en-proverb

The circumstances of others seem more desirable than one's own but in reality often are not.

طبيخ الجارة نوارة، وطبيخ أهل الدار مرار

others' circumstances seem more desirable than one's own but in reality often are not.

l'herba sempre és més verda a l'altra banda

隔篱饭香 (gaak³ lei⁴ faan⁶ hoeng¹, literally “next door's rice smells good”)

这山望着那山高 (zhè shān wàng zhe nà shān gāo, literally “the next mountain looks taller”)

græsset er altid grønnere på den anden side af hækken

het gras is altijd groener aan de overkant

herbaro ĉiam aspektas pli verda trans barilo

ruoho on aina vihreämpää aidan toisella puolella

l’herbe est toujours plus verte ailleurs

l’herbe est toujours plus verte dans le pré du voisin

die Kirschen aus Nachbars Garten schmecken immer besser

die Kirschen aus Nachbars Garten schmecken immer noch am besten

ha-déshe shel ha-shakhén tamíd yarók yotér

הַדֶּשֶׁא שֶׁל הַשָּׁכֵן תָּמִיד יָרֹק יוֹתֵר

दूर के ढोल सुहावने लगते हैं (dūr ke ḍhol suhāvne lagte ha͠i, literally “from far away, the drums sound better”)

दूसरे की थाली में घी अधिक दिखाई देता है

dūsre kī thālī mẽ ghī adhik dikhāī detā hai

rumput tetangga selalu terlihat lebih hijau

隣の芝生は青く見える (となりのしばふはあおくみえる, tonari no shibafu wa aoku mieru, literally “the neighbor's lawn seems green”)

隣の芝生は青い (となりのしばふはあおい, tonari no shibafu wa aoi, literally “the neighbor's lawn is green”)

隣の花は赤い (となりのはなはあかい, tonari no hana wa akai, literally “the neighbor's flowers are red”)

남의 떡이 더 커 보인다 (namui tteogi deo keo boinda, literally “the other person's rice cake seems bigger”)

먼 무당이 용하다 (meon mudang'i yonghada, literally “the shaman from far away is more skilled”)

hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri, baik juga di negeri sendiri

അക്കരെ നിന്നാൽ ഇക്കരെ പച്ച (akkare ninnāl ikkare pacca, literally “if you stand on the other shore, this side is greener”)

gresset er alltid grønnere på den andre siden

graset er alltid grønare på den andre sida

сосе́дняя о́чередь всегда́ дви́жется быстре́е (sosédnjaja óčeredʹ vsegdá dvížetsja bystréje, literally “the other queue always moves faster”)

там хорошо́, где нас нет (tam xorošó, gde nas net, literally “it is good everywhere where we are not”)

's e miann na lacha an loch air nach bi i

tha iteagan bòidheach air na h-eòin a tha fad às

la hierba siempre es más verde del otro lado

el pasto siempre es más verde del otro lado

до́бре там, де нас нема́ (dóbre tam, de nas nemá, literally “it is better there, where we are not”)

the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence

the grass is always greener on the other side of the road


gratia gratiam parit

[ˈɡräːt̪iä ˈɡräːt̪iä̃ˑ ˈpärɪt̪]

[ˈɡrät̪ː͡s̪iä ˈɡrät̪ː͡s̪iäm ˈpäːrit̪]

Calque of Ancient Greek ἡ χάρις χάριν φέρει (hē kháris khárin phérei), from Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 779.

calque

ἡ χάρις χάριν φέρει

Gratificatio provocat benefactorem ad plura & majora beneficia: gratia gratiam parit.

1726, Adriaan van Cattenburgh, S. S. Theologiæ inter Remonstrantes Professoris, Spicilegium Theologiæ Christianæ Philippi a Limborch […], page 901:

Showing kindness provokes a benefactor to further and greater favours: kindness begets kindness.


buey viejo surco derecho

Literally, “an old ox, a straight furrow (it makes)”.

lit

a new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows the corners


buena fama hurto encubre

Literally, “good reputation covers over a theft”.

get away with murder
get away with murder

You can get away with murder if you've built up a reputation of being honest


vox audita perit, litera scripta manet

vōx audīta perit (canonical)
lītera scrīpta manet (canonical)

/u̯oːks au̯ˈdiː.ta ˈpe.rit ˈliː.te.ra ˈskriːp.ta ˈma.net/

[u̯oːks̠ äu̯ˈd̪iːt̪ä ˈpɛrɪt̪ ˈlʲiːt̪ɛrä ˈs̠kriːpt̪ä ˈmänɛt̪]

/voks au̯ˈdi.ta ˈpe.rit ˈli.te.ra ˈskrip.ta ˈma.net/

[vɔks äu̯ˈd̪iːt̪ä ˈpɛːrit̪ ˈliːt̪erä ˈskript̪ä ˈmäːnet̪]

A heard voice perishes, but the written letter remains.

litera scripta manet: A thing heard perishes

verbum ut inane perit: The written letter remains

volat irrevocabile verbum: The written letter remains

litera scripta manet: While words spoken may fly away


qui docet, discit

quī docet (canonical)
discit (canonical)

[kʷiː ˈd̪ɔkɛt̪ ˈd̪ɪs̠kɪt̪]

[kwiː ˈd̪ɔːt͡ʃet̪ ˈd̪iʃːit̪]


qui a bu boira

LL-Q150 (fra)-LoquaxFR-qui a bu boira.wav

(literally) Once a drunkard, always a drunkard; a person who has drunk will drink again

a leopard cannot change its spots
a leopard cannot change its spots

(figuratively) old habits die hard; a leopard cannot change its spots


humanum est errare

[huːˈmäːnʊ̃ˑ ɛs̠t̪ ɛrˈräːrɛ]


culpam poena premit comes

[ˈkʊɫ̪pä̃ˑ ˈpoe̯nä ˈprɛmɪt̪ ˈkɔmɛs̠]

Literally "Punishment pursues fault as a comrade."

Punishment follows closely behind crime's heels; crime doesn't pay.


la noche es capa de pecadores

[la ˌno.t͡ʃe ˌes ˌka.pa ð̞e pe.kaˈð̞o.ɾes]

Literally, “the night is a cloak for sinners”.


carpe diem

Learned borrowing from Latin carpe diem (“enjoy the day”, literally “pluck (or harvest) the day”).

lbor

It is the carpe diem religion; but the carpe diem religion is not the religion of happy people, but of very unhappy people.

1905, G. K. Chesterton, Heretics, New York: John Lane, →OL:

Indeed, in an extreme carpe diem society, children are raised without being given any sense that they have a transgenerational duty to the as yet unborn— the duty to leave them a better world.

2007 July 30, Lee Harris, “Can Carpe Diem Societies Survive?”, in The Suicide of Reason: Radical Islam's Threat to the West, New York: Basic Books, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OL, page 241:

Just grab those opportunities when you see 'em / Cause every day's a brand new day, you gotta carpe diem

2011 January 29, “Rollercoaster: The Musical!” (“Carpe Diem” (song)), in Phineas and Ferb, season 2, episode 38:

Enjoy the present, make the most of today, (common mistranslation) seize the day.


azeite, vinho e amigo, o mais antigo

azeite vinho e amigo o mais antigo (canonical)

/aˈzej.t͡ʃi ˈvĩ.ɲu i aˈmi.ɡu u ˈmajz ɐ̃ˈt͡ʃi.ɡu/

[aˈzeɪ̯.t͡ʃi ˈvĩ.j̃u i aˈmi.ɡu u ˈmaɪ̯z ɐ̃ˈt͡ʃi.ɡu]

/aˈzej.te ˈvi.ɲo e aˈmi.ɡo o ˈmajz ɐ̃ˈt͡ʃi.ɡo/

[aˈzeɪ̯.te ˈvi.ɲo e aˈmi.ɡo o ˈmaɪ̯z ɐ̃ˈt͡ʃi.ɡo]

/ɐˈzɐj.tɨ ˈvi.ɲu i ɐˈmi.ɡu u ˈmajz ɐ̃ˈti.ɡu/

[ɐˈzɐj.tɨ ˈvi.ɲu i ɐˈmi.ɣu u ˈmajz ɐ̃ˈti.ɣu]

/ɐˈzej.tɨ ˈbi.ɲu i ɐˈmi.ɡu u ˈmajz ɐ̃ˈti.ɡu/

[ɐˈzej.tɨ ˈβi.ɲu i ɐˈmi.ɣu u ˈmajz ɐ̃ˈti.ɣu]

/ɐˈzej.tɨ ˈvi.ɲu i ɐˈmi.ɡu u ˈmajz ɐ̃ˈti.ɡu/

[ɐˈzej.tɨ ˈvi.ɲu i ɐˈmi.ɣu u ˈmajz ɐ̃ˈti.ɣu]

/ɐˈze.tɨ ˈvi.ɲu i ɐˈmi.ɡu u ˈmajz ɐ̃ˈti.ɡu/

[ɐˈze.tɨ ˈvi.ɲu i ɐˈmi.ɣu u ˈmajz ɐ̃ˈti.ɣu]

Literally, “olive oil, wine and friend, the oldest”.

lit

of oil, wine and a friend the oldest is always the best


por la boca muere el pez

Literally, “fish die through their mouths”.

loose lips sink ships
loose lips sink ships

what you say can do you harm; silence is golden; loose lips sink ships; keep mum


pela boca morre o peixe

Literally, “by its mouth the fish dies”.

what you say can do you harm
what you say can do you harm


bien predica quien bien vive

he who preaches well is he who lives well


華

Kyūjitai
Old Japanese language
Proto-Japonic language
Shinjitai
Tōkyō
Ōsaka

/pana/ → /fana/ → /hana/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pana.

枯木(こぼく)華(はな)開(ひら)く 枯木華開く#Japanese


鍼

Extension of and cognate with 針 (hari, “needle used in embroidery”).

死(し)に馬(うま)に鍼(はり) 死に馬に鍼#Japanese

死(し)に馬(うま)に鍼(はり)をさす 死に馬に鍼をさす#Japanese

死(し)に馬(うま)に鍼(はり) (shi ni uma ni hari), 死(し)に馬(うま)に鍼(はり)をさす (shi ni uma ni hari o sasu)


you can't get a quart into a pint pot

(literally) You cannot fit a large object or amount in something smaller.

They've asked me to get from London to New York by five o'clock, but it's half past four now, and you can't get a quart into a pint pot!

