I ostatnim kęsem chleba podzielić się z bratem trzeba.
Listen
What it means
“Even the last piece of bread must be shared with a brother.” Generosity and solidarity are obligations, not options — even when you have almost nothing left to give.
English equivalent
Share your last crust.
Vocabulary
- kęs — bite, morsel, piece
- chleb — bread
- podzielić się — to share
- brat — brother
- trzeba — one must, it is necessary
Grammar note
'Ostatnim kęsem' is the instrumental of means. 'Podzielić się z bratem' — 'z' with the instrumental for the person you share with. 'Trzeba' is an impersonal modal.
Cultural context
Reflects the strong Polish value of brotherhood and solidarity, especially in times of hardship.
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 …