Gdy słońce przygrzewa na Jana Dobrego, spodziewać się można lata pogodnego
Listen
What it means
“When the sun warms on Good John’s day, one can expect a sunny summer.” Warm sunshine around Saint John’s day (24 June) predicts a fine, sunny summer ahead.
Vocabulary
- słońce — sun
- przygrzewać — to warm, to shine warmly
- spodziewać się — to expect, to hope for
- pogodny — sunny, fair (of weather)
Grammar note
'Przygrzewa' is the imperfective present. 'Lata pogodnego' is the genitive of 'lato pogodne' after 'spodziewać się'.
Cultural context
Saint John's day (Noc Świętojańska, 24 June) was one of the most important dates in the Polish folk calendar. Weather on this day was considered a reliable predictor of the summer.
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." No matter how kind a stepmother tries to …
- "For a wise head, two words are enough." A clever person needs only a brief hint to understand; …
- "A Pole is wise after the damage is done." Poles (or people in general) tend to learn from mistakes …
- "The wise will accept advice; the fool will scorn it." Intelligent people are open to counsel, while …