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  What it means

  Literally “cunning as a fox.” It describes a person who is sly, clever in a crafty way, and skilled at getting what they want through shrewd or sneaky means. The fox is the classic symbol of cleverness and trickery in Polish (and European) folk tradition. The phrase can be admiring or mildly critical depending on context.

  Vocabulary

  • chytry — cunning, crafty, sly
  • jak — as, like (comparison particle)
  • lis — fox

  Grammar note

  This is a simile construction: adjective + 'jak' (as/like) + noun. 'Chytry' is a nominative masculine adjective agreeing with the implied subject. The noun 'lis' is in the nominative case after 'jak' in standard comparative similes. This pattern — 'przymiotnik + jak + rzeczownik' — is highly productive in Polish.

  Cultural context

  The fox as a symbol of cunning is deeply rooted in Polish and wider Slavic folklore, appearing in fables and fairy tales. 'Chytry' in Polish has a slightly negative edge — it implies not just intelligence but self-serving cleverness. It is informal and used in everyday speech.

  Beginner

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