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  What it means

  Losing a father makes a child half an orphan, but losing a mother makes them a complete orphan. The proverb reflects the irreplaceable role of the mother.

  Vocabulary

  • półsierota — half-orphan (one parent dead)
  • sierota — orphan
  • umrzeć — to die

  Grammar note

  'Jak' here means 'when/if'. 'Cała sierota' — 'cały' (whole, complete) intensifies 'sierota'.

  Cultural context

  Reflects the traditional Polish view of the mother as the emotional and spiritual centre of the family.

  Intermediate

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