Polish Language Blog
Menu
Search

Don’t praise the day before sunset – some popular Polish proverbs. Posted by on Sep 30, 2013 in Grammar, Phrases

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…)

Keep learning Polish with us!

Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.

Try it Free Find it at your Library
Share this:
Pin it

About the Author: Kasia

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:

  1. Zaba:

    I love it great Polen

    Thank you

    California USA 10/2015

  2. 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.