• Listen

  What it means

  Literally: “Not far falls an apple from the apple tree.” This is the variant word-order form of the same proverb — ‘Niedaleko jabłko pada od jabłoni’ — both are in wide use. The meaning is identical: children tend to inherit their parents’ character traits, whether good or bad. The variant with the verb ‘pada’ immediately after ’niedaleko’ sounds slightly more fluid in spoken Polish and is equally common.

  English equivalent

  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

  Vocabulary

  • niedaleko — not far, close by
  • pada — falls (third-person singular of padać, imperfective)
  • jabłko — apple (nominative)
  • jabłoń — apple tree
  • od jabłoni — from the apple tree (genitive after 'od')

  Grammar note

  Polish allows relatively free word order, and this variant places the verb 'pada' before the subject 'jabłko', producing a slightly different rhythm. Both forms are grammatically correct. The genitive 'jabłoni' after 'od' is required regardless of word order. Learners should recognize both versions in listening and reading contexts.

  Cultural context

  Because both word-order variants circulate freely in Polish, you will encounter both in print and speech. The choice between them is often rhythmic or regional rather than meaningful. This proverb is pan-European — close equivalents exist in German ('Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm'), Russian, and most Slavic languages, reflecting shared agricultural heritage.

  Beginner

Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!