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  What it means

  Literally, “As the father, so the son.” The proverb states that sons closely resemble or imitate their fathers in character, habits, and achievements. It can be used admiringly — when a son shows the same positive qualities as his father — or critically, when a son repeats the same faults. Poles use it about both physical resemblance and behavioural inheritance. Its brevity makes it one of the most commonly quoted Polish proverbs.

  English equivalent

  Like father, like son.

  Vocabulary

  • jaki — what kind of, as (interrogative/relative adjective, masculine nominative)
  • ojciec — father (masculine noun, nominative)
  • taki — such, so (demonstrative adjective, masculine nominative)
  • syn — son (masculine noun, nominative)

  Grammar note

  The 'jaki… taki…' construction is a correlative pair functioning like 'as… so…' in English. Both adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with their respective nouns. Since 'ojciec' and 'syn' are both masculine singular nominatives, both adjectives take masculine singular nominative forms. There is no verb — the sentence is a verbless nominal predication very common in Polish proverbs.

  Cultural context

  This proverb reflects the patriarchal family structure historically central to Polish society, where fathers were seen as the primary model for sons. It is neutral in register and widely used across all generations. A feminine variant — 'Jaka matka, taka córka' (like mother, like daughter) — exists but is used less frequently.

  Beginner

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