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  What it means

  Literally: “What came easily, went easily.” The proverb warns that things gained without effort — money, luck, skills — are easily lost. It is the Polish equivalent of “easy come, easy go” and is used in the same situations: when someone squanders a windfall, loses something they did not work hard for, or spends quickly what was quickly earned. The tone can be either philosophical resignation or mild reproach.

  English equivalent

  Easy come, easy go.

  Vocabulary

  • łatwo — easily (adverb)
  • przyszło — came / arrived (past neuter of 'przyjść', perfective — here used impersonally)
  • poszło — went / disappeared (past neuter of 'pójść', perfective — used impersonally)

  Grammar note

  Both verbs are in the neuter past tense singular ('przyszło', 'poszło'), which is the standard impersonal construction in Polish when no specific subject is named. This impersonal form is equivalent to the English passive or impersonal 'it came' / 'it went'. The parallelism of 'łatwo … łatwo …' creates the rhythmic balance characteristic of proverbs.

  Cultural context

  The proverb is neutral in register and widely understood. It is commonly applied to money and material goods, but can also describe fleeting relationships, skill sets not properly practised, or good luck not built upon. In folk tradition it carries a moral undertone — the implication is that one should work hard to deserve and keep what one has.

  Beginner

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