In marriage there is both heaven and hell." Marriage contains the full range of human experience — great joy and great …
Beginner -
W marcu jak w garncu
"In March it's like in a pot." March weather is unpredictable and changeable — like the bubbling, shifting contents of a …
Beginner -
W Narodzenie Panny Marii pogodnie, będzie tak cztery tygodnie
"If it is fine on the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, it will stay that way for four weeks." Clear weather on 8 September …
Intermediate -
W nocy wszystkie koty są czarne
"At night all cats are black." In the dark, differences disappear — people, things, and situations that seem distinct by …
Beginner -
W nocy wszystkie koty są szare
"At night all cats are grey." In darkness, differences vanish — people and things that seem distinct by day become …
Beginner -
W Pińczowie dnieje
"It's dawning in Pińczów." Said when dawn breaks or when something is becoming clear. Pińczów is a small town in the …
Intermediate -
W Polsce podobno tylko ryby nie biorą
"In Poland, apparently only fish don't take bribes." A sardonic comment on widespread corruption or bribery in public …
Intermediate -
W Polsce tylko ryby nie biorą
"In Poland only fish don't take bribes." A shorter, punchier variant of the same sardonic saying about corruption. The …
Intermediate -
W starym piecu diabeł pali
"The devil stokes the fire in an old stove." Old people can still have strong passions, desires, or vices. Age doesn't …
Intermediate -
W styczniu grzmoty, częste słoty
"Thunder in January, frequent rains (to come)." A weather proverb: if there is thunder in January, expect a rainy season …
Intermediate -
W świętą Małgorzatę skąd wiatr duje, drogę po zboże toruje
"On Saint Margaret's Day, the direction the wind blows shows the way to the grain harvest." A folk calendar proverb: the …
Advanced -
W święto Trzech Króli człek się w kożuch tuli
"On the Feast of the Three Kings, a person wraps themselves in a sheepskin coat." Epiphany (January 6) is deep winter — …
Advanced -
W święto Wawrzyńca śpieszą do młyńca
"On St. Lawrence's Day, they hurry to the mill." St. Lawrence's feast (August 10) marks the time when the grain harvest …
Advanced -
W Urbana, miły chłopie, siej len i konopie
"On St. Urban's Day, dear fellow, sow flax and hemp." St. Urban's feast (May 25) was the traditional date for sowing …
Advanced -
W Warszawie, w Krakowie i we Lwowie, kto bez grosza, głodu się dowie
"In Warsaw, in Kraków, and in Lwów, whoever has no penny will know hunger." In the great cities, money is essential — …
Advanced -
Wara kocie, idzie o cię
"Watch out, cat — it's about you." A warning to someone who is the subject of a conversation or situation without …
Advanced -
Wawrzyniec pokazuje, jaka jesień następuje
"St. Lawrence shows what autumn will follow." The weather on St. Lawrence's Day (August 10) is said to predict the …
Intermediate -
Wdowiec z wdową rzadko dobrze z sobą
"A widower with a widow rarely get on well together." Two people who have each been married before and are set in their …
Intermediate -
Wiara góry przenosi
"Faith moves mountains." Strong belief or conviction can accomplish seemingly impossible things. A direct Polish …
Beginner -
Wiele wody, a ryb mało
"Much water, but few fish." Plenty of resources or opportunity, yet little result. Said when something that should yield …
Beginner -
Wielki ród, ale każdy sobie rób
"A great family, but everyone fends for themselves." Despite noble lineage or a large clan, each person must look after …
Intermediate -
Więcej dwóch ujrzy niż jeden
"Two will see more than one." Two pairs of eyes notice more than one. Collaboration and a second opinion lead to better …
Intermediate -
Więcej poufałości niż znajomości
"More familiarity than acquaintance." Said of someone who acts overly familiar or intimate with people they barely know …
Advanced -
Więcej szczęścia jest w dawaniu aniżeli w braniu
"There is more happiness in giving than in receiving." Generosity brings greater joy than acquisition. A moral proverb …
Intermediate -
Wilk morduje dla strawy, człowiek dla zabawy
"A wolf kills for food, a man for sport." Animals kill out of necessity; humans sometimes cause harm or destruction for …
Intermediate -
Wilk syty i owca cała
"The wolf is full and the sheep is whole." A solution that satisfies both sides — nobody loses. Used when a compromise …
