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  What it means

  “If the little goat hadn’t jumped, it wouldn’t have broken its little legs.” A warning against recklessness — if you take unnecessary risks, you will suffer the consequences. Often said to children or anyone who ignores caution.

  English equivalent

  If you play with fire, you'll get burned.

  Vocabulary

  • kózka — little goat (diminutive of koza)
  • skakać — to jump
  • nóżka — little leg (diminutive of noga)
  • złamać — to break

  Grammar note

  'Żeby … nie skakała, toby … nie złamała' is a conditional contrary-to-fact construction using the conditional mood (past tense + by).

  Intermediate

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