The centenary of Britain's most famous train has called for a commemorative and descriptive work and in this 40-page illustrated booklet the author has tried—with some success, to pour a quart into a pint pot.

1962 October, “New Reading on Railways: The Flying Scotsman 1862-1962. By C. Hamilton Ellis. Allen & Unwin. 6s.”, in Modern Railways, unnumbered page:

(figurative) One cannot achieve the impossible.


e pluribus unum

"out of many, one" or "from many, one" (alternatively translated as "one out of many" or "one from many”)

из мно́гих — еди́ное n (iz mnógix — jedínoje)


覆水盆に返らず

ja-pos

ふくすい ぼん に かえらず

覆(ふく)水(すい)盆(ぼん)に返(かえ)らず • (fukusui bon ni kaerazu)

覆水盆に返らず (canonical)
fukusui bon ni kaerazu (romanization)

[ɸɯ̟kɯ̟sɨi bo̞ɲ̟ ɲ̟i ka̠e̞ɾa̠zɨ]

Partial calque of Literary Chinese 覆水難收 (fùshuǐnánshōu, literally “It is hard to retrieve spilt water”). Originally read as 覆水収(ふくすいおさ)め難(がた)し (fukusui osame-gatashi) in kanbun kundoku.
This form literally means "spilt water does not return to the basin". The back-formation of this form in pseudo-kanbun would be 覆水不返盆.

ja-r

ふくすい おさめ-がたし

Once a married couple divorce, they cannot reconcile.

don't cry over spilt milk
don't cry over spilt milk


birds of the feather flock together

birds of a feather flock together#English

Alternative form of birds of a feather flock together


there's more than one way to skin a cat

Origin unknown. Other proverbs with the same meaning referencing the killing of animals are also attested, some as early as the 17th century; see, for example, “there are more ways to kill a dog than hanging” (1678), “there is more than one way to kill a cat” (1833), and “more ways of killing a cat than choking her with cream” (1855).

nb...

Digested into a Convenient Method for the Speedy Finding Any One upon Occasion; with Short Annotations. Whereunto are Added Local Proverbs with Their Explications, Old Proverbial Rhythmes, Less Known or Exotick Proverbial Sentences, and Scottish Proverbs. The Second Edition Enlarged by the Addition of Many Hundred English, and an Appendix of Hebrew Proverbs, with Annotations and Parallels.

To which is Added, the History of a Steam Doctor. In Two Volumes. 􂀿...􂁀 By the Author of “A Yankee among the Nullifiers.”

of Burrough, in the County of Devon, in the Reign of Her Most Glorious Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Rendered into Modern English by Charles Kingsley.

At any rate, thought I, there's more than one way to skin a cat, as a butcher would say.

1835 November 11, the New York Transcript, quotee, “Eccentricities of a Mad Man”, in Benj[amin] Kingsbury, Jr., editor, Zion’s Herald, volume VI, number 45, Boston, Mass.: Boston Wesleyan Association, →OCLC, page 180, column 2:

This is a money digging world of ours; and, as it is said, "there are more ways than one to skin a cat," so are there more ways than one of digging for money. But, in some mode or other, this seems to be the universal occupation of the sons of Adam.

[1854, Seba Smith, “The Money-diggers and Old Nick”, in ’Way Down East; or, Portraitures of Yankee Life, New York, N.Y.: J[ames] C[ephas] Derby, […]; Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson & Co. […], →OCLC, page 169:

But then the Church came to the front, with an axe to grind; and she was wise, subtle, and knew more than one way to skin a cat—or a nation; […]

1889, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “The Boss”, in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, New York, N.Y.: Charles L. Webster & Company, →OCLC, page 100:

Relator was, undoubtedly, at this point reminded of the old saying: "There is more than one way to skin a cat"; because he was saying the same thing in different terminology and tied it in with his original statement by saying "as I stated".

1947 December 8, “Ex Parte Joe Fisher, Relator: Respondent’s Answer to Relator’s Motion for Rehearing”, in Joe J. Fisher, Petitioner, vs. R. C. Pace, Sheriff of Jasper County, Texas: Transcript of Record (Supreme Court of the United States, October Term, 1948; no. 45), Washington, D.C.: Judd & Detweiler, […], folio 90, page 65:

Nissan has elected to concentrate its European operations in Sunderland, including battery development, precisely because Boris Johnson has brought forward the phase-out date for petrol and diesel vehicles to 2030. […] However, there is more than one way to skin a cat, and cheaper options for ultra-low emitting vehicles are just around the corner.

2021 January 25, Robin Russell-Jones, “Electric cars are not the only green solution”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-03-22:

there's more than one way to cook an egg

there's more than one way to crack an egg

there's more than one way to peel an orange

(originally US) A problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal.

هناك أكثر من طريقَة لسلخ القط

a problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal

konstit on monet sanoi mummo, kun kissalla pöytää pyyhki

il y a plusieurs façons de plumer un canard

is iomaí bealach le cat a mharú seachas é a thachtadh le him

все доро́ги веду́т в Рим (vse dorógi vedút v Rim, literally “all roads lead to Rome”)

cada quien tiene su manera de matar pulgas

mae llawer ffordd i ladd ci heblaw ei grogi

mae mwy nag un ffordd i gael Wil i'w wely

if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail


every dog has its day

cæsar [...] Yes, Rufio: I am an old man—worn out now—true, quite true. [...] Well, every dog has his day; and I have had mine: I cannot complain.

1898, [George] Bernard Shaw, “Cæsar and Cleopatra”, in Three Plays for Puritans: The Devil’s Disciple, Cæsar and Cleopatra, & Captain Brassbound’s Conversion, London: Grant Richards, […], published 1901, →OCLC, Act III, page 153:

"[T]o lose, it hurt. But I learned from that. I learned that every dog has its day. I learned patience."

1987 November 5, Thomas George, “Football: First Down, Many Goals to Go”, in New York Times, retrieved 2015-07-13:

The Hearts manager John McGlynn was thrilled to be drawn against Liverpool in the Europa League play-offs. McGlynn said: ". . . . I would imagine the bookmakers would favour Liverpool but every dog has its day."

2012 August 11, “Europa League: Hearts delight at Liverpool tie”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 2015-07-13:

Everyone, at some point, experiences some degree of success, impact, or influence in life.

做总统你嘛有机会

Chhàu-thâu-á mā ē chò hông-tè, chò chóng-thóng lí mā ū ki-hōe

auch ein blindes Huhn findet mal ein Korn

бу́дет и на на́шей у́лице пра́здник (búdet i na nášej úlice prázdnik, literally “and in our street there will be holiday too”)

even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while


when the cat's away the mice will play

when the cat’s away the mice will play (canonical)

In the absence of a controlling entity, subordinates will take advantage of circumstances.

as die kat weg is, is die muis baas

in the absence of a controlling entity, subordinates will take advantage of circumstances

når katten er ude, spiller musene på bordet

als de kat van huis is, dansen de muizen op tafel

kun kissa on poissa, hiiret hyppivät pöydällä

ist die Katze aus dem Haus, tanzen die Mäuse auf dem Tisch

όταν λείπει η γάτα χορεύουν τα ποντίκια

ótan leípei i gáta chorévoun ta pontíkia

ha nincs otthon a macska, cincognak az egerek

þegar kötturinn er frá fara mýsnar á stjá

nuair a bhíonn an cat amuigh, bíonn na lucha ag rince

鼬無き間の貂誇り

いたちなきまのてんほこり

고양이가 없으면 쥐가 살판이 난다

goyang'iga eopseumyeon jwiga salpani nanda

quō nōn versantur cattī mures dominantur

wann d’Kaz fort ass, sinn d’Mais Meeschter

when the cat’s away, the mice are dancing on the table

når katten er borte, danser musene på bordet

quando o gato sai, os ratos fazem a festa

când pisica nu-i acasă, joacă șoarecii pe masă

tha fios aig an luch nach eil an cat a-staigh

где мачке у кући нема ту мишеви коло воде

gde mačke u kući nema tu miševi kolo vode

gaž jo kócor z domu, ga maju myšy swóju wólu

cuando el gato no está, bailan los ratones

cuando el gato no está los ratones están de fiesta

cuando el gato no está, los ratones bailan

när katten är borta, dansar råttorna på bordet

kapag wala ang pusa, naglalaro ang mga daga

kapag wala ang pusa ay pista ng mga daga

rautu mettanaitē gurraṁ mūḍu kāḷḷa mīda parigettutundi

రౌతు మెత్తనైతే గుర్రం మూడు కాళ్ళ మీద పరిగెత్తుతుంది

kedi olmayan yerde meydan farelere kalır


head

power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely

power corrupts (canonical)
absolute power corrupts absolutely (canonical)

From a letter written by Lord Acton in 1887.

power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely

The corrupting influence of power is total when one's power is total.

the corrupting influence of power is total when one's power is total

władza korumpuje, a władza absolutna korumpuje absolutnie

o poder corrompe, o poder absoluto corrompe absolutamente

vlastʹ razvraščájet, absoljútnaja vlastʹ razvraščájet absoljútno

власть развраща́ет, абсолю́тная власть развраща́ет абсолю́тно

el poder corrompe, el poder absoluto corrompe absolutamente

vláda rozbéščuje, a absoljútna vláda rozbéščuje absoljútno

вла́да розбе́щує, а абсолю́тна вла́да розбе́щує абсолю́тно


à bon chat, bon rat

LL-Q150 (fra)-Benoît Prieur-à bon chat, bon rat.wav

an attacker and an attackee grow stronger from finding new ways to outwit each other


that's the way the ball bounces

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-that's the way the ball bounces.wav


that's the way the mop flops

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-that's the way the mop flops.wav


that's the way life is

That's the way life is, and there's no use trying to go against it.

1935, Louis Bromfield, The Man Who Had Everything, page 279:

There are no standards, no values; that's the way life is. Learn to accept it and slide with it. Stop fighting it.

1979, Jay Edward Abrams, A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption, →ISBN, page 45:

Shit happens; that's the way life is. In fact, I want you to take an additional thousand for your efforts.

