• Listen

  What it means

  “A mother beats, but she teaches.” The saying presents strict discipline as care and a wish to raise a child well. It says that a hard correction can teach an important lesson.

  English equivalent

  Spare the rod, spoil the child.

  Vocabulary

  • matka — mother
  • tłuc — to beat, to strike
  • uczyć — to teach

  Grammar note

  'Tłucze' and 'uczy' are both third-person singular present tense forms. The contrast is made with 'ale' (but).

  Cultural context

  This reflects traditional Polish views of parental discipline, where a mother's strictness was seen as care.

  Beginner

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