Czego Jaś się nie nauczy, tego Jan nie będzie umiał
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What it means
What little Jaś doesn’t learn, Jan will not know , skills and habits not acquired in childhood are very hard to develop in adulthood.
English equivalent
You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
Vocabulary
- Jaś — Johnny, little Jan (diminutive)
- nauczyć się — to learn, to master
- Jan — John (adult form)
- umieć — to know how to, to be able to
Grammar note
Genitive of negation: 'czego się nie nauczy' and 'tego nie będzie umiał' , both use genitive after negated verbs.
Cultural context
The shift from the affectionate diminutive 'Jaś' to the plain adult name 'Jan' carries the whole meaning of the proverb.
Intermediate
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