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  What it means

  “The drum is loud because it is empty.” Boastful, noisy people are hollow inside — they make the most noise precisely because they have nothing of substance. A crisp put-down of braggarts and loudmouths.

  English equivalent

  Empty vessels make the most noise.

  Vocabulary

  • bęben — drum
  • dlatego — therefore, that's why
  • głośny — loud
  • próżny — empty, hollow; also: vain, conceited

  Grammar note

  'Dlatego... bo' is a cause-and-effect construction: 'that's why... because'. The copula 'jest' is omitted in both clauses — a common compression in proverbs.

  Beginner

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