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  What it means

  “Not all that glitters is gold.” Appearances can be deceiving — something that looks valuable or attractive may not be so in reality.

  English equivalent

  All that glitters is not gold.

  Vocabulary

  • złoto — gold
  • świecić się — to glitter, to shine, to gleam

  Grammar note

  'Co się świeci' is a relative clause: 'that glitters/shines'. 'Złoto' is a predicate nominative after the implied 'jest' (is).

  Cultural context

  A proverb found across many European languages, popularised in Polish partly through Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice' in translation.

  Beginner

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