Kto nie słucha brata, słuchać będzie bata
Listen
What it means
“He who won’t listen to his brother will have to listen to the whip.” Ignoring good advice from those close to you leads to harsher lessons from life or authority.
English equivalent
Forewarned is forearmed.
Vocabulary
- słuchać — to listen to, to obey
- brat — brother
- bat — whip
Grammar note
'Brata' and 'bata' are both genitive singular forms — 'słuchać' governs the genitive case.
Cultural context
The rhyme between 'brata' and 'bata' makes this memorable. Part of a family of proverbs warning against ignoring parental or family guidance.
Beginner
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