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  What it means

  Literally “words cost nothing.” The proverb means that it is easy to make promises, offer compliments, or say kind things because talk requires no effort or expense. It is used as a gentle warning not to put too much trust in words alone — actions are what matter. Poles invoke it when someone makes grand promises but fails to follow through, or when flattery seems hollow.

  English equivalent

  Talk is cheap.

  Vocabulary

  • słowa — words (nominative plural of słowo)
  • nic — nothing
  • nie kosztują — do not cost (third person plural, present tense)

  Grammar note

  The verb kosztować (to cost) is used here in the third person plural present tense: nie kosztują. Słowa is the nominative plural subject. The negation nic nie — double negative — is standard in Polish and intensifies rather than cancels the negation.

  Cultural context

  This is one of the most universally recognised Polish proverbs and maps directly onto the English 'talk is cheap.' It carries a slightly cynical, pragmatic flavour common in Polish folk wisdom. It is used in everyday speech across all social registers, from casual conversation to political commentary.

  Beginner

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