• Listen

  What it means

  “To know a friend, you must eat a barrel of salt with them.” True friendship is built over a long time and through shared hardship — you can’t rush it.

  English equivalent

  A friend in need is a friend indeed.

  Vocabulary

  • chcąc — wanting to, in order to
  • poznać — to get to know
  • przyjaciel — friend
  • beczka — barrel
  • sól — salt
  • zjeść — to eat (up)

  Grammar note

  'Chcąc' is a present active participle used as a gerund. 'Z nim' uses the instrumental case. 'Beczkę soli' — accusative of 'beczka' with genitive 'soli'.

  Cultural context

  Salt was historically precious in Poland, making a barrel of it a symbol of a very long shared life.

  Intermediate

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