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  What it means

  Literally “If you go among the crows, you must caw like them.” It means that when you find yourself in a new environment or social group, you must adapt to their rules and behaviors to fit in. It is used to describe the necessity of social conformity, sometimes with a slightly cynical undertone.

  English equivalent

  When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

  Vocabulary

  • wrony — crows
  • krakać — to caw (the sound a crow makes)
  • one — they (non-masculine personal pronoun)
  • między — between / among

  Grammar note

  The preposition 'między' (between/among) is followed by the accusative case 'wrony' here because it indicates movement into a position. If it were describing a static location, it would take the instrumental case.

  Cultural context

  This is a very popular rhyme in Poland. While the English equivalent "When in Rome" sounds neutral or even adventurous, the Polish "crows" version can sometimes imply that the group you are joining is undesirable or harsh.

  Intermediate

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