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  What it means

  Literally, “a son imitates his father.” Boys often take on their fathers’ habits, values, work, or temperament. More broadly, children follow their parents’ example. It may be praise when a son shares his father’s skill or integrity, or criticism when he repeats his faults. Its focus on father and son reflects older Polish rural family life.

  English equivalent

  Like father, like son.

  Vocabulary

  • syn — son (nominative singular)
  • ojca — father (genitive singular of 'ojciec', here the object of 'naśladować')
  • naśladuje — imitates / follows the example of (third-person singular present of 'naśladować', imperfective)

  Grammar note

  'Naśladować' (to imitate or follow someone's example) takes the accusative. 'Ojciec' (father) has the irregular form 'ojca', which is both genitive and accusative. Here 'ojca' is the accusative object, not the genitive. This overlap is normal for masculine animate nouns in Polish.

  Cultural context

  This proverb belongs to a family of Polish sayings about inherited character and the apple-tree image (cf. 'Niedaleko jabłko od jabłoni pada'). Its explicitly gendered framing (son/father) reflects traditional Polish family structure, though in modern usage the message is often extended to daughters imitating mothers or children imitating parents generally. The saying is neutral in register and understood by all generations.

  Beginner

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