W nocy wszystkie koty są czarne
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What it means
“At night all cats are black.” In the dark, differences disappear. People, things, and situations that look distinct by day become hard to tell apart. It can also suggest that moral or social differences blur in some situations.
English equivalent
All cats are grey in the dark.
Vocabulary
- noc — night
- kot — cat
- czarny — black
Grammar note
'W nocy' uses the locative of 'noc' after 'w'. 'Wszystkie koty' is the nominative plural subject; 'czarne' is the predicate adjective in the nominative plural.
Cultural context
A direct equivalent of the pan-European proverb. Used in Polish to comment on situations where distinctions are erased.
Beginner
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