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  What it means

  “A goat dies only once.” You only live once, so take the chance. Said when someone chooses a bold or risky action and accepts what may happen.

  English equivalent

  You only live once. / Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

  Vocabulary

  • raz — once, one time
  • koza — goat
  • śmierć — death

  Grammar note

  'Kozie' is the dative of 'koza'. The sentence leaves out a word: the full form would be 'Raz kozie (jest) śmierć', meaning death comes to a goat only once.

  Cultural context

  Goats appear often in Polish folk sayings. The dative form 'kozie' gives the proverb its familiar rhythm.

  Intermediate

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