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  What it means

  Literally “poor as a church mouse.” Means extremely poor — the Polish equivalent of the English “poor as a church mouse.”

  Vocabulary

  • biedny — poor
  • mysz — mouse
  • kościelny — church (adjective) / of the church

  Grammar note

  'Jak' introduces the comparison. 'Mysz kościelna' — 'kościelna' is a feminine adjective agreeing with 'mysz.' The church mouse is poor because churches offer little food.

  Cultural context

  Shared across many European languages. In Poland, the Catholic church's omnipresence makes the image especially vivid.

  Beginner

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