• Listen

  What it means

  “A crow will not poke out another crow’s eye.” People of the same kind, especially those engaged in shady dealings, protect and cover for each other.

  English equivalent

  There is honour among thieves.

  Vocabulary

  • kruk — raven, crow
  • oko — eye
  • wykłuć — to poke out, to gouge

  Grammar note

  'Krukowi' is dative of 'kruk' (indirect object). 'Oka' is genitive of 'oko' used after a negated verb.

  Cultural context

  One of the most common Polish proverbs. Used to criticise solidarity among corrupt officials, criminals, or any closed group that shields its members.

  Intermediate

Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!