• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “children and fish have no voice.” A traditional saying used (often ironically today) to tell children to be quiet and not speak unless spoken to. Now frequently quoted with a wink.

  Vocabulary

  • dzieci — children (plural of 'dziecko')
  • ryby — fish (plural of 'ryba')
  • głos — voice

  Grammar note

  Negation with 'nie mają' (do not have) takes the genitive: 'głosu' instead of nominative 'głos'.

  Cultural context

  Increasingly used ironically or humorously — modern Polish parents often quote it to acknowledge how outdated the sentiment is.

  Intermediate

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