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  What it means

  “The young may die, but the old must.” Death is inevitable for everyone, but the old have no escape from it — it is only a matter of time. A sober reminder of mortality.

  English equivalent

  The young may die, the old must.

  Vocabulary

  • młody — young person
  • móc — to be able to, may
  • umrzeć — to die
  • stary — old person
  • musieć — must, to have to

  Grammar note

  'Może' (may/can) contrasts with 'musi' (must). Both are third-person singular modal verbs. The infinitive 'umrzeć' is shared across both clauses.

  Cultural context

  A memento mori proverb common across European cultures. In Polish it is often cited philosophically rather than morbidly.

  Beginner

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