W górach początek wody, a koniec chleba
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What it means
“In the mountains there is the beginning of water, but the end of bread.” Mountain springs are the source of rivers, but the rocky terrain makes farming difficult, so bread (food) runs short.
Vocabulary
- góry — mountains
- początek — beginning, source
- woda — water
- koniec — end, shortage
- chleb — bread
Grammar note
'Wody' and 'chleba' are genitive singular forms used after 'początek' and 'koniec' respectively.
Cultural context
Reflects the traditional contrast between the water-rich but agriculturally poor Carpathian highlands and the fertile Polish lowlands.
Intermediate
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