Jak się nie ma, co się mówi, to się leży, z kim się gra
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What it means
If you don’t have what you say (i.e. can’t back up your words), you end up in bed with whoever you’re playing with. A sardonic proverb about the consequences of empty boasting or broken promises.
Vocabulary
- mówić — to say, to speak
- leżeć — to lie (down)
- grać — to play
Grammar note
Impersonal 'się' construction used throughout. 'Z kim się gra' — instrumental case after 'z'.
Cultural context
A somewhat ribald folk saying warning that words without substance have real consequences.
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