Kto chce nieba, cierpieć trzeba, a kto chce chleba, pracować trzeba
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What it means
“He who wants heaven must suffer, and he who wants bread must work.” Nothing worthwhile comes without effort or sacrifice — whether spiritual salvation or daily sustenance.
English equivalent
No pain, no gain.
Vocabulary
- niebo — heaven, sky
- cierpieć — to suffer
- chleb — bread
- pracować — to work
- trzeba — one must, it is necessary
Grammar note
'Trzeba' is an impersonal predicate requiring an infinitive. The parallel structure 'kto chce X … X trzeba' creates a neat rhetorical balance.
Cultural context
The pairing of heaven and bread reflects the dual concerns of Polish folk life: spiritual salvation and physical survival.
Intermediate
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