Trzecia ręka bije i płacze
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What it means
“The third hand beats and weeps.” An extension of the card-game proverb: the decisive third party wins but also suffers. Victory and pain often come together.
Vocabulary
- trzecia — third (feminine)
- ręka — hand
- bić — to beat, to strike
- płakać — to weep, to cry
Grammar note
'Bije i płacze' — two third-person singular present verbs joined by 'i' (and), sharing the same subject 'ręka'.
Cultural context
Rooted in Polish card-playing tradition; the saying acknowledges that even the winner pays a price.
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