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  What it means

  “Without work it is hard to attain honour.” Respect and recognition must be earned through effort. Status or honour that is not backed by hard work is difficult — if not impossible — to achieve.

  English equivalent

  Honour comes from hard work.

  Vocabulary

  • praca — work, labour
  • trudno — it is difficult, hard
  • dostąpić — to attain, to achieve, to be granted (formal/elevated register)
  • honor — honour, respect

  Grammar note

  'Bez pracy' — genitive after 'bez'. 'Dostąpić honoru' — 'dostąpić' takes the genitive: 'to attain honour' = 'dostąpić honoru'.

  Cultural context

  The elevated verb 'dostąpić' gives this proverb a more formal, almost noble tone compared to the blunter 'bez pracy nie ma kołaczy'.

  Intermediate

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