Fortuna kołem się toczy
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What it means
Fortune turns like a wheel — luck is always changing. What goes up must come down, and vice versa.
Vocabulary
- fortuna — fortune, luck
- koło — wheel, circle
- toczyć się — to roll, to turn
Grammar note
'Kołem' is the instrumental of 'koło', expressing manner: 'rolls as a wheel / in the manner of a wheel'. The reflexive 'się toczy' indicates self-propelled motion.
Cultural context
The image of the Wheel of Fortune (Rota Fortunae) is ancient and pan-European. This Polish form is a direct descendant of that classical tradition.
Beginner
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