• Listen

  What it means

  “Saint Joseph brings a cartload of grass, but sometimes covers it with snow.” This humorous saying is about changeable March weather: spring may seem close, but snow can still arrive.

  English equivalent

  March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.

  Vocabulary

  • Józek — Joey (diminutive of Józef)
  • wieźć — to carry, to transport (by vehicle)
  • wózek — little cart, trolley
  • smucić — to sadden, to disappoint
  • przyrzucić — to cover by throwing, to dump on top

  Grammar note

  'Wiezie' is third-person singular of 'wieźć'. 'Trawy wózek' is a genitive construction meaning 'a cart of grass'. 'Śniegiem' is the instrumental of 'śnieg', used with 'przyrzuci' to mean 'covers with snow'.

  Cultural context

  The diminutive 'Józek' gives the proverb a warm, folk tone. It reflects the well-known Polish experience of late-March snowfall just when spring seems to have arrived.

  Intermediate

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!