Kto rozrzuca grosze, zmarnieje potrosze
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What it means
“Whoever scatters pennies will waste away little by little.” Careless spending leads to gradual ruin. Small extravagances add up.
English equivalent
Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves.
Vocabulary
- rozrzucać — to scatter, to squander
- grosz — penny, small coin (grosz)
- marnieć / zmarnieć — to waste away, to come to nothing
- potrosze — little by little, gradually
Grammar note
'Potrosze' is an adverb meaning 'gradually, bit by bit'. 'Grosze' is the accusative plural of 'grosz'.
Cultural context
The 'grosz' was the smallest Polish coin; the proverb warns against dismissing small sums as insignificant.
Intermediate
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