Syn tylko worki zliczy, w rozumie nie dziedziczy
Listen
What it means
“A son only counts the bags (of money), he doesn’t inherit the brains.” Wealth can be passed on, but intelligence and wisdom cannot — an heir may squander what a clever parent built.
English equivalent
Wealth is not passed on with wisdom.
Vocabulary
- worek — sack, bag
- zliczyć — to count up
- rozum — mind, intelligence
- dziedziczyć — to inherit
Grammar note
'Worki' is the accusative plural of 'worek'. 'W rozumie' is the locative of 'rozum'. 'Nie dziedziczy' — the negation with the verb in present tense.
Cultural context
A cautionary saying about inherited wealth, reflecting a folk scepticism about the children of successful people.
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!
More Polish proverbs
- "A stepmother, even if made of sugar, is always bitter." No matter how kind a stepmother tries to …
- "For a wise head, two words are enough." A clever person needs only a brief hint to understand; …
- "A Pole is wise after the damage is done." Poles (or people in general) tend to learn from mistakes …
- "The wise will accept advice; the fool will scorn it." Intelligent people are open to counsel, while …