2002, B. Eugene Ellison, Rings of the Templars, →ISBN, page 337:

Certain things cannot be changed, helped or improved; struggle and objection are pointless.


that's the way the cookie crumbles

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-that's the way the cookie crumbles.wav

Are you up to par with the hep talk that is going around schools like Norwood High? […] While standing by the H2o spurt (water fountain) we overheard the following conversation between two really gone (neat) guys. “[…] It was a blind date, and boy did I flip (go mad) when I got a gaze at her! That dirty bird (guy that pulls a dirty trick) that fixed me up with her! I spent a whole chlorophyl George (one dollar bill) on her. Oh well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles (that’s life!)[…]” (Taken from N. H. S. Mirror)

1955 February 2, “Dig This Man--The Craziest!”, in The Cincinnati Post, volume 74, number 16, Cincinnati, Oh., page 19:

That is the way things happen; that's life.


you can't teach an old dog new tricks

A form of (obsolete) “An old dog will learn no tricks”.

It is impossible to change people's habits, traits, or mindset.

man kan ikke lære en gammel hund nye kunster

vanale koerale juba uusi trikke ei õpeta

vanhalle koiralle ei voi opettaa uusia temppuja

literally: a tree must be bent while it is young

il faut ployer l’arbre pendant qu’il est jeune

was Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr

παλιός γάιδαρος καινούρια περπατησιά δε μαθαίνει (paliós gáidaros kainoúria perpatisiá de mathaínei, literally “the old donkey cannot learn a new walk”)

öreg/vén muzsikusnak/zenésznek nem lehet új nótát tanítani (már)

það er erfitt að kenna gömlum hundi að sitja

nuair a chríonann an tslat is deacair í a lúbadh

il cane vecchio non si abitua più alla catena

przyzwyczajenie jest drugą naturą człowieka

czego Jaś się nie nauczy, tego Jan nie będzie umiał

горба́того моги́ла испра́вит (gorbátovo mogíla isprávit, literally “a hunchback will be corrected by the grave”)

an t-aon nach teagaisgear ris a' ghlùin chan fhoghlamar ris an uilinn

you can't put an old head on young shoulders


you can't judge a book by its cover

En-au-you can't judge a book by its cover.ogg

(idiomatic, figurative) It is not possible to make reliable judgments about things or people by considering external appearances alone.

it is not possible to judge things by external appearances alone

لَا تَحْكُم عَلَى كِتَابِ مِِنْ غِلَافِهِ

אַל תִּסְתַּכֵּל בַּקַּנְקַן אֶלָּא בַמֶּה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ (ál tistakél baqanqán, éla bamé sheyésh bó, literally “Don't look at the jug, but at what's inside it.”)

þú getur ekki rannsakað hund eftir hárinu

go minic bíonn croí geal i gcraiceann donn

's tric a bhios cridhe gheal ann an seiche dhonn

hayvanın alacası dışında, insanın alacası içinde

не судіть про книгу за її обкладинкою

ne suditʹ pro knyhu za jiji obkladynkoju

anything essential is invisible to the eyes


en-proverb

you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink

You can show someone how to do something, but you can't make them do it.

ja pots xiular si l'ase no vol beure

you can show someone how to do something, but you can't make them do it

madala nimo ang baka sa suba apan dili nimo mainom

牛唔饮水唔揿得牛头低 (ngau⁴ m⁴ jam² seoi² m⁴ gam⁶ dak¹ ngau⁴ tau⁴ dai¹, literally “if a cow does not drink water, one cannot press its head down”)

man kan tvinge hesten til truget, men man kan ikke tvinge den til at drikke

It's bad to catch hares with unwilling dogs

met onwillige honden is het slecht hazen vangen

voit viedä hevosen veden ääreen, mutta et voi pakottaa sitä juomaan

You can't force a donkey to drink when he's not thirsty

on ne saurait faire boire un âne qui n’a pas soif

man kann den Gaul zur Tränke führen, aber saufen muss er selber

ham kisī ko kuch karne kā avsar de sakte par unapar use karne ke lie dabāv nahī̃ banā sakte

हम किसी को कुछ करने का अवसर दे सकते पर उनपर उसे करने के लिए दबाव नहीं बना सकते

puoi portare un cavallo all'acqua ma non puoi farlo bere

馬を水辺に導く事は出来るが馬に水を飲ませる事は出来ない

うまをみずべにみちびくことはできるがうまにみずをのませることはできない

uma o mizube ni michibikukoto wa dekiru ga uma ni mizu o nomaserukoto-wa dekinai

du kan lede en hest til vannet, men du kan ikke tvinge den til å drikke

możesz konia doprowadzić do wodopoju, lecz pić za niego się nie da

você pode levar um cavalo até a água, mas não pode fazê-lo beber

móžno privestí lóšadʹ k vodé, no nelʹzjá zastávitʹ jejó pitʹ

мо́жно привести́ ло́шадь к воде́, но нельзя́ заста́вить её пить

ged a bheirte a' bhó dhan doras mhór rachadh i fhéin dhan bhàthaich

gurrānni ceruvudākā lākkeḷḷavaccu gāni, dānicēta nīḷḷu tāgiñcalēmu

గుర్రాన్ని చెరువుదాకా లాక్కెళ్ళవచ్చు గాని, దానిచేత నీళ్ళు తాగించలేము

you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink

you can lead horses to water, but you can't make them drink

you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make her drink

there are none so blind as those who will not see


don't teach your grandmother how to milk ducks

don't teach your grandmother how to suck eggs#English

Alternative form of don't teach your grandmother how to suck eggs


don't teach your grandmother to steal sheep


it takes two to tango

From the song Takes Two to Tango, written and composed in 1952 by Al Hoffman and Dick Manning.

I can't do it by myself, and neither can you – it takes two to tango.

He started it! Well, it takes two to tango.

(idiomatic) Some things need the active cooperation of two parties; blame is to be laid on both parties in a conflict.

انها رقصَة التانغو تتطلب شخصين

some things need the active cooperation of two parties


fr-proverb

quand le chat n’est pas là, les souris dansent

quand le chat n’est pas là (canonical)
les souris dansent (canonical)

Fr-quand le chat n'est pas là, les souris dansent.ogg

Listen audio

Literally, “when the cat isn't there, the mice dance”.

lit

when the cat's away the mice will play
when the cat's away the mice will play

(idiomatic) when the cat's away the mice will play


too many cooks spoil the broth

She professes to keep her own counsel; she says, and truly enough, that “Too many cooks spoil the broth.”

c. 1803–1805, Jane Austen, “The Watsons”, in J[ames] E[dward] Austen[-]Leigh, A Memoir of Jane Austen: […] to which is Added Lady Susan and Fragments of Two Other Unfinished Tales by Miss Austen, 2nd edition, London: Richard Bentley and Son, […], published 1871, →OCLC, pages 301–302:

If too many people participate in a task, especially in a leading role, the task will not be done very well.

المركب اللي ليها ريسين تغرق

with too many people a task won't be done very well

ópou laloún polloí kokóroi argeí na ximerósei

όπου λαλούν πολλοί κοκόροι αργεί να ξημερώσει

with many naval officers the ships will drown

בְּרֹב חוֹבְלִים תְּטְבַּעְנָה הַסְּפִינוֹת

जितने मुँह उतनी बातें (jitne mũh utnī bātẽ, literally “As many opinions/talks as there are people”)

船頭多くして船山に登る

せんどうおおくしてふねやまにのぼる

âšpaz ke do-tâ šod, âš yâ šur mišavad, yâ bi-namak

آشپز که دوتا شد، آش یا شور میشود، یا بینمک

gdzie kucharek sześć, tam nie ma co jeść

copilul cu mai multe moașe rămâne cu buricul netăiat

у семи́ ня́нек дитя́ без гла́за

seven nannies leave a child without care

muchas manos en un plato causan arrebato

a camel is a horse designed by a committee


the more the merrier

First recorded in the 14th-century poem Pearl, line 850. The phrase contains an instance of the comparative correlative use of the.

minél többen vagyunk, annál jobban érezzük magunkat

minél többen vannak, annál jobban érzik magukat

pus çk' on-z est d' sots, pus çk' on reye

A greater amount of something is better.

minél több, annál jobb (van / van belőle)

Used to welcome another person into a group activity or encourage them to join in, suggesting that they will be easily accommodated.


two can play that game

The tactics or strategies of an adversary can also be used against them.


turnabout is fair play

My Endeavours were used to perplex their Thoughts and Judgments; I told them, that at next Wednesday’s Dinner I hoped we would be informed who were to rule the Roast, that hitherto honest Men were kept from shuffling the Cards, because they would cast Knaves out from the Company of Kings, but we would make them know, Turn about was fair Play, and that two and three made five, though many Words did not fill a Bushel.

1755, Dudley Bradstreet, The Life and Uncommon Adventures of Captain Dudley Bradstreet, S. Powell, Dublin, p. 216

No, I won't, — I went to my bed last, — let my bed come to me now, turn about is fair play.

1795, Archibald MacLaren, The Scottish Volunteers, page 23:

It is allowable to retaliate against an enemy's dirty tricks by using the same ones against them.

A good way to get started on a little sexual assertiveness training is to agree to take turns being “dominant.” One evening the man takes ... Well, turnabout is fair play, and it's time for the woman to do the work, to try to please her man. . . and to take pleasure from him in any way she can.

1996, Doctor James White, Peter Kent, The Best Sex of Your Life, page 214:

For both mayor parties rotation in office came to embrace the doctrine of taking turns in the distribution of prizes. More than once in his quest for the Whig nomination to Congress Lincoln employed the slogan, “turnabout is fair play." By fair play he referred not to the Youngian antipower notions but to the context for the prize of office.

1998, Hugh Douglas Price, Nelson W. Polsby, Explorations in the Evolution of Congress, page 92:

Turnabout is fair play, right? We'll start it low and take turns, I'll tase you, and then you can tase me, and we'll see who the last man standing is.

2015, Richard Thomas, Disintegration: A Novel:

Most of us, I suspect, first learn about fair play in the context of games. One of the first things we learn, even in such simple games as tag and hide-and-seek, is that “turnabout is fair play.”

2018, Richard Dagger, Playing Fair: Political Obligation and the Problems of Punishment, page 47:

what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander


to thine own self be true

From a monologue delivered by the character Polonius in Act I Scene III of Hamlet by William Shakespeare.

This aboue all, to thy owne ſelfe be true,
And it muſt follow as the night the day,
Thou canſt not then be falſe to any one, […]

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shake-speare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and Iohn Trundell, published 1603, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], signatures C2, recto – C2, verso:

"To thine own self be true," I saw, was what produced vitality, confidence, and genuine expression in one's interpersonal relations.

