Polish Proverbs Explained — W (51)
All Polish proverbs (przysłowia) starting with the letter W — explanations, vocabulary, and cultural context for learners.
- "On the day of Adam and Eve, forgive your neighbours their wrongs." The feast of Adam and Eve (24 December) is a time for reconciliation and letting go of …
- "On Saint Agatha's day it is only half of the horned winter." Saint Agatha's feast, 5 February, marks the middle of winter, and the worst may still lie ahead. …
- "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 …
- "On Saint Agatha's day, if the little sun peeks through the little window into the cottage, then spring is peeking at the world from behind winter's bars." …
- "On Saint Margaret's day, the first pears come into the house." The feast of Saint Margaret (20 July) traditionally marks the time when the first pears of the …
- "On the day of the Three Kings, everyone cuddles up to the stove." Epiphany (6 January) falls in the depths of winter, so it is still bitterly cold and people …
- "In the mountains there is the beginning of water, but the end of bread." Mountain springs are the source of rivers, but the rocky terrain makes farming …
- "On Saint Catherine's day nothing will fall from the sky; next February will probably be even nicer." A dry, clear Saint Catherine's Day, 25 November, predicts …
- "In July the little ear of grain already bows, carrying God's gift, and it is Saint Margaret who first sets the sickle to the grain." By July the grain is heavy …
- "In February, if thunder comes from the eastern side, there will be great storms and winds that year." Thunder from the east in February is an omen of a stormy …
- "Much water in February, in summer even the calf is hungry." A variant of the same proverb: a rainy February means a lean summer, with even young cattle going …
- "Much water in February; in summer even the calf goes hungry." A wet February is said to predict a poor summer harvest, leaving even livestock short of food.
- "In marriage there is both heaven and hell." Marriage can bring great joy and great suffering, sometimes at the same time.
- "In March it's like in a pot." March weather is unpredictable and changeable, like the bubbling contents of a cooking pot. Sun, rain, snow, and wind can all …
- "If it is fine on the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, it will stay that way for four weeks." Clear weather on 8 September (the feast of the Nativity of Mary) …
- "At night all cats are black." In the dark, differences disappear. People, things, and situations that look distinct by day become hard to tell apart. It can …
- Literally, "At night all cats are grey." In darkness, cats cannot be told apart by colour because they all look the same. Figuratively, the saying means that …
- "It's dawning in Pińczów." Said when dawn breaks or when something is becoming clear. Pińczów is a small town in the Świętokrzyskie region; the phrase is used …
- "In Poland, apparently only fish don't take bribes." This sarcastic saying comments on corruption in public life. Fish cannot take bribes, so the joke is that …
- "In Poland only fish don't take bribes." A shorter, punchier variant of the same sardonic saying about corruption. The omission of "podobno" (apparently) makes …
- "The devil stokes the fire in an old stove." Older people can still have strong passions, desires, or bad habits. Age does not always put out that inner fire, …
- "Thunder in January, frequent rains (to come)." A weather proverb: if there is thunder in January, expect a rainy season ahead. Part of a long tradition of …
- "On Saint Margaret's Day, the direction of the wind points the way to the grain harvest." In folk tradition, the wind on St Margaret's Day, 20 July, foretells …
- "On the Feast of the Three Kings, a person wraps up in a sheepskin coat." Epiphany, 6 January, falls in deep winter, when people need their warmest clothes.
- "On St. Lawrence's Day, they hurry to the mill." St. Lawrence's feast (August 10) marks the time when the grain harvest is in and farmers rush to the mill to …
- "On St. Urban's Day, dear fellow, sow flax and hemp." St. Urban's feast (May 25) was the traditional date for sowing flax and hemp in Polish folk agriculture.
- "In Warsaw, Kraków, and Lwów, anyone without a penny will know hunger." In big cities, money is needed to eat. The saying warns that city life is hard for …
- "Watch out, cat, it's about you." A warning to someone who does not realise they are the subject of a conversation or situation. It alerts them that they are …
- "St. Lawrence shows what autumn will follow." In folk weather lore, the weather on St Lawrence's Day, 10 August, predicts the coming autumn.
- "A widower and a widow rarely get on well together." The saying claims that two people who have both been married before may be too set in their ways for a …
- "Faith moves mountains." Strong belief or conviction can accomplish seemingly impossible things. A direct Polish equivalent of the biblical saying.
- Literally, "Two will see more than one." Two people looking at a problem may notice more than one person alone. It encourages asking for advice, working …
- "More familiarity than acquaintance." Said of someone who acts too familiar with people they barely know and takes liberties their relationship does not …
- "There is more happiness in giving than in receiving." Generosity brings greater joy than acquisition. A moral proverb encouraging selflessness.
- Literally, "Much water, but few fish." It describes something that looks plentiful or promising but produces little of value. It can refer to a long speech with …
- "A great family, but everyone fends for themselves." Despite noble lineage or a large clan, each person must look after their own interests. Family name doesn't …
- Literally, "The wolf kills for food, man kills for fun." The proverb contrasts animal need with human cruelty. A wolf kills to survive, while people may harm …
- Literally, "The wolf is full and the sheep is whole." It describes an ideal result where two sides with opposing interests both get what they want. It is used …
- Literally, "The wolf's legs feed it." A wolf must keep moving to hunt and survive. Figuratively, people who want to succeed need to stay active and seek …
- "Having gotten among crows, one must caw like them." When you join a group, you must adapt to their customs and behaviour. Conform to your surroundings.
- "Having gotten among crows, one must caw just like them." A variant of the same proverb with 'pomiędzy' and the emphatic 'jak i'. Same meaning: adapt to the …
- Literally, "Everywhere is good, but at home is best." However pleasant a journey or stay elsewhere is, home remains the most comforting place. People use it …
- "All roads lead to Rome." Many different methods or paths can lead to the same result. There is more than one way to achieve a goal.
- Literally, "The exception proves the rule." This is the Polish form of the Latin 'exceptio probat regulam'. It means that an exception points to a general rule, …
- "Uncle was trading an axe for a stick." Said of a bad deal or a foolish exchange where someone gives up something valuable for something worthless.
- Literally, "Tall to the heavens, but stupid as needed." This mocking proverb describes someone who looks impressive but lacks sense. The phrase 'jak trzeba' (as …
- "Tall as a birch tree, but stupid as a goat." A rhyming put-down of someone who is tall but foolish. The rhyme (brzoza/koza) makes it memorable and humorous.
- "Tall as a poplar, but stupid as a bean." Another rhyming variant mocking tall but dim people. 'Fasola' (bean) is used purely for the rhyme with 'topola'.
- Literally, "The awl came out of the sack." An awl is a sharp pointed tool, and its point will eventually pierce a bag. Figuratively, a hidden truth, secret, or …
- "The devils took the cow, let them take the calf too." Once a major loss has occurred, the smaller related losses no longer matter. In for a penny, in for a …
- "The devils took the cow, let them take the calf too." Variant using the perfective 'wezmą' instead of imperfective 'biorą'. Same meaning: once the big loss is …