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  What it means

  “Mother taught: don’t leave the king’s side.” In card games, staying with the king, the strongest card, is a wise move. More broadly, it means to stay close to the powerful and not give up a winning position.

  English equivalent

  Don't leave a winning hand.

  Vocabulary

  • uczyć — to teach
  • matula — mummy, dear mother (affectionate)
  • wychodzić — to go out, to leave
  • król — king

  Grammar note

  'Nie wychodź' is the negative imperative of 'wychodzić'. 'Spod króla' uses the genitive of 'król' after 'spod' (from under/away from).

  Cultural context

  This is a card-game proverb, where 'król' means the king card. The affectionate word 'matula' gives it a warm folk feel.

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