Kiedy w świętą Katarzynę lód nie stanie, to gotuj sanie
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What it means
When ice doesn’t form on St. Catherine’s Day (November 25), prepare your sleigh. A late freeze means a hard winter is still coming.
Vocabulary
- Katarzyna — Catherine (St. Catherine's Day, November 25)
- lód — ice
- stanąć — to form, to set (of ice); to stand
- gotować — to prepare; to cook
- sanie — sleigh, sled (plural)
Grammar note
'Nie stanie' is the negated perfective future of 'stanąć'. 'Gotuj' is the imperative of 'gotować'. 'Sanie' is a plural-only noun.
Cultural context
St. Catherine's Day (November 25) is a traditional marker in the Polish folk calendar. No ice yet means a cold winter is still on its way.
Intermediate
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