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  What it means

  “No one is a prophet in their own country.” Familiarity breeds contempt — people rarely appreciate the talents of someone they know well or grew up with.

  English equivalent

  No man is a prophet in his own country.

  Vocabulary

  • nikt — nobody, no one
  • prorok — prophet
  • własny — own
  • kraj — country

  Grammar note

  'Prorokiem' is the instrumental of 'prorok', required after 'być' (to be). 'We własnym kraju' uses the locative after 'w/we'.

  Cultural context

  Rooted in the Gospel of Luke (4:24). Widely used in Polish to explain why local talent is undervalued.

  Intermediate

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