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  What it means

  Literally “even in Paris they won’t make rice from oats.” Means that some things simply cannot be changed, no matter where you go or how hard you try — you can’t change someone’s fundamental nature.

  Vocabulary

  • Paryż — Paris
  • owies — oats
  • ryż — rice

  Grammar note

  'Z owsa' is genitive of 'owies' after 'z' (from/out of). 'Ryżu' is genitive of 'ryż' as the object of negated 'zrobią'.

  Cultural context

  Paris was historically seen as the pinnacle of civilization and sophistication in Polish culture — if even Paris can't do it, nobody can.

  Intermediate

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