• Listen

  What it means

  Literally, “after work, it does no harm to cheer oneself up.” The saying encourages a break after a task or a day’s work. It treats rest and pleasure as a fair reward for effort, whether that means seeing friends, having a drink, or simply taking time off.

  English equivalent

  All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

  Vocabulary

  • po — after (preposition governing the locative)
  • pracy — work (locative singular of 'praca')
  • nie wadzi — it does no harm / it is no bad thing (third-person singular of 'wadzić' in impersonal use)
  • się ucieszyć — to cheer oneself up / to find joy (reflexive perfective infinitive)

  Grammar note

  'Wadzić' in the impersonal form 'nie wadzi' means 'it does no harm.' It is slightly old-fashioned but still occurs in proverbs. 'Po' expresses time here and takes the locative, hence 'pracy' from 'praca'. The reflexive 'się ucieszyć' means to give oneself some joy; its perfective form treats this as a completed act.

  Cultural context

  The saying reflects the old idea of work first and enjoyment afterwards. It still appears in literature and is more likely to be quoted by older speakers. Its slightly formal tone suits the end of shared work, such as a harvest or renovation.

  Intermediate

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