Każda praca ma zapłatę
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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 is 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 clear 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 saying has a slightly formal tone and is rooted in old ideas about the worth of labor. It is used more often in advice or encouragement than in casual speech. The closest English equivalents are 'every labor deserves its reward' or the biblical 'the laborer is worthy of his hire.'
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