1977, Robert P Marinelli, Arthur E. Dell Orto, editors, The Psychological and Social Impact of Physical Disability, Springer Publishing Co., →ISBN, page 306:

Know thyself. To thine own self be true. For the man or woman who can confront the demon within, there is a hopeful prognosis.

1986 August, Gary Diedrichs, “Bewitched”, in Orange Coast:

Several of these women said simply, "to each her own," while others like Sue were only slighty more verbose: "Each of us has a right and a responsibility 'to thine own self be true.' Another person's sexual preference is not my business or concern."

1995, Paula C. Rust, Bisexuality and the Challenge to Lesbian Politics: Sex, Loyalty, and Revolution, New York University Press, published 1995, →ISBN, page 51:

"To thine own self be true" whatever the consequences was taken as the principle of true freedom and humanity by the romantics.

2004, James M. Morris, Andrea L. Kross, Historical Dictionary of Utopianism, Scarecrow Press, published 2004, →ISBN, page 262:

As Shakespeare wrote, "To thine own self be true," at least according to what kind of person you believe yourself to be.

2012, Mark D. White, “The Sound and the Fury Behind 'One More Day'”, in Jonathan J. Sanford, editor, Spider-Man and Philosophy: The Web of Inquiry, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 241:

Be yourself; be true to yourself; do not engage in self-deception.


a bon gat, bon rat

An attacker and an attackee grow stronger from finding new ways to outwit each other


les grands esprits se rencontrent

Literally, “great minds encounter each other”.

great minds think alike
great minds think alike


great minds think alike

head

great minds think alike (fools seldom differ)

Person A: He looks a bit like David Beckham...

Person B: I was just thinking that!

Person A: Great minds think alike, eh?

Person C: More like fools seldom differ in this case...

Used to emphasize a coincidence, or two people reaching the same conclusion in any manner at the same time.

used to emphasize two people reaching the same conclusion

grants ments tenen els mateixos pensaments

賢人は皆同じように考えるものだ

けんじんはみんなおなじようにかんがえるものだ

kenjin wa minna onaji yō ni kangaeru mono da

у дурако́в мы́сли схо́дятся (u durakóv mýsli sxódjatsja, literally “fools' thoughts converge”)


when in Rome, do as the Romans do

The first attestation is Medieval Latin si fueris Rōmae, Rōmānō vīvitō mōre; si fueris alibī, vīvitō sīcut ibī (“if you should be in Rome, live in the Roman manner; if you should be elsewhere, live as they do there”), which is attributed to St Ambrose. Robert Burton in his Anatomy of Melancholy (1621) uses the phrase “When they are at Rome, they doe there as they see done.”

der

[…] but, as I seated myself at table, I thought how my friends in Scotland would stare to see stewed monkey, roasted mermaid, and a pepper-pot of macaws, set down on table for their repast. But my plan always has been when in Rome to do as Rome does; and we found our food both delicate and cooked in such a manner, with every savoury spice, that it would have tickled the palate of the most fastidious gastronome.

1834, Thomas Staunton St. Clair, A Soldier's Recollections of the West Indies and America, with a Narrative of the Expedition to the Island of Walcheren, volume 1, London: Richard Bentley, page 345:

It will be observed that the document is written in the ordinary style of English correspondence, for Mehemet Ali endeavours to adopt European habits as far as he possibly can, and, as when in Rome he would do as Rome does, so his son, being in this country, is addressed as an Englishman.

1846, “A Letter from Mehemet Ali to Ibrahim Pacha”, in Punch, or the London Charivari, volume 11, London, page 35:

But it is hardly an act of hostility to make people improve their social or work skills; it happens to all schoolchildren. And to most of the native Dutch, this was simply a reasonable “when in Rome do as the Romans do”, and a recognition that this acculturation was not happening fast enough, but needed to be pushed.

2003 May 8, “Forget Asylum-Seekers: It's the People Inside Who Count”, in The Economist:

(strictly) When situated in a foreign place, it is wise to follow the local customs.

But my friend says, ‘when in Rome, we must do as Rome does,’ Ah! this is the very principle of an ungodly world; and Christians have caught the spirit, and are acting up to it. Peter and Paul were in Rome.—If they had done as Rome did, they would not have suffered death there. If we were in Rome, and must do as Rome does, we must become idolaters, and papists, or lose Rome's favor, and suffer her displeasure. But we must separate ourselves from Rome, and from the world, and their wicked and God-robbing practices. We must not be conformed to the world. We must be Christians in deed and in truth.

1842 July, “The Opinion of the Apostle Peter Respecting Trifles”, in Barton W. Stone, editor, The Christian Messenger, volume 12, number 9, Jacksonville, IL, page 282:

I know of many instances where such persons have been under the necessity of buying or hiring slaves, just to preserve their reputation and keep up appearances; and even among a class of people who profess to be opposed to Slavery, have I known instances of the same kind, and have heard them apologize for their conduct by saying that “when in Rome, we must do as the Romans do.”

1857, Austin Steward, Twenty-two Years a Slave, and Forty Years a Freeman; Embracing a Correspondence of Several Years, While President of Wilberforce Colony, London, Canada West, Rochester, NY: William Alling, page 101:

The good intentions of the individual cannot control the evil operations of an organization which is essentially wrong. Men when in Rome are apt to do as the Romans do, however evil it may be; and the member of a Lodge is not likely to remain for a long time better than the Lodge itself.

1873, J. W. Phelps, editor, Secret Societies, Ancient and Modern; an Outline of Their Rise, Progress, and Character with Respect to the Christian Religion and Republican Government, Chicago: Ezra A. Cook, page 224:

(loosely, idiomatic) To adapt to the circumstances; to follow common custom.

ʕindamā takūn fī rūmā, ifʕal mā yafʕalah ar-rūmān

عِنْدَمَا تَكُون فِي رُومَا، اِفْعَل مَا يَفْعَلَه الرُّومَان

入乡随俗 (ji̍p-hiong-sûi-sio̍k, literally “when entering a village, follow the customs”)

入境随俗 (rùjìngsuísú, literally “when entering an area, follow the customs”)

kies gasto mi estas, ties feston mi festas

ha Rómában élsz, élj úgy, mint a rómaiak

di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung

郷に入っては郷に従え

ごうにいってはごうにしたがえ

郷に入りては郷に従え

ごうにいりてはごうにしたがえ

입향순속(入郷循俗) (iphyangsunsok, literally “enter the country, follow custom”)

고을에 들어가면 고을 풍속을 따르라

go'eure deureogamyeon go'eul pungsogeul ttareura

li gorî derdor û adetên xwecihî tevgeriyan

masuk ke dalam kandang kambing mengembek, masuk ke dalam kandang kerbau menguak

jeśli wejdziesz między wrony, musisz krakać jak i one

w czyim chlebie smakujemy, tego i pochlebujemy

с волка́ми жить — по-во́лчьи выть (s volkámi žitʹ — po-vólčʹi vytʹ, literally “to live amongst wolves, you should howl like a wolf”)

со свои́м уста́вом в чужо́й монасты́рь не хо́дят (so svoím ustávom v čužój monastýrʹ ne xódjat, literally “don’t go with your own rules to someone else’s monastery”)

beus na tuath, far am bithear 's e a nithear

meel Il laga la'yahay ishaa layska tuura

si entre burros te ves, rebuzna alguna vez

เข้าเมืองตาหลิ่ว ต้องหลิ่วตาตาม (kâo meuang dtaa lìw dtông lìw dtaa dtaam, literally “to enter the town of squint-eyed people and need to squint one's own eyes like them”)

pan foch yn Rhufain, gwnewch fel y Rhufeiniaid


there's no I in team

As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no "I" in "team", but there is an "I" in "pie". And there's an "I" in "meat pie". Anagram of "meat" is "team"… I don't know what he's talking about.

2004, Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, Shaun of the Dead, spoken by Shaun (Simon Pegg):

Teamwork should focus on the needs of the team, not on the individual.


a todo cerdo le llega su San Martín

/a ˌtodo ˌθeɾdo le ˌʝeɡa su ˌsam maɾˈtin/

[a ˌt̪o.ð̞o ˌθeɾ.ð̞o le ˌʝe.ɣ̞a su ˌsãm maɾˈt̪ĩn]

/a ˌtodo ˌθeɾdo le ˌʎeɡa su ˌsam maɾˈtin/

[a ˌt̪o.ð̞o ˌθeɾ.ð̞o le ˌʎe.ɣ̞a su ˌsãm maɾˈt̪ĩn]

/a ˌtodo ˌseɾdo le ˌʝeɡa su ˌsam maɾˈtin/

[a ˌt̪o.ð̞o ˌseɾ.ð̞o le ˌʝe.ɣ̞a su ˌsãm maɾˈt̪ĩn]

/a ˌtodo ˌseɾdo le ˌʎeɡa su ˌsam maɾˈtin/

[a ˌt̪o.ð̞o ˌseɾ.ð̞o le ˌʎe.ɣ̞a su ˌsãm maɾˈt̪ĩn]

/a ˌtodo ˌseɾdo le ˌʃeɡa su ˌsam maɾˈtin/

[a ˌt̪o.ð̞o ˌseɾ.ð̞o le ˌʃe.ɣ̞a su ˌsãm maɾˈt̪ĩn]

/a ˌtodo ˌseɾdo le ˌʒeɡa su ˌsam maɾˈtin/

[a ˌt̪o.ð̞o ˌseɾ.ð̞o le ˌʒe.ɣ̞a su ˌsãm maɾˈt̪ĩn]

Literally, “every pig will get its St. Martin”. It refers to the custom of slaughtering livestock for the winter on or near St. Martin's Day. Compare Galician a todo porquiño lle chega o seu San Martiño


fr-proverb

on ne saurait faire boire un âne qui n'a pas soif

on ne saurait faire boire un âne qui n’a pas soif

/ɔ̃ n(ə) sɔ.ʁɛ fɛʁ bwa.ʁ‿œ̃.n‿an ki n‿a pa swaf/

/ɔ̃ n(ə) sɔ.ʁɛ fɛʁ bwa.ʁ‿œ̃.n‿ɑn ki n‿a pɑ swaf/

/ɔ̃ n(ə) so.ʁɛ fɛʁ bwa.ʁ‿œ̃.n‿an ki n‿a pa swaf/

/ɔ̃ n(ə) so.ʁɛ fɛʁ bwa.ʁ‿œ̃.n‿ɑn ki n‿a pɑ swaf/

Literally, “You can't force a donkey to drink when he's not thirsty”.

lit

you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink


gwlad heb iaith, gwlad heb genedl

A land without a language is a land without a nation.


