Kto nie słucha ojca, matki, niech słucha psiej skóry
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What it means
“He who won’t listen to his father and mother, let him listen to the dog’s hide.” A threat: if you ignore your parents’ words, you’ll learn obedience through physical punishment (a strap made of dog hide).
English equivalent
Spare the rod, spoil the child.
Vocabulary
- słuchać — to listen to, to obey
- niech — let (him/her)
- psi — dog's (adjective)
- skóra — skin, hide, leather strap
Grammar note
'Niech słucha' is an imperative construction using 'niech' + third-person verb. 'Psiej skóry' is the genitive of 'psia skóra'.
Cultural context
Refers to a leather strap used for corporal punishment. A harsher variant of the same warning as the 'bata' proverb.
Intermediate
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