• Listen

  What it means

  “It’s a waste to give white bread to a dog.” White bread was once a luxury; giving it to a dog is pointless extravagance. Used when effort, money, or quality is wasted on someone who cannot appreciate it.

  English equivalent

  Pearls before swine.

  Vocabulary

  • szkoda — it's a pity, it's a waste
  • pies — dog
  • biały chleb — white bread

  Grammar note

  'Psu' is the dative of 'pies' (to the dog). 'Białego chleba' is the genitive of 'biały chleb' after 'szkoda'.

  Cultural context

  White bread was a luxury in older Polish rural society, making the image vivid — wasting something precious on one who cannot value it.

  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!