Rome wasn't built in a day

/ˈɹəʊm ˌwɒzənt ˈbɪlt‿ɪn‿ə ˈdeɪ/

/ˈɹoʊm ˌwʌzənt ˈbɪlt‿ɪn‿ə ˈdeɪ/

Probably a calque of Middle French Rome ne fut pas faite toute en un jour (literally “Rome was not made all in one day”); compare modern French Rome ne s’est pas faite en un jour.

cog

I know this project is a big undertaking, but you need to have patience and be hopeful. Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day.

[O]ne daye or lytle tyme is not ynoughe for the acheuinge of a great matter. Which is al one with this in engliſhe: Rome was not buylt in one day.

1545 August 20 (Gregorian calendar), Erasmus, “Vna hirundo non facit ver [One swallow does not make it spring]”, in Richard Taverner, transl., Proverbes or Adagies Gathered out of the Chiliades of Erasmus […], new edition, London: Edwardus Whytchurche […]; to be sel […] by Wyllyam Telotson, →OCLC, folio xxv, verso:

Rome was not built in one day (quoth he), and yet stood / Till it was finisht, as some say, full fayre.

1546, John Heywood, chapter XI, in Julian Sharman, editor, The Proverbs of John Heywood. […], London: George Bell and Sons, […], published 1874, →OCLC, part I, pages 64–65:

The Reformation you haue made of the many and maine corruptions of the Romiſh Ch[urch] vve do ingenuouſly acknovvledge, and doe vvithall imbrace vvith you all the truths vvhich to our knovvledge you haue receiued in ſtead of them. But Rome vvas not built all in a day.

1610, Jos[eph] Hall, “Section XXV. What Separation England hath Made.”, in A Common Apologie of the Church of England: Against the Uniust Challenges of the Ouer-iust Sect, Commonly Called Brownists. […], London: […] [William Stansby] for Samuel Macham, […], →OCLC, marginal note, page 63:

[…] Rome''' vvas not built in a day, nor is a Reformation in the true Lavv-ſenſe effectable preſently; […]

1663, Edward Waterhous [i.e., Edward Waterhouse], chapter XXIX, in Fortescutus Illustratus; or A Commentary on that Nervous Treatise De Laudibus Legum Angliæ, Written by Sir John Fortescue Knight, […], London: […] Tho[mas] Roycroft for Thomas Dicas […], →OCLC, page 375:

[Y]ou muſt lay your account vvith mounting by gradual ſteps to the ſummit of your fortune.—Rome vvas not built in a day,— […]

1748, [Tobias Smollett], “I Cultivate an Acquaintance with Two Noblemen […]”, in The Adventures of Roderick Random. […], volume II, London: […] [William Strahan] for J[ohn] Osborn […], →OCLC, page 173:

But, "Rome wasent built in a day," nor will one thump of the pate make a soldier.

1804, W[illiam] Dunlap, “The Wife of Two Husbands. A Drama, […]”, in The English and American Stage, volume III, New York, N.Y.: […] D. Longworth, […], published 1807, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 4:

[T]hou must have patience. Rome was not built in a day—you cannot become used to your court-suit in a month's time, any more than when you changed your long coat for a doublet and hose; […]

1822 May 29, [Walter Scott], chapter X, in The Fortunes of Nigel. […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, pages 237–238:

Rome wasn't built in a day, nor, for that matter, Templetown 'ither, though it may be said to be a quick-growing place.

1823, [James Fenimore Cooper], chapter I, in The Pioneers, or The Sources of the Susquehanna; […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: Charles Wiley; […], →OCLC, page 17:

"As Rome," it was suggested, "had not been built in a day,["] so neither had Mademoiselle Gérard Moore's education been completed in a week, or by merely wishing to be clever. It was effort that had accomplished that great work: […]

1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], “Coriolanus”, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volume I, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, page 123:

Rome wasn't built in a day and the path of black and white relationships in the South won't be solved overnight, either.

1960 March 7, George Todt, “George Todt’s opinion: Civil rights fate uncertain”, in Valley Times, home edition, volume 23, number 57, North Hollywood, Calif.: Robert N. Weed, →OCLC, page 14, column 6:

I feel like Rome wasn't built in a day, and I know that everybody is really impatient, but I know that with time things can be turned around.

2010 January 22, [unidentified questioner], “Remarks at a Town Hall Meeting and a Question-and-answer Session in Elyria, Ohio”, in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Barack Obama: 2010 […], book I (January 1 to June 30, 2010), Washington, D.C.: Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration; United States Government Printing Office, published 2013, →OCLC, page 61, column 1:

I actually believe in some respects we may be in danger of working too quickly, simply to address that perception. As the ridiculously over-used cliché notes, Rome was not built in a day. What I do accept is that the 100-day project that saw the new city plan designed was done at breakneck speed. This was a phenomenally challenging time frame but absolutely crucial. For a community still suffering, still shocked, and literally still shaking, there clearly needed to be a plan put in place as quickly as possible.

2014 August, Roger Sutton, “A Blank Canvas for New Beginnings”, in Barnaby Bennett, James Dann, Emma Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, editors, Once in a Lifetime: City-building after Disaster in Christchurch, Christchurch: Freerange Press, →ISBN, page 54:

(idiomatic) It takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive.

ሮም፡በአንድ፡ቀን፡አልተገነባችም

it takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive

dilî tanáng butang sili nga mohaláng dayon

非一日之寒 (bīngdòng sān chǐ, fēi yīrì zhī hán, literally “three feet of ice is not the result of one cold day”)

Keulen en Aken zijn niet op één dag gebouwd

Rom ist nicht an einem Tag erbaut worden

ઉતાવળે આંબા ન પાકે (utāvaḷe ā̃bā na pāke, literally “mangos will not ripen with haste”)

i ndiaidh a chéile a thógtar na caisleáin

로마는 하루 아침에 이루어지지 않았다

Roma-neun haru achim-e irueo-jiji anatda

Москва́ не сра́зу стро́илась (Moskvá ne srázu stróilasʹ, literally “Moscow wasn’t built at once”)

chan ann leis a’ chiad bhuille a thuiteas a’ chraobh

Київ не відразу збудований (Kyjiv ne vidrazu zbudovanyj, literally “Kyiv was not built immediately”)

a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step


head

cow neva know di use a 'im tail till 'im lose it

/ˈkɔʊ̯ ˈnɛba ˈnʷoː ˈdɪ‿juːs a‿im ˈtʲel ˈtɪl ˈɪm ˈluːz‿i/

Literally, "A cow doesn't know what its tail is for until it's lost it."

“In the evening he called me back and told me that "Cow neva know di use ah him tail til' him lose it" […]”

2018, “Tell me Pastor - Caught between two men”, in The Jamaica Star (in English), archived from the original on 2020-10-19:

In the evening he called me back and told me, "you never miss the water till the well runs dry." […]


you are what you eat

Semi-Calque of German Der Mensch ist, was er ißt (literally “The human/man is what he eats”), coined in 1850 by Ludwig Feuerbach in a review of Jacob Moleschott’s Lehre der Nahrungsmittel. Für das Volk (Erlangen, 1850). Compare German man ist, was man isst.

clq

Personal health and wellbeing is determined by one's eating habits, in both positive and negative ways.


the early bird gets the worm

desc

→ Chinese: 早起的鳥兒有蟲吃／早起的鸟儿有虫吃 (zǎoqǐ de niǎor yǒu chóng chī) (calque)

→ German: der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm (calque)

Whoever arrives first has the best chance of success; some opportunities are available only to the first competitors.

die oggendstond het goud in die mond

whoever arrives first has the best chance of success

xto rána ŭstajé tamú Boh dajé, a xto spicʹ da sónca, tamú xljeb u katómcy

хто ра́на ўстае́ таму́ Бог дае́, а хто спіць да со́нца, таму́ хлеб у като́мцы

l’avenir appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt

le monde appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt

la vache la première au pré, lèche toute la rosée

일찍 일어나는 새가 벌레를 잡는다

iljjik ireonaneun saega beollereul jamneunda

hashkééł ndaakaiígíí ayóo baa daʼneedééh

l'heûsi n'a janmais ieu à emprunter du tardi

cine se trezește de dimineață, departe ajunge


once bitten, twice shy

One is cautious if one has been hurt in the past.

ঘর পোড়া গরু সিঁদুরে মেঘ দেখে ডরায়

one is cautious in the future if hurt in the past — see also a burnt child dreads the fire

十年怕井绳

yī zhāo bèi shé yǎo, shí nián pà jǐng shéng

een ezel stoot zich geen tweemaal aan dezelfde steen

ópoios kaeí me ton chyló, fysáei kai to giaoúrti

όποιος καεί με τον χυλό, φυσάει και το γιαούρτι

מִי שֶׁנִכְוָה בְּרוֹתְחִין נְזְהָר בְּצוֹנְנִין

दूध का जला छाँछ भी फूँक कर पीता है

dūdh kā jalā chā̃ch bhī phū̃k kar pītā hai

羮に懲りて膾を吹く

あつものにこりてなますをふく

koga ḱe se izgori od mlekoto, ḱe duva i na maštenicata

кога ќе се изгори од млекото, ќе дува и на маштеницата

kto się na gorącym sparzył, ten na zimne dmucha

cine s-a fript cu ciorbă, suflă și-n iaurt

обжёгшись на молоке́, бу́дешь дуть и на во́ду (obžógšisʹ na moloké, búdešʹ dutʹ i na vódu, literally “having been burnt by milk, you'll blow onto water”)

пу́ганая воро́на куста́ бои́тся (púganaja voróna kustá boítsja, literally “a frightened crow is afraid even of the bush”)

sütten ağzı yanan, yoğurdu üfleyerek yer

a beaten dog may cower before a friendly hand


a friend in need is a friend indeed

The idea that false friends will abandon a person in times of adversity while true friends will reveal themselves and provide help is ancient: the Greek playwright Euripides (c. 480 – c. 406 BC) wrote in Hecuba (424 BC), ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς γὰρ ἁγαθοὶ σαφέστατοι φίλοι: τὰ χρηστὰ δ’ αὔθ’ ἕκαστ’ ἔχει φίλους (en toîs kakoîs gàr hagathoì saphéstatoi phíloi: tà khrēstà d’ aúth’ hékast’ ékhei phílous, “it is in trouble’s hour that the good most clearly show their friendship; though prosperity by itself in every case finds friends”), and the Roman poet Ennius (c. 239 – c. 169 BC) observed in his Tragedies that amicus certus in re incerta cernitur (“a sure friend is known in unsure times”).

