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  What it means

  Literally “Every family (clan) has its own dirt.” The proverb means that every family, no matter how respectable it appears on the outside, has its secrets, embarrassments, or shameful members. It is a reminder that no family is perfect, and is often used to console someone embarrassed by a relative’s behaviour, or to deflect gossip about one’s own family. Poles say it with a tone that ranges from resigned acceptance to dark humour.

  English equivalent

  Every family has its skeletons in the closet / Every family has its dirty laundry.

  Vocabulary

  • ród — family, clan, lineage; nominative singular (genitive: rodu)
  • swój — one's own; reflexive possessive pronoun referring back to the subject
  • brud — dirt, filth; also used figuratively for shame, scandal, or moral stain

  Grammar note

  'Swój' is a reflexive possessive pronoun that refers back to the subject of the clause — here 'każdy ród' (every family). The pattern 'każdy X ma swój Y' (every X has its own Y) is a classic Polish proverb structure. 'Brud' is in the accusative case as the direct object of 'mieć' (to have).

  Cultural context

  Neutral register, used in everyday conversation. In Polish culture, family reputation (honour, dobre imię) carries significant social weight, making this proverb both an acknowledgement of universal imperfection and a gentle consolation. It can be said self-deprecatingly about one's own family or as a sympathetic remark to someone else.

  Beginner

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