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  What it means

  Literally: “There is no family without a black sheep.” Every family, no matter how respectable or close-knit, has at least one member who turns out badly, disgraces the family name, or fails to live up to expectations. The proverb is both realistic and consoling — it normalizes the presence of a difficult family member. Poles use it to comfort families dealing with a problematic relative, or wryly to acknowledge their own family’s troublemaker.

  English equivalent

  There's a black sheep in every family.

  Vocabulary

  • rodu — of a family, clan (genitive of ród)
  • bez — without (preposition + genitive)
  • wyrodu — of a degenerate, black sheep (genitive of wyród — one who has 'degenerated' from the family stock)

  Grammar note

  'Nie ma' + genitive is the standard Polish construction for 'there is no…' Both 'rodu' and 'wyrodu' are genitive, required after 'bez' and 'nie ma' respectively. 'Wyród' derives from the prefix 'wy-' (out, away) + 'ród' (lineage), literally someone who has grown out of and away from the family stock.

  Cultural context

  Polish family life has traditionally placed enormous value on family honor and reputation. This proverb acknowledges human imperfection with a resigned, knowing tone. It is neutral in register and commonly used both in everyday conversation and in literature. The word 'wyród' can sound harsh but is used matter-of-factly in this proverbial context.

  Intermediate

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