Bogatemu to i byk się ocieli.
Listen
What it means
“For the rich man, even a bull will calve.” Lucky and wealthy people seem to defy nature itself, as if impossible things happen in their favour. Fortune appears to bend the rules for those who already have plenty.
English equivalent
Everything goes right for the lucky.
Vocabulary
- bogaty — rich (person)
- byk — bull
- ocielić się — to calve (give birth, said of a cow)
Grammar note
'Bogatemu' , dative of benefit. 'Się ocieli' , reflexive perfective future of 'ocielić się', normally only possible for a cow.
Cultural context
The impossible image of a bull calving makes the proverb easy to remember and darkly funny.
Intermediate
Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!
More Polish proverbs
- "A stepmother, even if made of sugar, is always bitter." However kind she may be, a stepmother may …
- "For a wise head, two words are enough." A clever person needs only a short hint to understand. Long …
- "A Pole is wise after the damage is done." Poles, or people in general, often learn from mistakes …
- "The wise will accept advice; the fool will reject it with scorn." Wise people listen to advice, …