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  What it means

  “The devil isn’t as frightening as he’s painted.” Things are rarely as bad as they seem or as others make them out to be. Don’t be put off by exaggerated warnings.

  English equivalent

  His bark is worse than his bite.

  Vocabulary

  • diabeł — devil
  • straszny — frightening, scary, terrible
  • malować — to paint, to depict

  Grammar note

  'Jak go malują' — 'as they paint him' — uses an impersonal third-person plural. 'Taki… jak' is a comparative construction: 'as… as'.

  Cultural context

  The image of a painted devil refers to medieval church frescoes and folk art depicting terrifying demons — a vivid cultural reference.

  Beginner

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