Strach ma wielkie oczy
Listen
What it means
“Fear has big eyes.” When we are afraid, danger can seem much worse than it really is.
English equivalent
Fear has big eyes. / Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is.
Vocabulary
- strach — fear
- wielki — big, great
- oczy — eyes
Grammar note
'Wielkie oczy' is the accusative plural of 'wielkie oko'. 'Ma' is the third-person singular of 'mieć' (to have).
Cultural context
A very common Polish saying used to reassure someone who has worked themselves up over an imagined threat.
Beginner
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!
More Polish proverbs
- "A stepmother, even if made of sugar, is always bitter." However kind she may be, a stepmother may …
- "For a wise head, two words are enough." A clever person needs only a short hint to understand. Long …
- "A Pole is wise after the damage is done." Poles, or people in general, often learn from mistakes …
- "The wise will accept advice; the fool will reject it with scorn." Wise people listen to advice, …