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  What it means

  Literally “A mountain with a mountain shall not meet, but a person with a person will.” This is the Polish equivalent of the English saying “It’s a small world” or “We will meet again.” It expresses the idea that people, unlike immovable mountains, are likely to cross paths again — so treat others well, because you never know when your roads will intersect.

  Vocabulary

  • góra — mountain
  • zejdzie się — will meet, will come together (reflexive future of 'zejść się')
  • człowiek — person, human being
  • człowiekiem — with a person (instrumental of 'człowiek', required by 'z')

  Grammar note

  The preposition 'z' (with) always takes the instrumental case, so 'górą' and 'człowiekiem' are instrumental forms. The reflexive 'zejść się' means 'to come together' or 'to meet.'

  Cultural context

  This proverb reflects the social accountability of village life, where people lived in tight-knit communities and were likely to encounter the same individuals repeatedly throughout their lives.

  Intermediate

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