Zapomniał wół, kiedy cielęciem był
Listen
What it means
A variant of the same proverb using ‘kiedy’ (when) instead of ‘jak’. The meaning is identical: those who have risen forget their own humble origins.
English equivalent
Every old man was once a young man.
Vocabulary
- wół — ox
- zapomniał — forgot (he/she/it)
- cielę — calf
- kiedy — when
Grammar note
'Cielęciem' is the instrumental of 'cielę', required after 'być'. 'Kiedy' introduces a temporal clause.
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." However kind she may be, a stepmother may …
- "For a wise head, two words are enough." A clever person needs only a short hint to understand. Long …
- "A Pole is wise after the damage is done." Poles, or people in general, often learn from mistakes …
- "The wise will accept advice; the fool will reject it with scorn." Wise people listen to advice, …