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  What it means

  Literally: “As the tree, so the bark; as the mother, so the daughter.” The outer bark of a tree is shaped by and reflects the nature of the tree itself — a strong oak has thick, rugged bark; a birch has its distinctive white skin. In the same way, the proverb says, a daughter’s character mirrors her mother’s. The word ‘córa’ (rather than ‘córka’) gives this variant a distinctly archaic, poetic register, suggesting it comes from an older stratum of folk wisdom.

  English equivalent

  Like mother, like daughter.

  Vocabulary

  • drzewo — tree
  • kora — bark (of a tree)
  • matka — mother
  • córa — daughter (archaic/poetic form of 'córka')
  • jakie/jaka — as, whatever kind (correlative pronoun, neuter/feminine)
  • taka — so, that kind (feminine)

  Grammar note

  'Jakie drzewo' uses the neuter form because 'drzewo' is neuter; 'jaka matka' uses the feminine form because 'matka' is feminine. This gender agreement is automatic in Polish but worth noting for learners. 'Córa' is an old genitive/vocative form that has become a poetic nominative — it survives mainly in set phrases and literature.

  Cultural context

  The word 'córa' marks this as an older or literary variant; modern Poles almost always say 'córka.' The proverb may be encountered in poetry, historical novels, or regional folk collections. It is rarely used in everyday speech today but would be immediately understood by any Polish speaker.

  Beginner

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