"We're all carrying a burden"
Hello and welcome to SoundCzech, the programme in which you learn Czech phrases and idioms through song lyrics. Today's idiom comes from a song by the popular Czech singer and songwriter Jaromír Nohavica and is called "každý si nese své břímě", which translates into each one of us is carrying a burden - and the title of the song is coincidentally the phrase we're learning today...
Let's take a look at each word of the phrase. The word "každý" means everyone and "břímě" is a burden, load, or obligation. To carry in Czech is "nést" but the phrase uses the reflexive form "si nést", which is used when the verb is directed towards oneself. So, in this case, it is you who is carrying the burden. And lastly, "své" means his or hers. So, we have "každý si nese své břímě" - everyone is carrying his burden...
Now, you would say that the English equivalent of "každý si nese své břímě" - everyone is carrying his burden would be: "we all have our cross to bear" and you'd be right. Czechs have the exact same phrase "každý si nese svůj kříž" but I'm afraid I have yet to find a song that includes this phrase. In this beautiful piece of music, Jaromír Nohavica says we're all carrying our burden or každý si nese své břímě as we walk through life. He also says everyone has a dream without knowing what the world has in store for us...
And that's the end of this edition of SoundCzech. Join us again next week when we'll be back with another new phrase.
