Bez pracy nie ma macy.
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What it means
“Without work there is no matzo.” A rhyming variant of the classic ‘bez pracy nie ma kołaczy’, substituting ‘maca’ (matzo) for ‘kołacze’. The meaning is identical: effort is the only path to reward. The rhyme makes it catchy and memorable.
English equivalent
No pain, no gain.
Vocabulary
- praca — work, labour
- maca — matzo (unleavened flatbread); here used as a rhyming stand-in for any reward
Grammar note
'Bez pracy' — genitive of 'praca'. 'Macy' — genitive of 'maca' after 'nie ma'. The rhyme 'pracy / macy' drives the proverb's appeal.
Cultural context
This variant plays on the phonetic similarity between 'kołaczy' and 'macy', and reflects the multicultural influences on Polish folk speech.
Beginner
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