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  What it means

  Literally, “As the apple tree, so the apple.” It means that children often resemble their parents in character, habits, and faults. It can praise a talented child or point out a child who has copied a parent’s bad trait. This is a well-known Polish proverb and works much like the English saying.

  English equivalent

  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

  Vocabulary

  • jaka — what kind of, as (feminine interrogative/relative adjective, nominative)
  • jabłoń — apple tree (nominative feminine)
  • takie — such, so (neuter demonstrative adjective, nominative)
  • jabłko — apple (nominative neuter)

  Grammar note

  The proverb uses a correlative structure: jaka… takie… (as… so…), which links the quality of the tree to the quality of its fruit. Notice gender agreement: jaka agrees with jabłoń (feminine), while takie agrees with jabłko (neuter). This jaki… taki… pattern is very productive in Polish and worth learning broadly.

  Cultural context

  Apple orchards were familiar in rural Poland, so the image is easy to understand. The proverb is neutral and suits casual talk, parenting discussions, and even comments on family power. It is close to the German 'Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm', which shows a shared Central European proverb tradition.

  Beginner

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