• Listen

  What it means

  “Whoever sows wind reaps a storm.” Reckless or provocative actions lead to serious, destructive consequences. You get back far more trouble than you started.

  English equivalent

  Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.

  Vocabulary

  • siać — to sow
  • wiatr — wind
  • zbierać — to reap, to gather
  • burza — storm

  Grammar note

  'Sieje wiatr' — accusative object. 'Zbiera burzę' — accusative object. The agricultural metaphor (sow/reap) is direct.

  Cultural context

  Derived from the biblical Book of Hosea (8:7). The Polish version is widely known and used in political commentary.

  Intermediate

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