A friend in need is a friend indeed, Een vrient in noot / is een vrient in der daet.

1658, The English Schole-master; or Certaine Rules and Helpes, whereby the Natives of the Netherlandes, may bee, in a Short Time, Taught to Read, Understand, and Speake the English Tongue. […], Amsterdam: […] Iohn Bouman, →OCLC, page 96:

Every one is a kinſman to him that is proſperous, but a friend in need is a friend indeed.

1661 May 3, John Bramhall, “Discourse III. A Sermon Preached at Dublin, upon the 23. of April, 1661 [Julian calendar], being the Day Appointed for His Majesties Coronation; […]”, in Jo[hn] Lymeric [pseudonym; John Vesey], editor, The Works of the Most Reverend Father in God, John Bramhall D.D. […], Dublin: […] His Majesties Printing-House, published 1676, →OCLC, tome IV, page 955:

It is a true ſaying, my Ingenio, that a Friend in need, is a Friend indeed, as I doubt not but you will be fully apprized, upon peruſal of what I here ſend you.

1756, “Sect. XVI.”, in The Fortune-teller; or, The Footman Ennobled. […], volume II, London: […] F. Noble […]; and J. Noble, […], →OCLC, page 235:

A friend in need is a friend indeed, ſay I;—but you can't judge of it.—No,—unleſs you had the rope about your neck, and were walking all alive to your grave.

1795, Frederick Schiller [i.e., Friedrich Schiller], translated by [Alexander Fraser Tytler, Lord Woodhouselee], The Robbers. A Tragedy. […], 2nd edition, London: […] G. G. and J. Robinson, […], →OCLC, act II, page 57:

The gentlemen on the other side of the House have been peculiarly called the friends of the people; remember a friend in need is a friend indeed. Is there, then, no some one who will step out from among them to save this tottering branch of our Government from falling!

1802 February 3, Aaron Ogden, “Judiciary System [Third Reading of the bill to repeal certain acts respecting the organization of the Courts of the United States, and for other purposes]”, in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States; […] (United States Senate, 7th Congress), Washington, D.C.: […] Gales and Seaton, published 1851, →OCLC, column 178:

Friends should be ready to assist each other. Kind offices ought never to be omitted, but they are especially called for in seasons of affliction. "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." "A friend in need is a friend indeed."

1875, J[ohn] Murdoch, “Companions and Neighbours”, in The Indian Student’s Manual. Hints on Studies, Moral Conduct, Religious Duties, and Success in Life, Madras, Tamil Nadu: The Christian Vernacular Education Society; […], →OCLC, page 172:

I had a flight plan to cancel so asked if there were a telephone near. Mr. Littrell said his neighbor across the way had one. He was happy to drive us there—about three miles across some fields that would shake your eye teeth out. […] They say “a friend in need is a friend indeed.” Mr. Littrell proved it. I am grateful.

1958 September, Marvin L. Middlebrooks, “[Letter to the magazine]”, in Flying, volume 63, number 3, Chicago, Ill.: Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 8:

But I sat there trying to pretend that everything was OK, that this wasn't happening, trying to think instead of all the good things that happened to me in my life, trying to think of some important person I knew who could help me, but I couldn't think of anyone. A friend in need is a friend, indeed, and I sure could have used one then.

1999, Thomas William, chapter 20, in The Alaskan Saga of Thomas Churchill O’Brien, Lincoln, Neb.: toExcel, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 87:

[…] I'm going to turn over the chair to my friend, colleague, and at this point someone—a friend in need is a friend indeed—Senator [Amy] Klobuchar.

2007 March 8, Charles E[llis] Schumer, “Opening Statement of Hon. Charles E. Schumer, Chairman, a U.S. Senator from New York”, in Addressing the Problem of African-American Male Unemployment: Hearing before the Joint Economic Committee, Congress of the United States, One Hundred Tenth Congress, First Session […] (S. Hrg. 110-107), Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, →ISBN, page 9:

There is a well-known proverb, "A friend in need is a friend indeed." Americans have always been our true friends. They stretched out warm helping hands to us when we were in direst need. The Fulbright Program, which was initiated in the throes of the Korean War, has been one such helping hand.

2010, Lee Myung-bak, “Foreword”, in Jai Ok Shim, James F. Larson, Frederick F. Carriere, Horace H. Underwood, Fulbright in Korea’s Future: A 60th Anniversary Commemorative History, Seoul, South Korea: Seoul Selection, →ISBN, page vii:

If a friend helps one when one is in need, that person is a true friend.

الصَّدِيق وَقْت الضِيق

if a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend

vrienden in de nood, hondert in een lood

c’est dans le besoin que l’on reconnaît ses amis

Freunde in der Not gehen hundert auf ein Lot

gli amici si vedono nel momento del bisogno

まさかの時の友こそ真の友

masaka no toki no tomo koso shin no tomo

صحابت يڠ سبنر سديا منولوڠ صحابت دالم کسوسهن

sahabat yang sebenar sedia menolong sahabat dalam kesusahan

āvaśyattinu upakarikkunnavāṇŭ yathāṟttha suhr̥ttŭ

ആവശ്യത്തിനു ഉപകരിക്കുന്നവാണ് യഥാർത്ഥ സുഹൃത്ത്

tenxlüün javaxad temeegeer tusalsnaas tevdež javaxad tevneer tusalsan nʹ deer

тэнхлүүн явахад тэмээгээр тусалснаас тэвдэж явахад тэвнээр тусалсан нь дээр

prawdziwych przyjaciół poznaje się w biedzie

en la mucha necesidad, se conoce al amigo de verdad

'Stan!' Ian replies, with a hurt look on his face. 'Would I do a thing like that? I'm just here to give you moral support. I reckon you're going to need all the help you can get. You know what they say; a friend in need is a friend indeed.'/ 'Or in your mind, a friend in need is a soft target. Now piss off!'

2011, Paul A. Rose, “Saturday; Love is in the Air”, in Los Hombres de Bolton (The Men from Bolton), Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicester: Matador, →ISBN, page 153:

"You know, they say a friend in need is a friend indeed. I donated blood, but others even donate hearts, so after all, I feel pretty good that my friend is now safe from the little blood I could drop," Katy said passionately.

2011, Appau Ama Tiwaa, Our Perfect Moment, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Xlibris, →ISBN, page 81:

If a friend is in need of help, it is beneficial and wise to help them.


一山不容二虎

ㄧ ㄕㄢ ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨㄥˊ ㄦˋ ㄏㄨˇ

yī shān bùróng èr hǔ [Phonetic:yì shān bùróng èr hǔ]

и шань бужун эр ху

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʂän⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ ʐʊŋ³⁵ ˀɤɻ⁵¹ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ saːn⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ²¹ jiː²² fuː³⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ saːn⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ²¹ jiː²² fuː³⁵/

Two strong people are incompatible and cannot coexist in the same place.

เสือสองตัวอยู่ถ้ำเดียวกันไม่ได้

sʉ̌ʉa sɔ̌ɔng dtuua yùu tâm diao-gan mâi-dâi


一分耕耘，一分收穫

一分耕耘，一分收获
一份耕耘，一份收穫

ㄧ ㄈㄣ ㄕㄡ ㄏㄨㄛˋ

jat¹ fan¹ gaang¹ wan⁴, jat¹ fan¹ sau¹ wok⁶

и фэнь гэнъюнь

и фэнь шоухо

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ fən⁵⁵ kɤŋ⁵⁵ yn³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ fən⁵⁵ ʂoʊ̯⁵⁵ xu̯ɔ⁵¹/

jat⁷ fan¹ gaang¹ wan⁴, jat⁷ fan¹ sau¹ wok⁹

yed¹ fen¹ gang¹ wen⁴, yed¹ fen¹ seo¹ wog⁶

/jɐt̚⁵ fɐn⁵⁵ kaːŋ⁵⁵ wɐn²¹ jɐt̚⁵ fɐn⁵⁵ sɐu̯⁵⁵ wɔːk̚²/

gets out what one puts in
get out what one puts in

One gets out what one puts in; The reward one reaps is proportional to the effort one puts in


一步錯，步步錯

ㄅㄨˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄘㄨㄛˋ

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡sʰu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡sʰu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ pou̯²² t͡sʰɔː³³ pou̯²² pou̯²² t͡sʰɔː³³/

If the ones in front make a misstep, then all the ones following will likewise make a misstep.

One mistake triggers the next. (Used to advise people not to do the wrong thing.)


一枝草，一點露

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ti̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ lu⁵¹/

/t͡sit̚¹²¹⁻²¹ ki⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰau⁵³ t͡sit̚¹²¹⁻²¹ tiam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lɔ²²/

/t͡sit̚⁴⁻³² ki⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰau⁵³ t͡sit̚⁴⁻³² tiam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lɔ²²/

/t͡sit̚⁴³⁻²¹ ki⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰau⁴² t͡sit̚⁴³⁻²¹ tiam⁴²⁻²⁴ lɔ²²/

/t͡sit̚⁴⁻³² ki⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰau⁵³ t͡sit̚⁴⁻³² tiam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lɔ³³/

/t͡sit̚⁴⁻³² ki⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰau⁴¹ t͡sit̚⁴⁻³² tiam⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ lɔ³³/

/t͡sit̚²⁴⁻² ki³³ t͡sʰau⁵⁵⁴ t͡sit̚²⁴⁻² tiam⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ lɔ⁴¹/

Literally: For every blade of grass, there is a drop of dew.

As long as one is still breathing, one has a chance to live.


一飲一啄，莫非前定

ㄧ ㄧㄣˇ ㄧ ㄓㄨㄛˊ

ㄇㄛˋ ㄈㄟ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄉㄧㄥˋ

jat¹ jam² jat¹ doek³, mok⁶ fei¹ cin⁴ ding⁶

мофэйцяньдин

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ in²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɔ³⁵ mu̯ɔ⁵¹ feɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ tiŋ⁵¹/

jat⁷ jam² jat⁷ doek⁸, mok⁹ fei¹ tsin⁴ ding⁶

yed¹ yem² yed¹ dêg³, mog⁶ féi¹ qin⁴ ding⁶

/jɐt̚⁵ jɐm³⁵ jɐt̚⁵ tœːk̚³ mɔːk̚² fei̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰiːn²¹ tɪŋ²²/

From every single drink to every single bite, there is nothing that is not preordained.


