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  What it means

  “A stepmother, even if made of sugar, is always bitter.” No matter how kind a stepmother tries to be, she will never be seen as a true mother. The proverb reflects the folk suspicion of stepmothers and the irreplaceable bond of a biological mother.

  Vocabulary

  • macocha — stepmother
  • choćby — even if, even though
  • cukier — sugar
  • gorzki — bitter

  Grammar note

  'Choćby z cukru' uses the genitive after 'z' meaning 'made of sugar'. 'Gorzka' is the feminine short-form adjective agreeing with 'macocha'.

  Cultural context

  Stepmothers appear frequently in Polish folk tales and proverbs as figures of suspicion, reflecting historical anxieties about blended families.

  Intermediate

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