• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “The woman does her thing, the man does his thing.” It describes a couple or group where each person follows their own plan without agreement. People use it about stubborn partners, or any two sides that keep talking past each other and refuse to listen. The tone may be amused, resigned, or critical.

  English equivalent

  Each to their own / They're talking at cross purposes

  Vocabulary

  • baba — woman, wife (informal/colloquial, can be slightly pejorative)
  • swoje — their own thing, their own way (neuter accusative of 'swój' , reflexive possessive)
  • chłop — man, husband, peasant (informal, colloquial)

  Grammar note

  'Swoje' is the neuter accusative form of the reflexive possessive pronoun 'swój,' referring back to each subject. The verb 'robić' (to do) is understood: 'baba [robi] swoje, chłop [robi] swoje.' This balanced shortened form is common in Polish proverbs and gives the saying its rhythm.

  Cultural context

  The saying comes from older ideas about separate roles in marriage. 'Baba' is an informal, old-fashioned word for a woman or wife and can sound rustic or dismissive. Today it is often used jokingly about any situation, not only marriage, where two sides stubbornly go their own way. It is informal.

  Beginner

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