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  What it means

  Literally, “There is no point in bread when you lack teeth.” Something useful is of no use if you do not have the means to use it. It can describe a missed chance caused by poor preparation, missing skills, or bad timing.

  English equivalent

  What good is bread without teeth? / Too little, too late.

  Vocabulary

  • nic po — no use for, no point in (idiomatic: literally 'nothing after/from')
  • chlebie — bread (locative of chleb, after 'po')
  • kiedy — when, if
  • brak — lack, shortage
  • zębów — of teeth (genitive plural of ząb)

  Grammar note

  'Nic po + locative' is a fixed impersonal construction meaning 'there is no point in / no use for.' 'Po chlebie' uses the locative case. 'Brak' takes the genitive ; 'brak zębów' (a lack of teeth). This 'brak + genitive' construction is highly productive in Polish and worth memorizing.

  Cultural context

  Bread is a strong symbol of food, livelihood, and life in Polish culture. Here it makes the point about useless possessions clear. The saying has a mildly ironic tone.

  Intermediate

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