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  What it means

  Literally “At night all cats are grey.” In darkness, it is impossible to tell cats apart by colour — they all look the same. Figuratively, the proverb means that in the absence of light (or, metaphorically, clarity and scrutiny), distinctions between people or things disappear: a bad person can pass for a good one, a cheap item can pass for an expensive one. Poles use it to comment on situations where lack of information, darkness, or anonymity lets flaws or differences go unnoticed.

  English equivalent

  At night all cats are grey.

  Vocabulary

  • w nocy — at night
  • wszystkie — all (neuter/feminine plural)
  • koty — cats (nominative plural)
  • szare — grey (nominative plural)

  Grammar note

  The sentence uses the present tense of the verb 'być' (to be), here omitted — Polish often drops 'są' (they are) in proverbs for brevity. 'Szare' agrees with 'koty' in gender (masculine animal/inanimate plural → adjective takes ‑e ending). 'W nocy' is a prepositional phrase: 'w' + locative of 'noc' (night), giving 'nocy'.

  Cultural context

  This proverb is pan-European and appears in many languages in almost identical form. In Polish it is neutral in register and fits everyday conversation. It is sometimes used with a wry or ironic tone — for example, to excuse someone for not noticing an obvious difference, or to note that moral distinctions blur in some contexts.

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