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  What it means

  “A stuffed belly does not make for a sharp mind.” Overeating dulls the intellect. Moderation at the table is a precondition for clear thinking.

  English equivalent

  A full belly makes a dull brain.

  Vocabulary

  • obżarty — stuffed, gorged (from obżerać się)
  • brzuch — belly, stomach
  • rozum — reason, mind, intellect
  • bystry — sharp, keen, quick-witted
  • czynić — to make, to do

  Grammar note

  'Rozumu bystrego' is the genitive of 'rozum bystry', used here as the object of negation after 'nie czyni' — negated verbs in Polish take the genitive.

  Cultural context

  A traditional admonition against gluttony, reflecting the value placed on intellectual sharpness in Polish proverbial wisdom.

  Intermediate

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