Jak styczeń zachlapany, to lipiec zapłakany
Listen
What it means
If January is wet and muddy, July will be rainy. A folk weather proverb pairing the first and seventh months.
Vocabulary
- styczeń — January
- zachlapany — splashed, muddy, wet
- lipiec — July
- zapłakany — tearful, weeping (here: rainy)
Grammar note
Both adjectives are past passive participles used predicatively. The rhyme (zachlapany / zapłakany) aids memorability.
Cultural context
Part of a large body of Polish folk meteorological proverbs pairing calendar months.
Beginner
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, …