• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “old love doesn’t rust.” This romantic proverb suggests that deep feelings for a past lover never truly vanish, no matter how much time has passed. It implies that the “metal” of true love is precious and resistant to the passage of time, making it easy to rekindle.

  Vocabulary

  • miłość — love
  • rdzewieć — to rust
  • stary — old

  Grammar note

  This is a simple sentence in the present tense. 'Nie rdzewieje' is the negated form of 'rdzewieć'. The noun 'miłość' is feminine, hence the adjective 'stara'.

  Cultural context

  You will hear this used both seriously at weddings or reunions, and jokingly when two ex-partners are seen talking to each other.

  Beginner

Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!