• Listen

  What it means

  “The husband advises, but the power lies with the wife.” Despite appearances, it is the wife who holds real authority in the household. A humorous acknowledgement of female domestic power.

  English equivalent

  The husband is the head, but the wife is the neck.

  Vocabulary

  • mąż — husband
  • doradzać — to advise, to counsel
  • żona — wife
  • władza — power, authority

  Grammar note

  'Przy żonie' uses the locative of 'żona' after 'przy', meaning 'with the wife' or 'in the wife's hands'.

  Cultural context

  A wry folk observation about the real balance of power in Polish households, often said with affectionate irony.

  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!