Jak ojciec umrze, dziecko półsierota, ale jak matka, to cała sierota
Listen
What it means
Losing a father makes a child half an orphan, but losing a mother makes them a complete orphan. The proverb reflects the irreplaceable role of the mother.
Vocabulary
- półsierota — half-orphan (one parent dead)
- sierota — orphan
- umrzeć — to die
Grammar note
'Jak' here means 'when' or 'if'. 'Cała sierota' uses 'cały' (whole) to strengthen 'sierota'.
Cultural context
Reflects the traditional Polish view of the mother as the emotional and spiritual centre of the family.
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." However kind she may be, a stepmother may …
- "For a wise head, two words are enough." A clever person needs only a short hint to understand. Long …
- "A Pole is wise after the damage is done." Poles, or people in general, often learn from mistakes …
- "The wise will accept advice; the fool will reject it with scorn." Wise people listen to advice, …