There are so many different Polish proverbs…some of them are easy to understand for people from all over the world, some of them have a secret meaning that makes sense only for Poles. Here a list of some of them:
Jak cię widzą, tak cię piszą
How they see you, that’s how they perceive you
Gdyby kózka nie skakała, to by nóżki nie złamała
If the goat didn’t jump, she wouldn’t have broken her leg
Gdyby kózka nie skakała, to by smutne życie miała
If the goat didn’t jump, she’d have a miserable life
Swój ciągnie do swojego
Same kinds attract
Każdy sądzi według siebie
Everyone judges according to themselves
Z kim sie zadajesz, takim sie stajesz
You become whom you befreind
Kto się czubi, ten się lubi
Those who argue, like each other
Baba z wozu koniom lżej
When the woman gets off the wagon, horses have an easier time
Ręka rękę myje
One hand washes the other
Lepszy wróbel w garści niż gołąb na dachu
It’s better to have a sparrow in your hand, than a pigeon on the roof
Co nagle, to po diable
The devil dictates when you’re in a hurry
W zdrowym ciele, zdrowy duch
Healthy soul in a healthy body
Mądry Polak po szkodzie
Smart pole after the damage is done
Co kraj to obyczaj
Each country has it’s own tradition
Co ciało lubi, to duszę zgubi
What likes the body will lose the soul
Komu pora, temu czas
When it’s your time, you have to go
Kwiat bez zapachu, jak człowiek bez duszy
A flower without a smell is like a man without a soul
Musi to na Rusi, a w Polsce jak kto chce
A must is in Russia, in Poland you do however you want
Kto pije i pali ten nie ma robali
The one who both smokes and drinks doesn’t get roundworms
Panu Bogu świeczkę, a diabłu ogarek
A candle for God, a stump for the devil (said about two faced people)
Ładnemu we wszystkim ładnie.
A pretty person looks pretty in everything
Nie chwal dnia przed zachodem słońca
Don’t praise the day before sunset
Wszędzie dobrze, ale w domu najlepiej
Everywhere’s fine, but best at home
Potrzeba jest matką wynalazków
Necessity is the mother of invention
Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)
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My name is Kasia Scontsas. I grew near Lublin, Poland and moved to Warsaw to study International Business. I have passion for languages: any languages! Currently I live in New Hampshire. I enjoy skiing, kayaking, biking and paddle boarding. My husband speaks a little Polish, but our daughters are fluent in it! I wanted to make sure that they can communicate with their Polish relatives in our native language. Teaching them Polish since they were born was the best thing I could have given them!
I have been writing about learning Polish language and culture for Transparent Language’s Polish Blog since 2010.
Comments:
Zaba:
I love it great Polen
Thank you
California USA 10/2015
Pawel:
Don’t praise the day before sunset – this is acctually not Polish sentence – it is from bible :-). Any way it is nice lesson for foregin freinds.
Comments:
Zaba:
I love it great Polen
Thank you
California USA 10/2015
Pawel:
Don’t praise the day before sunset – this is acctually not Polish sentence – it is from bible :-). Any way it is nice lesson for foregin freinds.