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  What it means

  “A goat dies only once.” You only live once, so take the risk. Said when someone decides to do something bold or reckless, accepting the worst that could happen.

  English equivalent

  You only live once." / "Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

  Vocabulary

  • raz — once, one time
  • koza — goat
  • śmierć — death

  Grammar note

  'Kozie' is the dative of 'koza'. The sentence is elliptical: the full form would be 'Raz kozie (jest) śmierć' — death comes to a goat only once.

  Cultural context

  The goat is a common animal in Polish folk sayings. The dative 'kozie' gives the phrase its characteristic rhythm.

  Intermediate

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