Beginner -
Wilka nogi karmią
"A wolf is fed by its legs." Success comes to those who are active and keep moving. Hard work and persistence are what …
Intermediate -
Wlazłszy między wrony, trzeba krakać jak one
"Having gotten among crows, one must caw like them." When you join a group, you must adapt to their customs and …
Advanced -
Wlazłszy pomiędzy wrony, trzeba krakać jak i one
"Having gotten among crows, one must caw just like them." A variant of the same proverb with 'pomiędzy' and the emphatic …
Advanced -
Wszędzie dobrze, ale w domu najlepiej
"Everywhere is good, but home is best." No matter how pleasant other places are, there is no place like home. A …
Beginner -
Wszystkie drogi prowadzą do Rzymu
"All roads lead to Rome." Many different methods or paths can lead to the same result. There is more than one way to …
Beginner -
Wyjątek potwierdza regułę
"The exception proves the rule." The existence of an exception implies there is a general rule in place. Often used to …
Intermediate -
Wymieniał stryjek siekierkę za kijek
"Uncle was trading an axe for a stick." Said of a bad deal or a foolish exchange where someone gives up something …
Intermediate -
Wysoki do nieba, a głupi jak trzeba
"Tall as the sky, but stupid as needed." Said of someone very tall but very dim. Height and intelligence don't go hand …
Intermediate -
Wysoki jak brzoza, a głupi jak koza
"Tall as a birch tree, but stupid as a goat." A rhyming put-down of someone who is tall but foolish. The rhyme …
Beginner -
Wysoki jak topola, a głupi jak fasola
"Tall as a poplar, but stupid as a bean." Another rhyming variant mocking tall but dim people. 'Fasola' (bean) is used …
Beginner -
Wyszło szydło z worka
"The awl came out of the sack." A secret or hidden truth has been revealed. You can't hide something sharp — it will …
Intermediate -
Wzięli diabli krowę, niech biorą i cielę
"The devils took the cow, let them take the calf too." Once a major loss has occurred, the smaller related losses no …
Intermediate -
Wzięli diabli krowę, niech wezmą i cielę
"The devils took the cow, let them take the calf too." Variant using the perfective 'wezmą' instead of imperfective …
Intermediate -
Z braku laku dobry kit
"For lack of lacquer, putty will do." When the ideal solution isn't available, an imperfect substitute is better than …
Intermediate -
Z czasem wróble na strachu siadają
"In time, sparrows sit on the scarecrow." Familiarity breeds contempt — what once frightened us loses its power over …
Intermediate -
Z dużej chmury będzie mały deszcz
"From a big cloud comes a small rain." A big fuss or grand promises often lead to disappointing results. Used when …
Beginner -
Z dużej chmury mały deszcz
"From a big cloud, small rain." A shorter variant of the same proverb — big promises or threats rarely deliver. Much ado …
Beginner -
Z familią z daleka się kochaj
"Love your family from a distance." Close relatives are easier to get along with when you don't live on top of each …
Intermediate -
Z piasku bicza nie ukręcisz
"You can't twist a whip out of sand." You cannot make something out of nothing. If the raw material is wrong or absent, …
Intermediate -
Z próżnego i Salomon nie naleje
"Even Solomon cannot pour from an empty vessel." No matter how wise or capable you are, you cannot produce something …
Intermediate -
Z pustego i Salomon nie naleje
"Even Solomon cannot pour from an empty vessel." A common variant of the same proverb using 'pusty' (empty) instead of …
Intermediate -
Z rankiem praca, w wieczór płaca
"Work in the morning, pay in the evening." Effort comes first, reward follows. A reminder that diligence during the day …
Beginner -
Za Bóg zapłać niewiele kupisz
"With 'God bless you' you won't buy much." Gratitude and kind words are nice, but they don't pay the bills. A pragmatic …
Intermediate -
Za darmo i ocet słodki
"For free, even vinegar is sweet." Anything obtained without cost tastes better than it really is. People value free …
Beginner -
Za darmo i sól słodka
"For free, even salt is sweet." A variant of the same idea — anything you get for nothing seems better than it is. …
Beginner -
Za króla Olbrachta wyginęła szlachta
"Under King Olbracht, the nobility perished." Refers to the disastrous Moldavian campaign of 1497 in which King Jan …
Advanced -
