Mąż doradza, a przy żonie władza
Listen
What it means
“The husband advises, but the wife has the power.” The saying jokes that the wife holds the real authority at home.
English equivalent
The husband is the head, but the wife is the neck.
Vocabulary
- mąż — husband
- doradzać — to advise, to counsel
- żona — wife
- władza — power, authority
Grammar note
'Przy żonie' uses the locative form of 'żona' after 'przy', meaning 'with the wife' or 'in the wife's hands'.
Cultural context
A wry folk saying about power in the home, often said with friendly irony.
Intermediate
Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!
More Polish proverbs
- "A stepmother, even if made of sugar, is always bitter." However kind she may be, a stepmother may …
- "For a wise head, two words are enough." A clever person needs only a short hint to understand. Long …
- "A Pole is wise after the damage is done." Poles, or people in general, often learn from mistakes …
- "The wise will accept advice; the fool will reject it with scorn." Wise people listen to advice, …