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  What it means

  Literally “Serve God, but do not anger the devil.” The proverb advises keeping up appearances of virtue while also staying on good terms with those who wield power or could cause harm — in other words, being diplomatically cautious on all fronts. It is used ironically to describe someone who tries to please everyone at once, or seriously to counsel prudence when navigating between two powerful or opposing forces. The saying captures a very Polish pragmatism about surviving difficult social situations.

  English equivalent

  You can't serve two masters (used ironically, with the opposite twist)

  Vocabulary

  • Bogu — to God (dative of Bóg)
  • służ — serve! (imperative of służyć)
  • diabła — the devil (genitive of diabeł, used after negation)
  • gniewaj — anger, irritate (imperative of gniewać)

  Grammar note

  Both verbs are in the imperative mood (służ, gniewaj), giving the proverb the tone of direct advice. Note that after the negated verb nie gniewaj, the object diabła appears in the genitive case — a standard Polish rule where negation shifts direct objects from accusative to genitive. Compare: gniewać diabła (acc.) → nie gniewać diabła (gen.).

  Cultural context

  This proverb has a distinctly Catholic cultural background, invoking God and the devil as opposing forces in a morally complex world. It is often used with irony — describing a social opportunist who tries to have it both ways. In modern Polish, it is slightly formal or literary, more likely quoted in essays or literature than in everyday conversation.

  Intermediate

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