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  What it means

  A good custom — don’t borrow it (keep it for yourself). Good habits and traditions should be maintained and not given away or abandoned.

  Vocabulary

  • zwyczaj — custom, habit, tradition
  • pożyczać — to lend, to borrow

  Grammar note

  'Nie pożyczaj' — negative imperative of 'pożyczać'. The rhyme 'zwyczaj / pożyczaj' makes this highly memorable.

  Cultural context

  A proverb defending the preservation of good traditions. The rhyme is the main vehicle — 'pożyczaj' is used for its sound as much as its meaning.

  Beginner

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