Gdzie kucharek sześć, tam nie ma co jeść
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What it means
Literally “where there are six cooks, there is nothing to eat.” The Polish version of “too many cooks spoil the broth.”
Vocabulary
- kucharka — cook (female)
- sześć — six
- jeść — to eat
Grammar note
'Kucharek' is the genitive plural of 'kucharka' — required after numerals 5 and above in Polish. 'Nie ma co jeść' literally means 'there is nothing to eat.'
Cultural context
The proverb uses the feminine 'kucharka' rather than the masculine, reflecting the traditional role of women in Polish kitchens.
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