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  What it means

  “Not even a hen clucks for free.” Nobody does anything without expecting something in return. A wry observation that everyone has their price or agenda — even the most modest service comes at a cost.

  English equivalent

  There's no such thing as a free lunch.

  Vocabulary

  • ani — not even
  • kura — hen
  • za darmo — for free, for nothing
  • gdakać — to cluck

  Grammar note

  'Ani... nie' is a double-negation structure: 'ani kura nie gdacze' = 'not even a hen clucks'. Double negation is grammatically required in Polish.

  Beginner

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