Święty Józef pogodny, będzie roczek urodny
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What it means
“If Saint Joseph’s Day is fair, the year will be fruitful.” Clear weather on 19 March was taken as a good omen for the harvest.
Vocabulary
- pogodny — fair, sunny
- roczek — little year (diminutive of rok)
- urodny — fruitful, fertile, bountiful
Grammar note
'Będzie' is the future of 'być'. 'Roczek' is a diminutive of 'rok', used affectionately in folk speech. 'Urodny' is an archaic/folk adjective meaning 'yielding a good harvest'.
Cultural context
Saint Joseph's Day (19 March) was an important agricultural marker in Poland, signalling the approach of the sowing season.
Intermediate
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