Episode 26: Don't Call Forth Wolf From Woods!

Nie wywołuj wilka z lasu!

English Phonemes: “nyeh vih-VOH-wooy VEEL-kah z LAH-soo” 

Literal Translation: Don’t you call forth wolf from woods!
Elegant Translation: Don’t draw the wolf out of the woods!

The closest English saying is “let sleeping dogs lie”. Or, for you Harry Potter fans, remember the Hogwarts motto draco dormiens numquam titillandus, Latin for “never tickle a sleeping dragon”.

This saying advises prudence. You’re saying “don’t (deliberately) invite danger”. The best way to deploy this gem is in a case where your Polish-Speaking buddy is about to do something that you know can only backfire at them. Whether they know it or not is irrelevant. This phrase is meant to make them think twice in either case.

nie = not, no
wywołuj = (you) call forth, (you) bring forth [singular instructive form - a command]
wilka = wolf [singular object form]
z = from, with [depending on context]
lasu = forest, woods [object form]

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Julia Tutko-Balena