Breakdown of Wszak dobro i zło to nie to samo.
to
this
i
and
nie
no / not
sam
alone / himself (emphatic) / pure / nothing but
wszak
after all
dobro
goodness
zło
evil
Questions & Answers about Wszak dobro i zło to nie to samo.
How does wszak differ from przecież, which also means "after all"?
Both words express that something is obvious or already known. The difference is register: wszak is more literary, formal, and slightly old-fashioned, making it perfect for philosophical statements like this one about good and evil. In everyday speech, you would almost always use przecież.
Why is to used here instead of the verb są (are)?
In Polish, to is often used as a linking word between two noun phrases instead of the verb być (to be). It acts as an equals sign. If you wanted to use a verb, the sentence would become Dobro i zło nie są tym samym, which forces the second part into the instrumental case. Using to lets you keep both sides in the simple nominative case.
"Goodness and evil" are two things. Why does the sentence end with the singular to samo instead of the plural te same?
Here, to samo acts as an abstract pronoun meaning "the same thing", which is always neuter singular. If you used the plural te same, it would imply you were talking about specific matching items, rather than comparing them as a single abstract concept.
I know dobry and zły mean "good" and "bad". How do they relate to dobro and zło?
Dobry and zły are adjectives. By replacing their endings with -o, they become abstract neuter nouns: dobro (goodness / the good) and zło (evil / the bad). Since this sentence uses them as the main subjects, they must take their noun forms.
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