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  What it means

  Literally “every work has its payment,” this proverb affirms that every effort deserves and will receive its reward. It can be used to encourage someone to persist in their work, or to argue that fair compensation should follow any labor. For example: “Nie martw się, że teraz to ciężkie — każda praca ma zapłatę” — “Don’t worry that it’s hard now — every labor has its reward.”

  English equivalent

  Every labor deserves its reward. / The laborer is worthy of his hire.

  Vocabulary

  • każda — every, each (feminine adjective, nominative)
  • praca — work, labor (feminine noun)
  • ma — has (3rd person singular present of mieć)
  • zapłatę — payment, reward (accusative of zapłata)
  • zapłata — payment, reward (feminine noun)

  Grammar note

  The sentence follows a straightforward SVO structure: subject 'każda praca' (nominative) + verb 'ma' + object 'zapłatę' (accusative). The accusative of the feminine noun 'zapłata' is 'zapłatę,' formed by changing the final '-a' to '-ę,' as is standard for feminine nouns in the accusative.

  Cultural context

  The proverb has a dignified, slightly formal tone and is rooted in traditional values around the worth of labor. It is used more often in moralistic or encouraging contexts than in everyday casual speech. The closest English equivalents are 'every labor deserves its reward' or the biblical 'the laborer is worthy of his hire.'

  Beginner

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