Recently Added Proverbs

• Macocha, choćby z cukru, zawsze gorzka
  "A stepmother, even if made of sugar, is always bitter." No matter how kind a stepmother tries to be, she will never be seen as a true mother. The proverb …
  Intermediate
• Mądrej głowie dość dwie słowie
  "For a wise head, two words are enough." A clever person needs only a brief hint to understand; lengthy explanations are unnecessary for the intelligent. Often …
  Intermediate
• Mądry Polak po szkodzie
  "A Pole is wise after the damage is done." Poles (or people in general) tend to learn from mistakes only after suffering the consequences, not before. A …
  Beginner
• Mądry przyjmie radę, głupi nią wzgardzi
  "The wise will accept advice; the fool will scorn it." Intelligent people are open to counsel, while foolish ones reject it out of pride or stubbornness.
  Intermediate
• Mądrzejsze jajko od kury
  "The egg thinks it's wiser than the hen." Said when a younger or less experienced person presumes to know better than their elders or superiors. Equivalent to …
  Beginner
• Marność nad marnościami i wszystko marność
  "Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity." Everything in the world is fleeting and ultimately meaningless. Used to express resignation, philosophical detachment, …
  Intermediate
• Matka tłucze, ale uczy
  "A mother beats, but she teaches." A mother's discipline, even when harsh, comes from love and the desire to raise a good child. The pain of correction is …
  Beginner
• Matki nie kupisz
  Literally: "You cannot buy a mother." This proverb asserts that a mother's love, care, and devotion are priceless and irreplaceable — no amount of money or …
  Beginner
• Mąż doradza, a przy żonie władza
  "The husband advises, but the power lies with the wife." Despite appearances, it is the wife who holds real authority in the household. A humorous …
  Intermediate
• Mędrzejsze jajca niż kokosz
  "The eggs are wiser than the hen." An older variant expressing the same idea as 'Mądrzejsze jajko od kury' — a younger or less experienced person presumes to …
  Advanced
• Mędrzejsze jaje niż kura
  "The egg is wiser than the hen." Another variant of the proverb about presumptuous youth or inexperience claiming to know better than experience.
  Intermediate
• Miękko na Andrzeja, oj! niedobra nadzieja
  "Mild weather on St Andrew's Day — oh, that's a bad omen." If the weather is warm and soft around St Andrew's Day (30 November), it foretells a harsh winter …
  Intermediate
• Miękko na Jędrzeja, oj! niedobra nadzieja
  "Mild weather on St Andrew's Day — oh, that's a bad omen." A variant of the same proverb using the older Polish form 'Jędrzej' for Andrew. Mild weather around …
  Intermediate
• Miesiąc styczeń, czas do życzeń: a więc życzymy pomyślności, Boga, chleba, dobrych gości
  "The month of January, time for wishes: so we wish you prosperity, God, bread, and good guests." A traditional New Year greeting in proverb form, listing the …
  Intermediate
• Miła praca, lubo trudna, póki nie daremna
  "Work is pleasant, though hard, as long as it is not in vain." Effort and toil are bearable and even enjoyable when they produce results; it is pointless work …
  Advanced
• Miłość jest ślepa
  Literally "Love is blind." This proverb states that people in love fail to see the faults and flaws of those they love, or that love itself operates outside the …
  Beginner
• Miłość miłość rodzi
  Literally: "Love gives birth to love." The proverb teaches that love and kindness naturally generate more of the same in return — if you show genuine affection …
  Beginner
• Młodość leniwa, starość płaczliwa
  "A lazy youth makes for a tearful old age." Those who are idle and irresponsible when young will suffer and regret it in old age. A call to diligence and …
  Beginner
• Młody może umrzeć, a stary musi
  "The young may die, but the old must." Death is inevitable for everyone, but the old have no escape from it — it is only a matter of time. A sober reminder of …
  Beginner
• Mnich mnichowi kaptura nie oberwie
  "A monk will not tear another monk's hood." People of the same group, profession, or interest protect one another and do not harm their own kind. Similar to the …
  Advanced