Zapomniał wół, jak cielęciem był
Listen
What it means
“The ox forgot what it was like to be a calf.” Said of people who, once they gain power, wealth, or age, forget their own humble beginnings and show no empathy for those who are younger or less experienced.
English equivalent
Every old man was once a young man.
Vocabulary
- wół — ox
- zapomniał — forgot (he/she/it)
- cielę — calf
- jak — when, as
Grammar note
'Cielęciem' is the instrumental case of 'cielę', used after 'być' (to be): 'kiedy cielęciem był' — when he was a calf.
Intermediate
Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!
More Polish proverbs
- "A stepmother, even if made of sugar, is always bitter." No matter how kind a stepmother tries to …
- "For a wise head, two words are enough." A clever person needs only a brief hint to understand; …
- "A Pole is wise after the damage is done." Poles (or people in general) tend to learn from mistakes …
- "The wise will accept advice; the fool will scorn it." Intelligent people are open to counsel, while …