Szewc bez butów chodzi
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What it means
“The cobbler goes without shoes.” Experts may neglect to use their own skills for themselves. The person best able to help can be the last to benefit from that knowledge.
English equivalent
The cobbler's children have no shoes.
Vocabulary
- szewc — cobbler, shoemaker
- but — shoe
- chodzić — to walk, to go
Grammar note
'Bez butów' uses the genitive plural of 'but' after the preposition 'bez' (without). 'Chodzi' is third-person singular present of 'chodzić'.
Cultural context
One of the most widely known Polish proverbs, used whenever someone fails to practise what they preach or neglects their own affairs while tending to others'.
Beginner
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