national proverbs

[poehee99]

Wouldn't it be fun if we collected international proverbs?

so, if everyone adds a proverb of his or her native country (+ the meaning of the proverb) we could get an international list of proverbs and maybe we'll find out that similar proverbs exist in different countries.

so here's what you should do:

1) state the proverb
2) the literal translation in english
3) the meaning of the proverb

okay, here's one from holland:

1) al draagt een aap een gouden ring, het is en blijft een lelijk ding.
2) even if the monkey is wearing a golden ring, it still is ugly.
3) it isn't the clothes that makes a man. you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover is the english version of it.

[Jessika]

I think the spanish proverb for that is:

1. "Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda."
2. Even if the monkey (in femenine) is dressed in silk, it remains a monkey.
3. No matter what changes you try in your appearance/personality, you still remain what you are, so, dont pretend something you are not.

(but i think the meaning differs :P)

I add another proverb:

1. "Más vale solo que mal acompañado."
2. It is better to stay alone than badly accompanied.
(my literal translation is horrible, sorry)
3. It is better to stay on your own than being with someone you dont like, or someone you hate, or dont get well with.

[Jessika]

I like this thread :D

Here you have more proverbs (sorry i dont know the English versions):

1. "No dejes para mañana lo que puedas hacer hoy."
2. Don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today
3. I think it doesn't need more explanation :P


1. "Del amor al odio sólo hay un paso."
2. There is just one step from love to hate
3. Needs explanation? :confused:


1. "Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres."
2. Tell me who you go with, and I will tell you who you are
3. Ok, if you go with people who do certain things (bad or good), you will end up doing the same, in theory.

1. "Cree el ladrón que todos son de su condición"
2. The thief thinks that everybody is as his nature/condition
3. There are people who think that everybody acts as they would do.
(thinking of an example in literature.. )

gotta go now, but i will think of it

[poehee99]

That's funny, all four proverbs are the same in holland. here they are:

1) Stel niet uit tot morgen wat u ook vandaag kunt doen
Don't put off till tomorrow, what you can do today.

2) Het is een smalle lijn tussen liefde en haat
It's a thin line between love and hate

3) Aan zijn gezelschap herkent men de man
You can tell who he is by his company

4) Zoals de waard is vertrouwd hij zijn gasten
The host trusts his guests in the same way he is to be trusted

And here is a new one, a rather strange one:

1) Dat smaakt alsof er een engeltje op je tong piest
2) That tasted like as if an angel is pissing on your tongue.
3) That tastes delicious

[Jessika]

ei! what a strange one!! i think we dont have any similar proverb to that last one!! lol


Here you have more proverbs (i cant find an example for the last one i wrote down in the other post)

1. "Lo que las leyes no prohiben, puede prohibirlo la honestidad." Séneca
2. What laws don't forbid can be forbidden by honesty
3. Even if there are no laws for a behaviour or an specific act, if you know that it is 'bad', your honesty may prevent you from doing it.

1. "El tiempo descubre la verdad" Séneca
2. Time finds out the truth

(in relation to lies and lying, we have another one:
1. "Se coge antes a un mentiroso que a un cojo"
2 You will catch a lier sooner than a lame person
3. Lies are easily found out, so don't lie unless:

1. "Para mentir hace falta buena memoria"
2. In order to lie, you need good memory.)

1. "No es preciso tener muchos libros, sino tenerlos buenos." Séneca
2. It is not necessary to have a lot of books, but have good ones

1. "No he nacido para sólo un rincón, mi patria es todo el mundo." Séneca
2. I was not born only for one corner, my fatherland is the whole world
This is a pretty one, dont you think? :p

1. "Cuando los que mandan pierden la vergüenza, los que obedecen pierden el respeto"
2. When the ones who rule lose their inhibitions, the ones who obey lose the respect

[Monica]

In Poland we have a lot of weird proverbs and they aren't understood by Polish people sometimes. A lot of them derive from folk culture and their language, words or grammar are incomprehensible. But here is one very comprehensible:

1. Przez babę nawet diabeł osiwieje.
2. A woman can make even a devil turn grey.
3. Meaning that a woman is able to do anything :)

[faith]

I've got two native languages: Finnish and Swedish (the official languages of Finland).

Here comes someting in Finnish:

1. Älä nuolaise ennen kuin tipahtaa.
2. Don't lick before something has fallen down.
3. Don't be glad over something before it has really happend.

And same in Swedish:

1. Ropa inte hej före du är över bäcken.
2. Don't shout hi before you have crossed the "river" (bäck isn't a river, but much smaller, but I don't know what it's called in English.
3. Don't be glad over something before it has really happend.