W dzień świętego Andrzeja pannom z wróżby nadzieja
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What it means
“On Saint Andrew’s day, maidens have hope from fortune-telling.” Saint Andrew’s Eve (29–30 November) is the traditional night for young women to perform love divinations to learn who they will marry.
Vocabulary
- panna — maiden, unmarried girl
- wróżba — fortune-telling, divination
- nadzieja — hope
Grammar note
'Pannom' is the dative plural of 'panna'; 'z wróżby' is the genitive of 'wróżba' after the preposition 'z'.
Cultural context
Andrzejki (Saint Andrew's Eve, 29 November) is still celebrated in Poland with traditional divination games such as pouring wax through a key into water.
Intermediate
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