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  What it means

  Literally “to promise pears on a willow tree,” this idiom describes making impossible, unrealistic, or dishonest promises. Since pears obviously do not grow on willows, the metaphor highlights the absurdity of the claims being made. It is most frequently used in Poland to describe the empty promises made by politicians during election campaigns.

  Vocabulary

  • gruszka — pear
  • wierzba — willow tree
  • obiecywać — to promise (imperfective)

  Grammar note

  The phrase 'na wierzbie' uses the locative case because it describes a static location after the preposition 'na'. 'Gruszki' is in the accusative plural because it is the direct object of the verb 'obiecywać'.

  Cultural context

  The willow tree is a staple of the Polish landscape, often associated with melancholy or folk magic. This idiom is the Polish equivalent of the English "to promise the moon."

  Beginner

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