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  What it means

  Literally “Man is a wolf to man.” The proverb gives a harsh view of people. It says they can treat one another with cruelty, selfishness, and little care instead of support. It is used about betrayal, exploitation, fierce competition, or harm caused by another person. The wolf stands for aggression.

  English equivalent

  Man is wolf to man / Every man for himself

  Vocabulary

  • człowiek — human, man, person
  • człowiekowi — to a person, for a person (dative of 'człowiek')
  • wilkiem — a wolf (instrumental of 'wilk')

  Grammar note

  The structure uses two cases: dative ('człowiekowi', to or for a person) and instrumental ('wilkiem', as a wolf). The dative marks the person affected. Polish uses the instrumental for a predicate noun after 'być' (to be) and in similar comparisons. The sentence means: 'A person is like a wolf to another person.'

  Cultural context

  This is the Polish form of the Latin 'homo homini lupus,' linked to the Roman writer Plautus and later to Thomas Hobbes. It is known in Polish literature and everyday speech. People use it in journalism, politics, and daily talk when they feel cynical about human behaviour. Its register is neutral to formal.

  Intermediate

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