• Listen

  What it means

  “The owl hoots, though no one teaches it.” Natural talent or instinct needs no instruction — some things come from within, not from schooling.

  English equivalent

  You can't teach a bird to fly.

  Vocabulary

  • sowa — owl
  • huczeć — to hoot, to boom
  • uczyć — to teach
  • choć — although, even though

  Grammar note

  'Jej' is the dative of 'ona' used here as an indirect object: 'no one teaches her (the owl)'.

  Cultural context

  The owl is a common figure in Polish folk sayings, often associated with wisdom or ominous signs.

  Beginner

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