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  What it means

  “The egg thinks it’s wiser than the hen.” Said when a younger or less experienced person presumes to know better than their elders or superiors. Equivalent to the English idea of teaching one’s grandmother to suck eggs.

  English equivalent

  Don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs.

  Vocabulary

  • mądry — wise, clever
  • jajko — egg
  • kura — hen

  Grammar note

  'Mądrzejsze' is the comparative form of 'mądre'. 'Od kury' uses the genitive after 'od' in a comparative construction meaning 'wiser than the hen'.

  Cultural context

  Variants include 'Mędrzejsze jajca niż kokoszy' and 'Mędrzejsze jaje niż kura'. All express the same idea of youthful presumption.

  Beginner

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