一醉解千愁

ㄧ ㄗㄨㄟˋ ㄐㄧㄝˇ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄔㄡˊ

yī zuì jiě qiān chóu [Phonetic:yí zuì jiě qiān chóu]

и цзуй цзе цянь чоу

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ t͡su̯eɪ̯⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯³⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡sɵy̯³³ kaːi̯³⁵ t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ sɐu̯²¹/

One time getting drunk will cure a thousand worries.


人非聖賢，孰能無過

人非圣贤，孰能无过
人非聖賢，誰能無過

People are not sages, who can be without error?

ㄖㄣˊ ㄈㄟ ㄕㄥˋ ㄒㄧㄢˊ

ㄕㄨˊ ㄋㄥˊ ㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ

jan⁴ fei¹ sing³ jin⁴, suk⁶ nang⁴ mou⁴ gwo³

жэнь фэй шэнсянь

/ʐən³⁵ feɪ̯⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛn³⁵ ʂu³⁵ nɤŋ³⁵ u³⁵ ku̯ɔ⁵¹/

jan⁴ fei¹ sing³ jin⁴, suk⁹ nang⁴ mou⁴ gwo³

yen⁴ féi¹ xing³ yin⁴, sug⁶ neng⁴ mou⁴ guo³

/jɐn²¹ fei̯⁵⁵ sɪŋ³³ jiːn²¹ sʊk̚² nɐŋ²¹ mou̯²¹ kʷɔː³³/

nobody is perfect; everyone makes mistakes


人心隔肚皮

ㄖㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄍㄜˊ ㄉㄨˋ ㄆㄧˊ

жэньсинь гэ дупи

/ʐən³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ kɤ³⁵ tu⁵¹ pʰi³⁵/

/jɐn²¹ sɐm⁵⁵ kaːk̚³ tʰou̯¹³ pʰei̯²¹/

/n̠ʲin²² ɕin³³ kaʔ⁴⁴ du²² bi⁴⁴/

/ʐən³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ kɤ³⁵ tu⁵¹ pʰi³⁵/

/jɐn²¹ sɐm⁵⁵ kaːk̚³ tʰou̯¹³ pʰei̯²¹/

/n̠ʲin²² ɕin³³ kaʔ⁴⁴ du²² bi⁴⁴/

someone else's heart is difficult to know


人外有人，天外有天

ㄖㄣˊ ㄨㄞˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄖㄣˊ

ㄊㄧㄢ ㄨㄞˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄊㄧㄢ

jên² wai⁴ yu³ jên², tʻien¹ wai⁴ yu³ tʻien¹

жэнь вай ю жэнь

тянь вай ю тянь

/ʐən³⁵ waɪ̯⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ waɪ̯⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

Literally: There are people beyond (this) person, and skies beyond (this) sky.

No matter how good you think you are, there is always someone out there that is better.


人無遠慮，必有近憂

ㄖㄣˊ ㄨˊ ㄩㄢˇ ㄌㄩˋ

ㄅㄧˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄧㄡ

jan⁴ mou⁴ jyun⁵ leoi⁶, bit¹ jau⁵ gan⁶ jau¹

жэнь у юаньлюй

/ʐən³⁵ u³⁵ ɥɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ ly⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕin⁵¹ joʊ̯⁵⁵/

jan⁴ mou⁴ jyn⁵ loey⁶, bit⁷ jau⁵ gan⁶ jau¹

yen⁴ mou⁴ yun⁵ lêu⁶, bid¹ yeo⁵ gen⁶ yeo¹

/jɐn²¹ mou̯²¹ jyːn¹³ lɵy̯²² piːt̚⁵ jɐu̯¹³ kɐn²² jɐu̯⁵⁵/

The Master said, "If a man take no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand."

The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

子曰：「人無遠慮，必有近憂。」

子曰：「人无远虑，必有近忧。」

He who gives no thought to problems of the future is sure to be beset by worries much closer at hand


人算不如天算

ㄖㄣˊ ㄙㄨㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄙㄨㄢˋ

жэнь суань бужу тянь суань

/ʐən³⁵ su̯än⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ su̯än⁵¹/

/jɐn²¹ syːn³³ pɐt̚⁵ jyː²¹ tʰiːn⁵⁵ syːn³³/

the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry; no matter how much one plans things out, life always intervenes; man proposes but God disposes; God's plans supersede our own


head

het gras is altijd groener aan de overkant

the grass is always greener on the other side

het gras is steeds groener aan de overkant

het gras is altijd groener aan de overzijde

het gras is altijd groener aan de andere kant


一樣米養百樣人

One kind of rice provides for one hundred kinds of people.

ㄧ ㄧㄤˋ ㄇㄧˇ ㄧㄤˇ ㄅㄞˇ ㄧㄤˋ ㄖㄣˊ

jat¹ joeng⁶ mai⁵ joeng⁵ baak³ joeng⁶ jan⁴

yī yàng mǐ yǎng bǎi yàng rén [Phonetic:yíyàngmǐyángbǎiyàngrén]

и ян ми ян бай ян жэнь

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ jɑŋ⁵¹ mi²¹⁴⁻²¹ jɑŋ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ jɑŋ⁵¹ ʐən³⁵/

jat⁷ joeng⁶ mai⁵ joeng⁵ baak⁸ joeng⁶ jan⁴

/jɐt̚⁵ jœːŋ²² mɐi̯¹³ jœːŋ¹³ paːk̚³ jœːŋ²² jɐn²¹/

/(j)it̚² (j)i̯oŋ⁵⁵ mi³¹ (j)i̯oŋ²⁴ pak̚² (j)i̯oŋ⁵⁵ ŋin¹¹/

Everybody thinks and acts a little differently even when we are in the same environment


十年河東，十年河西

Ten years on the east side of the river, ten years on the west side of the river.

ㄕˊ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄏㄜˊ ㄉㄨㄥ

ㄕˊ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄏㄜˊ ㄒㄧ

shih² nien² ho² tung¹, shih² nien² ho² hsi¹

ши нянь хэ дун

ши нянь хэ си

/ʂʐ̩³⁵ ni̯ɛn³⁵ xɤ³⁵ tʊŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ni̯ɛn³⁵ xɤ³⁵ ɕi⁵⁵/

/sɐp̚² niːn²¹ hɔː²¹ tʊŋ⁵⁵ sɐp̚² niːn²¹ hɔː²¹ sɐi̯⁵⁵/

prosperity and decline never last; everything in life is cyclical; life has its ups and downs


人逢喜事精神爽

ㄖㄣˊ ㄈㄥˊ ㄒㄧˇ ㄕˋ ㄐㄧㄥ ㄕㄣˊ ㄕㄨㄤˇ

jên² fêng² hsi³-shih⁴ ching¹-shên² shuang³

жэнь фэн сиши цзиншэнь шуан

/ʐən³⁵ fɤŋ³⁵ ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ʂən³⁵ ʂu̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

joy puts heart into a man; a joyful occasion boosts one's spirits


一日為師，終身為父

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (一日為師，終身為父):
* → Vietnamese: nhất nhật vi sư, chung thân vi phụ (一日為師，終身為父)

一日为师，终身为父
一日為師，終生為父

ㄓㄨㄥ ㄕㄣ ㄨㄟˊ ㄈㄨˋ

чжуншэнь вэй фу

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ʂən⁵⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ fu⁵¹/

jat⁷ jat⁹ wai⁴ si¹, dzung¹ san¹ wai⁴ fu⁶

/jɐt̚⁵ jɐt̚² wɐi̯²¹ siː⁵⁵ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ sɐn⁵⁵ wɐi̯²¹ fuː²²/

'jit nyit hjwe srij tsyuwng syin hjwe bjuX

Even if someone is your teacher for only a day, you should regard him like your father for the rest of your life.


三十年河東，三十年河西

Thirty years on the east side of the river, thirty years on the west side of the river.

ㄙㄢ ㄕˊ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄏㄜˊ ㄉㄨㄥ

ㄙㄢ ㄕˊ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄏㄜˊ ㄒㄧ

saam¹ sap⁶ nin⁴ ho⁴ dung¹, saam¹ sap⁶ nin⁴ ho⁴ sai¹

саньши нянь хэ дун

саньши нянь хэ си

/sän⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ni̯ɛn³⁵ xɤ³⁵ tʊŋ⁵⁵ sän⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ni̯ɛn³⁵ xɤ³⁵ ɕi⁵⁵/

sāam sahp nìhn hòh dūng, sāam sahp nìhn hòh sāi

saam¹ sap⁹ nin⁴ ho⁴ dung¹, saam¹ sap⁹ nin⁴ ho⁴ sai¹

sam¹ seb⁶ nin⁴ ho⁴ dung¹, sam¹ seb⁶ nin⁴ ho⁴ sei¹

/saːm⁵⁵ sɐp̚² niːn²¹ hɔː²¹ tʊŋ⁵⁵ saːm⁵⁵ sɐp̚² niːn²¹ hɔː²¹ sɐi̯⁵⁵/


人無千日好，花無百日紅

ㄖㄣˊ ㄨˊ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄖˋ ㄏㄠˇ

ㄏㄨㄚ ㄨˊ ㄅㄞˇ ㄖˋ ㄏㄨㄥˊ

jan⁴ mou⁴ cin¹ jat⁶ hou², faa¹ mou⁴ baak³ jat⁶ hung⁴

rén wú cian rìh hǎo, hua wú bǎi rìh hóng

jên² wu² chʻien¹ jih⁴ hao³, hua¹ wu² pai³ jih⁴ hung²

rén wú chyān r̀ hǎu-, hwā wú bǎi r̀ húng

ren wu chian ryh hao, hua wu bae ryh horng

жэнь у цянь жи хао

хуа у бай жи хун

/ʐən³⁵ u³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ä⁵⁵ u³⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐ̩⁵¹ xʊŋ³⁵/

yàhn mòuh chīn yaht hóu, fā mòuh baak yaht hùhng

jan⁴ mou⁴ tsin¹ jat⁹ hou², faa¹ mou⁴ baak⁸ jat⁹ hung⁴

yen⁴ mou⁴ qin¹ yed⁶ hou², fa¹ mou⁴ bag³ yed⁶ hung⁴

/jɐn²¹ mou̯²¹ t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ jɐt̚² hou̯³⁵ faː⁵⁵ mou̯²¹ paːk̚³ jɐt̚² hʊŋ²¹/

Literally: There is no person that has 1000 good days (in a row), and no flower that stays red for 100 days.

