ProverbMorality
Polish origin
Polish originBliższa koszula ciału niż sukmana
Meaning: People look after their own interests, and their own people, first.
Literally: The shirt is closer to the body than the coat
Example: “Najpierw pomógł rodzinie, potem sąsiadom. Bliższa koszula ciału niż sukmana.” — He helped his family first, then the neighbors: charity begins at home.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and 2 more languages
English: Charity begins at home
French: Charité bien ordonnée commence par soi-même (literally: Well-ordered charity begins with oneself)
Spanish: La caridad bien entendida empieza por uno mismo (literally: Well-understood charity begins with oneself)
German: Jeder ist sich selbst der Nächste (literally: Everyone is his own nearest neighbor)
Italian: La carità comincia a casa propria (literally: Charity begins at one's own home)
Russian: Своя рубашка ближе к телу (Svoya rubashka blizhe k telu) (literally: Your own shirt is closer to your body)
Arabic: الأقربون أولى بالمعروف (Al-aqrabūn awlā bil-maʿrūf) (literally: Relatives come first for kindness)
Origin: The idea is ancient: Plautus has tunica propior pallio est, the tunic is closer than the cloak. The sukmana is the long coat of Polish peasants. Russian has the shirt too: своя рубашка ближе к телу.
Explore another collection: Idioms
Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.
- stracić głowę To act without rational thought; to abandon self-control and sound judgment.
- włożyć kij w szprychy To obstruct or sabotage someone's plans or efforts.
- wziąć z sufitu To invent something without basis; to make something up or fabricate it.
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