Za pieniądze wszystkiego dostanie, prócz ojca i matki
"With money you can get everything, except a father and a mother." Money is powerful, but it cannot replace the …
Intermediate -
Za pracę i niebo kupić
"Through work you can even buy heaven." Hard work is so virtuous that it can earn the highest reward imaginable. …
Intermediate -
Zamienił stryjek siekierkę na kijek
"Uncle swapped the hatchet for a stick." A bad trade — exchanging something useful for something of lesser value. Used …
Intermediate -
Zamienił stryjek za siekierkę kijek
"Uncle traded a stick for a hatchet." A variant of the same proverb with a slightly different word order — the meaning …
Intermediate -
Zapomniał wół, jak cielęciem był
"The ox forgot what it was like to be a calf." Said of people who, once they gain power, wealth, or age, forget their …
Intermediate -
Zapomniał wół, kiedy cielęciem był
A variant of the same proverb using 'kiedy' (when) instead of 'jak'. The meaning is identical: those who have risen …
Intermediate -
Zastaw się, a postaw się
"Pawn yourself, but put on a show." Urges keeping up appearances even at personal cost — spend beyond your means if …
Intermediate -
Zbrodnia nie popłaca
"Crime does not pay." A straightforward moral warning that criminal acts ultimately bring no benefit — punishment or …
Beginner -
Ze stolika gra pomyka
"From the little table the game slips away." Said when someone plays cards or games at a small, informal table and loses …
Advanced -
Ze świętą Małgorzatą upał przybiera, kanikułę otwiera
"With Saint Margaret's day the heat increases and the dog days begin." A weather proverb tied to the feast of Saint …
Advanced -
Ze wszystkich cnót siebie obdziera, kto swych rodziców nie wspiera
"He strips himself of all virtues who does not support his parents." A moral proverb stressing filial duty — failing to …
Advanced -
Zgoda buduje, niezgoda rujnuje
"Unity builds, discord destroys." A concise proverb about the power of cooperation versus conflict — working together …
Beginner -
Ziarko do ziarka, zbierze się miarka
"Grain by grain, a measure will be gathered." Small, consistent efforts accumulate into something significant. …
Beginner -
Ziarnko do ziarnka, a zbierze się miarka
A common variant of the same proverb using 'ziarnko' (a slightly different diminutive) and adding 'a' for …
Beginner -
Ziorko do ziorka, a bydzie miorka
A dialectal (Silesian/Mazovian) variant of 'ziarnko do ziarnka'. 'Ziorko', 'bydzie', and 'miorka' are regional phonetic …
Advanced -
Zjedzony chleb bardzo ciężko odrabiać
"Eaten bread is very hard to work off." Once you have consumed what was given to you (food, money, favours), repaying …
Intermediate -
Złe nie śpi
"Evil does not sleep." A warning that malice, misfortune, or bad people are always active and watchful — one must stay …
Beginner -
Złego diabli nie biorą
"The devil doesn't take the wicked." Said ironically of someone unpleasant or troublesome who nevertheless survives …
Intermediate -
Złego diabli nie wezmą
"The devil won't take the wicked." A variant of the same ironic saying — a troublesome or wicked person seems to be …
Intermediate -
Złej baletnicy przeszkadza nawet rąbek spódnicy
"A bad ballerina is bothered even by the hem of her skirt." A bad craftsperson always blames their tools or …
Intermediate -
Złej baletnicy przeszkadza nawet rąbek u spódnicy
"A bad ballerina is bothered even by the hem at her skirt." Variant with 'u spódnicy'. Same meaning: a poor performer …
Intermediate -
Złej baletnicy przeszkadza rąbek spódnicy
"A bad ballerina is bothered by the hem of her skirt." Shorter variant without 'nawet'. Same ironic meaning: incompetent …
Intermediate -
Złej baletnicy przeszkadza rąbek u spódnicy
"A bad ballerina is bothered by the hem at her skirt." Variant combining the shorter form with 'u spódnicy'. Same …
Intermediate -
Złej tanecznicy fartuch na zawadzie
"A bad dancer finds her apron in the way." A poor performer always finds something trivial to blame for their failure. …
Intermediate -
Złej tanecznicy przeszkadza nawet rąbek u spódnicy
"A bad dancer is bothered even by the hem at her skirt." Variant using 'tanecznica' instead of 'baletnica'. Same …
Intermediate -
Złej tanecznicy przeszkadza rąbek spódnicy
"A bad dancer is bothered by the hem of her skirt." Shorter variant with 'tanecznica'. Same proverbial meaning.
