Chlebem i solą ludzie ludzi niewoląý.
Listen
What it means
“With bread and salt people bind people.” Offering bread and salt, the traditional Polish welcome, creates a bond of hospitality between host and guest.
Vocabulary
- chleb — bread
- sól — salt
- niewolić — to bind, to enslave (here: to win over)
Grammar note
'Chlebem i solą' are instrumental forms. 'Niewoląý' (niewoląý) is an archaic spelling of 'niewoląý' , third person plural present.
Cultural context
Welcoming guests with bread and salt is one of Poland's most enduring customs, symbolising prosperity and friendship.
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, …