Gdyby kózka nie skakała, toby nóżki nie złamała
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What it means
“If the little goat hadn’t jumped, it wouldn’t have broken its little legs.” If you hadn’t taken a reckless risk, you wouldn’t have suffered the consequences. Used to point out that trouble was self-inflicted.
English equivalent
You've made your bed, now lie in it.
Vocabulary
- kózka — little goat (diminutive of koza)
- skakać — to jump
- nóżka — little leg (diminutive of noga)
- złamać — to break
Grammar note
The diminutives 'kózka' and 'nóżki' soften the tone while the conditional 'gdyby…toby' structure is a textbook example of Polish counterfactual conditionals.
Cultural context
A very well-known proverb, often said to children or anyone who ignored warnings and got hurt as a result.
Beginner
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