Intermediate -
Złej tanecznicy przeszkadza rąbek u spódnicy
"A bad dancer is bothered by the hem at her skirt." Variant with 'tanecznica' and 'u spódnicy'. Same meaning.
Intermediate -
Złej tanecznicy zawadza rąbek spódnicy
"A bad dancer is hindered by the hem of her skirt." Uses 'zawadzać' instead of 'przeszkadzać'. Same proverbial meaning.
Intermediate -
Złej tanecznicy zawadza rąbek u spódnicy
"A bad dancer is hindered by the hem at her skirt." Variant with 'u spódnicy' and 'zawadzać'. Same meaning.
Intermediate -
Złemu wrogowi daj chleba i soli
"Give bread and salt even to a bad enemy." Counsel to treat even enemies with basic human dignity — or a warning that …
Intermediate -
Zły ojciec rzadko ma dobrego syna
"A bad father rarely has a good son." Children tend to follow the example set by their parents — poor upbringing …
Beginner -
Zły to ptak, co swe gniazdo plugawi
"It's a bad bird that fouls its own nest." Said of someone who speaks ill of their own family, community, or country — …
Intermediate -
Znać kota po pazurach
"You can tell a cat by its claws." A person's true nature reveals itself through their actions — you can recognise …
Beginner -
Źdźbło w oku bliźniego widzisz, a belki w swoim nie dostrzegasz
"You see a speck in your neighbour's eye, but you don't notice the beam in your own." A call to self-reflection before …
Advanced -
Źle się dzieje w państwie duńskim
"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." Used when something is clearly wrong in an organisation, institution, or …
Intermediate -
Żaden nie powinien być bogaty, jeno cnotliwy
"No one should be rich, only virtuous." True worth lies in moral character, not material wealth. A moralising proverb …
Intermediate -
Żadna praca nie hańbi
"No work is shameful." All honest labour is dignified, regardless of how humble or menial it may seem. A defence of the …
Beginner -
Żeby kózka nie skakała, toby nóżki nie złamała
"If the little goat hadn't jumped, it wouldn't have broken its little legs." A warning against recklessness — if you …
Intermediate -
Żeby mieć kołaczy, trzeba użyć pracy
"To have sweet rolls, one must apply work." A direct statement that rewards require effort — nothing good comes without …
Beginner -
Żona ładna zawsze zdradna
"A pretty wife is always unfaithful." An old cynical saying warning that a beautiful spouse will attract attention and …
Beginner -
Życie ojca, matki stanie dziatkom za przepis skuteczny i rzadki
"The life of a father and mother will serve children as an effective and rare recipe." Parents' example is the most …
Advanced -
Żyd okpi Niemca, diabeł Żyda, Rusin diabła, a Rusina niewiasta
"A Jew will outwit a German, the devil will outwit a Jew, a Ruthenian will outwit the devil, and a woman will outwit a …
Advanced