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  What it means

  Literally: “Better a sparrow in the hand than a black grouse on a branch.” This is the Polish equivalent of “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” It advises that something you already have — even if modest — is more valuable than something larger or better that you might get in the future but could also lose. Poles use it to counsel against recklessness or excessive ambition when a sure thing is already within reach.

  English equivalent

  A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

  Vocabulary

  • lepszy — better (comparative adjective, masculine nominative)
  • wróbel — sparrow (masculine noun)
  • w ręku — in the hand (locative: ręka → ręku)
  • niż — than (comparison particle)
  • cietrzew — black grouse (a larger game bird)
  • na sęku — on a branch knot (locative: sęk → sęku)

  Grammar note

  'W ręku' uses the locative case of 'ręka' (hand), governed by the preposition 'w' indicating location. 'Na sęku' similarly uses the locative of 'sęk' (knot in wood, branch). The comparative structure 'lepszy X niż Y' mirrors English 'better X than Y'. Notice 'sęku' — the locative of a masculine noun ending in a hard consonant cluster takes -u.

  Cultural context

  Polish culture has a strong tradition of proverbs about caution and pragmatism in the face of temptation. The choice of a cietrzew (black grouse) rather than the English 'bush' makes this distinctly Polish, evoking the forests and hunting culture of rural Poland. The proverb is used in everyday conversation and is well known to virtually all Polish speakers.

  Intermediate

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