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  What it means

  Literally “the wolf is full and the sheep is intact.” This idiom describes a situation where two seemingly incompatible goals are both achieved — a compromise so perfect that neither side loses anything. It expresses the ideal of having it both ways without sacrifice. Poles use it when praising a clever solution that satisfies all parties, or ironically when such a solution seems too good to be true.

  Vocabulary

  • wilk — wolf
  • syty — full, satiated (adjective, masculine nominative)
  • owca — sheep (feminine nominative)
  • cała — whole, intact, unharmed (feminine nominative of cały)

  Grammar note

  The sentence consists of two juxtaposed nominal predicates with no explicit verb: wilk syty (the wolf [is] full) and owca cała (the sheep [is] whole). This zero-copula construction, common in Polish proverbs, gives the saying a crisp, aphoristic quality. Both adjectives agree with their nouns in gender and case: syty is masculine nominative agreeing with wilk; cała is feminine nominative agreeing with owca.

  Cultural context

  This is one of the most frequently quoted Polish proverbs, used in political commentary, business negotiations, and family discussions alike. Its register is neutral and it is recognisable to all Polish speakers. The closest English equivalent is 'have your cake and eat it too,' though the wolf-and-sheep image makes the tension between the two parties more vivid. The saying often appears in headlines when a policy manages to please two opposing groups.

  Intermediate

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