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  What it means

  Literally “Work perfects virtue.” This proverb holds that diligent labor not only produces skill but also builds moral character. Poles use it to encourage perseverance and to remind others that excellence — whether ethical or professional — comes through sustained effort. It is especially invoked when someone is learning a craft or struggling with a difficult task, as a motivating reassurance that consistent work is its own reward.

  English equivalent

  Practice makes perfect.

  Vocabulary

  • praca — work, labor (nominative)
  • doskonali — perfects, improves (3rd person singular present of doskonalić)
  • cnotę — virtue, excellence (accusative of cnota)

  Grammar note

  The verb doskonalić is an imperfective verb in the third-person singular, agreeing with the subject praca (feminine noun). The object cnotę is in the accusative case, as expected after a transitive verb. The sentence follows a simple Subject–Verb–Object order common in Polish proverbs.

  Cultural context

  This proverb reflects a traditional Polish Catholic and folk ethic that links hard work with moral worth. It is stylistically elevated and belongs to formal or literary register rather than everyday speech. The word cnota itself is slightly archaic in modern Polish, lending the proverb a classical dignity.

  Intermediate

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