Ryba i gość po trzech dniach śmierdzi
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What it means
“Fish and guests smell after three days.” Guests who stay too long become as unwelcome as fish left to rot. Even hospitality has limits.
English equivalent
Fish and visitors smell after three days.
Vocabulary
- ryba — fish
- gość — guest
- śmierdzieć — to stink, to smell bad
- po trzech dniach — after three days
Grammar note
'Po trzech dniach' uses the locative plural of 'dzień' after 'po'. 'Śmierdzi' is third-person singular present, with the compound subject 'ryba i gość' treated as singular in folk usage.
Cultural context
Versions of this proverb appear in many European languages. It is often linked to Benjamin Franklin, though it is older than him. The Polish version is widely known.
Intermediate
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