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  What it means

  “Fear spring in January, for March is jealous.” If January brings unusually warm, spring-like weather, March will compensate with cold and harshness. A weather proverb warning against premature optimism.

  Vocabulary

  • bać się — to fear, to be afraid of
  • wiosna — spring
  • zazdrosny — jealous, envious

  Grammar note

  'Bój się' — imperative of 'bać się'. 'W styczniu' — locative of 'styczeń' (January). 'Wiosny' — genitive after 'bać się'.

  Cultural context

  Polish folk meteorology is rich with such month-by-month proverbs, reflecting the agricultural importance of weather prediction.

  Intermediate

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