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  What it means

  Literally “as much as a cat cried.” Since cats don’t actually produce visible tears when they “cry,” this idiom is used to describe a very tiny, almost non-existent amount of something. It is most frequently used when complaining about low wages or a lack of resources.

  Vocabulary

  • kot — cat
  • napłakać — to cry a certain amount
  • mało — little / few

  Grammar note

  'Napłakał' is the past tense masculine singular form of the verb 'napłakać'. The prefix 'na-' here suggests a quantity, which in the case of a cat's tears, is zero.

  Cultural context

  This is a very common, slightly humorous way to express dissatisfaction with a quantity. "Zarabiam tyle, co kot napłakał" (I earn next to nothing) is a classic Polish complaint.

  Beginner

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