ProverbHuman NatureSpanish origin

De tal palo, tal astilla

Meaning: Children take after their parents.

Literally: From such a stick, such a splinter

Example: “Su padre era músico y ella toca cuatro instrumentos. De tal palo, tal astilla.” — Her father was a musician and she plays four instruments: the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Equivalents in English, French, Japanese, German, Italian, and 6 more languages

  • English: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree
  • French: La pomme ne tombe jamais loin de l'arbre (literally: The apple never falls far from the tree)
  • Japanese: 蛙の子は蛙 (Kaeru no ko wa kaeru) (literally: A frog's child is a frog)
  • German: Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm (literally: The apple does not fall far from the trunk)
  • Italian: Tale padre, tale figlio (literally: Like father, like son)
  • Portuguese: Filho de peixe sabe nadar (literally: A fish's child knows how to swim)
  • Dutch: De appel valt niet ver van de boom (literally: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree)
  • Russian: Яблоко от яблони недалеко падает (Yabloko ot yabloni nedaleko padaet) (literally: The apple falls not far from the apple tree)
  • Polish: Niedaleko pada jabłko od jabłoni (literally: The apple falls not far from the apple tree)
  • Chinese: 有其父必有其子 (Yǒu qí fù bì yǒu qí zǐ) (literally: Such a father, such a son)
  • Arabic: ابن الوز عوام (Ibn il-wizz ʿawwām) (literally: The gosling is a swimmer)

Origin: A splinter is made of the same wood as the stick it came from, the same image as English chip off the old block.

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