Gdzie drwa rąbią, tam wióry lecą
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What it means
Literally “where wood is chopped, chips fly.” Means that any significant action or conflict will have collateral effects — you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs. Used to justify unavoidable side effects or casualties of a decision.
Vocabulary
- drwa — firewood (archaic plural of 'drewno')
- rąbać — to chop, to hew
- wióry — wood chips, shavings
- lecieć — to fly, to go flying
Grammar note
'Gdzie... tam...' correlative structure. 'Drwa' is an archaic plural form preserved in this fixed expression.
Intermediate
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