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  What it means

  “Poor is the wife who has a drunkard.” A wife whose husband is a drunkard is to be pitied above all others. The proverb reflects the social reality of alcoholism’s toll on family life.

  Vocabulary

  • biedna — poor, wretched (feminine adjective)
  • żona — wife
  • pijak — drunkard

  Grammar note

  'Która ma pijaka' — relative clause; 'pijaka' is the accusative of 'pijak'.

  Cultural context

  Alcoholism was a persistent social problem in Polish rural and urban communities, and many proverbs address it directly.

  Beginner

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