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  What it means

  When the swallow flies low, rain is approaching. A weather proverb based on the behaviour of swallows before storms.

  English equivalent

  Swallows fly low before rain.

  Vocabulary

  • jaskółka — swallow (the bird)
  • zniżać się — to fly lower, to descend
  • deszcz — rain
  • zbliżać się — to approach, to draw near

  Grammar note

  Both verbs use the reflexive 'się'. The proverb rhymes: 'zniża' / 'zbliża' — a common feature of Polish folk proverbs.

  Cultural context

  Swallows fly lower when air pressure drops before rain, as insects also fly lower. This observation became a reliable folk weather sign.

  Beginner

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