Chleb, piwo i świéca zdobią szlachcica.
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What it means
“Bread, beer, and a candle adorn a nobleman.” The essentials of a decent household — food, drink, and light — are what truly distinguish a gentleman, not luxury or ostentation.
Vocabulary
- chleb — bread
- piwo — beer
- świeca — candle
- zdobić — to adorn, to grace
- szlachcic — nobleman, gentry
Grammar note
'Zdobią' is third person plural present of 'zdobić'. The subject is a list of three nouns, hence the plural verb.
Cultural context
The Polish szlachta (gentry) prided themselves on hospitality; this proverb gently mocks pretension by reducing noble virtue to simple household staples.
Intermediate
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