Ryba lubi pływać
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What it means
“Fish like to swim.” A humorous justification for washing down a fish meal — or any meal — with alcohol. The fish needs to swim, so give it something to swim in.
Vocabulary
- ryba — fish
- lubić — to like, to enjoy
- pływać — to swim, to float
Grammar note
'Lubi' is the third-person singular present of 'lubić'. 'Pływać' is the imperfective infinitive.
Cultural context
This is a classic Polish drinking proverb, used with a wink to justify having a vodka or beer with a fish dish. The humour lies in the double meaning: the fish on your plate still wants to 'swim'.
Beginner
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