• Listen

  What it means

  Literally, “the pot was reproaching the pan.” This is the Polish equivalent of “the pot calling the kettle black.” It describes someone criticising another person for a fault they also have. Both the ‘kocioł’ (cauldron) and ‘garnek’ (pot) are blackened by the fire, so neither can fairly judge the other.

  English equivalent

  The pot calling the kettle black.

  Vocabulary

  • przyganiał — was reproaching, was scolding (imperfective past tense of przyganiać)
  • kocioł — cauldron, kettle (masculine noun)
  • garnkowi — to the pot (dative singular of garnek)

  Grammar note

  The verb 'przyganiać' (to reproach or scold) takes the dative for the person or thing being scolded. That is why it is 'garnkowi' (dative), not 'garnek' (accusative). The imperfective past form 'przyganiał' gives the scene a lasting, proverbial feel. A longer version adds: 'przyganiał kocioł garnkowi, obadwa smołą wytarte' (both blackened with tar).

  Cultural context

  This is one of the best-known Polish proverbs. It appears in political commentary, family arguments, and online debate. People may also allude to it just by saying 'kocioł garnkowi'.

  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!