Nothing good lasts forever; all good things must come to an end.


人生何處不相逢

ㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄥ ㄏㄜˊ ㄔㄨˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄈㄥˊ

жэньшэн хэчу бу сянфэн

/ʐən³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ xɤ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ fɤŋ³⁵/

/jɐn²¹ sɐŋ⁵⁵ hɔː²¹ t͡sʰyː³³ pɐt̚⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵ fʊŋ²¹/

From the poem 《金柅園》 attributed to Yan Shu (991–1055). The line was a tribute to (and reversal of) Li Shangyin's line 人生何處不離群 ("Where, in one's lifetime, can be spared the pain of parting?") from the poem 《杜工部蜀中離席》 (A Farewell Banquet in Shu, after the Style of Du Fu).

in life, where will you not run into other people?

even if you are separated from somebody by a great distance, there is always a chance that you may bump into them someday; it's a small world


人而無信，不知其可

ㄖㄣˊ ㄦˊ ㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄣˋ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄑㄧˊ ㄎㄜˇ

jên² êrh² wu² hsin⁴, pu⁴ chih¹ chʻi² kʻo³

жэнь эр у синь

бу чжи ци кэ

/ʐən³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ u³⁵ ɕin⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

A quote from the Analects of Confucius.
: Literally: If a man has no honesty, it cannot be known what he can be suitable for.

A man without honesty is capable of nothing.


三日不讀書，面目可憎

ㄙㄢ ㄖˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄨˊ ㄕㄨ

ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄇㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄗㄥ

saam¹ jat⁶ bat¹ duk⁶ syu¹, min⁶ muk⁶ ho² zang¹

сань жи бу душу

мяньмукэцзэн

/sän⁵⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ tu³⁵ ʂu⁵⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sɤŋ⁵⁵/

sāam yaht bāt duhk syū, mihn muhk hó jāng

saam¹ jat⁹ bat⁷ duk⁹ sy¹, min⁶ muk⁹ ho² dzang¹

sam¹ yed⁶ bed¹ dug⁶ xu¹, min⁶ mug⁶ ho² zeng¹

/saːm⁵⁵ jɐt̚² pɐt̚⁵ tʊk̚² syː⁵⁵ miːn²² mʊk̚² hɔː³⁵ t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵/

Literally: If you don't read for three days, you will become unattractive.

If you are not diligent in your studies, you will remain ignorant, and nobody will be attracted to you.


大人不計小人過

A greater man does not make note of a lesser man's faults.

ㄉㄚˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧˋ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄖㄣˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ

dàrén bùjì xiǎorén guò [Phonetic:dàrén bújì xiǎorén guò]

дажэнь буцзи сяожэнь го

/tä⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ ku̯ɔ⁵¹/


大人不記小人過

ㄉㄚˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧˋ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄖㄣˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ

dàrén bù jì xiǎorén guò [Phonetic:dàrén bú jì xiǎorén guò]

дажэнь бу цзи сяожэнь го

/taːi̯²² jɐn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ kei̯³³ siːu̯³⁵ jɐn²¹ kʷɔː³³/

Literally: A greater man does not make note of a lesser man's faults.


一箭雙鵰

nhất tiễn song điêu
nhất tiễn song điêu#Vietnamese

kill two birds with one stone
kill two birds with one stone

chữ Hán form of nhất tiễn song điêu (“to kill two birds with one stone”).


大事化小，小事化無

ㄉㄚˋ ㄕˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋ ㄒㄧㄠˇ

ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄕˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋ ㄨˊ

даши хуа сяо

/tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ä⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ä⁵¹ u³⁵/

/taːi̯²² siː²² faː³³ siːu̯³⁵ siːu̯³⁵ siː²² faː³³ mou̯²¹/

Literally: Reduce major issues to minor ones, and minor ones to nothing.

Turn big problems into small ones, and small ones into no problems at all.


大魚吃小魚

ㄉㄚˋ ㄩˊ ㄔ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄩˊ

да юй чи сяо юй

/tä⁵¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵/

/tä⁵¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵/

大魚吃小魚，小魚吃蝦米 大魚吃小魚，小魚吃蝦米#Chinese

大鱼吃小鱼，小鱼吃虾米 大鱼吃小鱼，小鱼吃虾米#Chinese

Short for 大魚吃小魚，小魚吃蝦米／大鱼吃小鱼，小鱼吃虾米 (dàyú chī xiǎoyú, xiǎoyú chī xiāmi).


一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井繩

Bitten by a snake on one day, afraid of the rope by the well for ten years

yī zhāo bèi shé yǎo, shí nián pà jǐng shéng

ㄧ ㄓㄠ ㄅㄟˋ ㄕㄜˊ ㄧㄠˇ

ㄕˊ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄆㄚˋ ㄐㄧㄥˇ ㄕㄥˊ

jat¹ ziu¹ bei⁶ se⁴ ngaau⁵, sap⁶ nin⁴ paa³ zeng² sing⁴

shí nián pà jǐng shéng [Phonetic:yì zhāo bèi shé yǎo

yi jhao bèi shé yǎo, shíh nián pà jǐng shéng

i¹ chao¹ pei⁴ shê² yao³, shih² nien² pʻa⁴ ching³ shêng²

yī jāu bèi shé yǎu-, shŕ nyán pà jǐng shéng

i jau bey sher yeau, shyr nian pah jiing sherng

и чжао бэй шэ яо

ши нянь па цзин шэн

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵ peɪ̯⁵¹ ʂɤ³⁵ jɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ni̯ɛn³⁵ pʰä⁵¹ t͡ɕiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɤŋ³⁵/

yāt jīu beih sèh ngáauh, sahp nìhn pa jéng sìhng

jat⁷ dziu¹ bei⁶ se⁴ ngaau⁵, sap⁹ nin⁴ paa³ dzeng² sing⁴

yed¹ jiu¹ béi⁶ sé⁴ ngao⁵, seb⁶ nin⁴ pa³ zéng² xing⁴

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡siːu̯⁵⁵ pei̯²² sɛː²¹ ŋaːu̯¹³ sɐp̚² niːn²¹ pʰaː³³ t͡sɛːŋ³⁵ sɪŋ²¹/

一朝被蛇咬，十年怕草繩 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕草繩#Chinese

一朝被蛇咬，十年怕草绳 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕草绳#Chinese

Synonym of 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕草繩／一朝被蛇咬，十年怕草绳 (yīzhāo bèi shé yǎo, shínián pà cǎoshéng)


大難不死，必有後福

ㄉㄚˋ ㄋㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄙˇ

ㄅㄧˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄏㄡˋ ㄈㄨˊ

daai⁶ naan⁶ bat¹ sei², bit¹ jau⁵ hau⁶ fuk¹

данань бу сы

/tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ nän⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ pi⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xoʊ̯⁵¹ fu³⁵/

daai⁶ naan⁶ bat⁷ sei², bit⁷ jau⁵ hau⁶ fuk⁷

dai⁶ nan⁶ bed¹ séi², bid¹ yeo⁵ heo⁶ fug¹

/taːi̯²² naːn²² pɐt̚⁵ sei̯³⁵ piːt̚⁵ jɐu̯¹³ hɐu̯²² fʊk̚⁵/

Those who survive a catastrophe are bound to have good fortune later on.


患難見真情

Adversity allows one to see the true feelings of others.

ㄏㄨㄢˋ ㄋㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄓㄣ ㄑㄧㄥˊ

хуаньнань цзянь чжэньцин

/xu̯än⁵¹⁻⁵³ nän⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂən⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰiŋ³⁵/

/waːn²² naːn²² kiːn³³ t͡sɐn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɪŋ²¹/

/waːn²² naːn²² kiːn³³ t͡sɐn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɪŋ²¹/

a friend in need is a friend indeed
a friend in need is a friend indeed

患難見真心

one's true heart will be seen in disasters


物以類聚

things will be gathered together according to category

ㄨˋ ㄧˇ ㄌㄟˋ ㄐㄩˋ

/u⁵¹ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ leɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕy⁵¹/

/mɐt̚² jiː¹³ lɵy̯²² t͡sɵy̯²²/

/u⁵¹ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ leɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕy⁵¹/

/mɐt̚² jiː¹³ lɵy̯²² t͡sɵy̯²²/

Birds of a feather flock together
birds of a feather flock together


冰凍三尺，非一日之寒

ㄅㄧㄥ ㄉㄨㄥˋ ㄙㄢ ㄔˇ

ㄈㄟ ㄧ ㄖˋ ㄓ ㄏㄢˊ

bing¹ dung³ saam¹ cek³, fei¹ jat¹ jat⁶ zi¹ hon⁴

fēi yīrì zhī hán [Phonetic:bīngdòng sān chǐ

биндун сань чи

фэй ижи чжи хань

/piŋ⁵⁵ tʊŋ⁵¹ sän⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ feɪ̯⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ xän³⁵/

bīng dung sāam chek, fēi yāt yaht jī hòhn

bing¹ dung³ saam¹ tsek⁸, fei¹ jat⁷ jat⁹ dzi¹ hon⁴

bing¹ dung³ sam¹ cég³, féi¹ yed¹ yed⁶ ji¹ hon⁴

/pɪŋ⁵⁵ tʊŋ³³ saːm⁵⁵ t͡sʰɛːk̚³ fei̯⁵⁵ jɐt̚⁵ jɐt̚² t͡siː⁵⁵ hɔːn²¹/

A similar expression is found in Lunheng by Wang Chong

Therefore, ice forming in river is not [caused by] one day's coldness; earth gathering to form mountains is not [caused by] one moment's efforts.

Wang Chong, Lun Heng (Discussive Weighing), 80 CE

Gù fú hé bīng jiéhé, fēi yīrì zhī hán, jī tǔ chéng shān, fēi sīxū zhī zuò.

故夫河冰結合，非一日之寒，積土成山，非斯須之作。

故夫河冰结合，非一日之寒，积土成山，非斯须之作。

three feet of ice is not the result of one cold day

Rome wasn't built in a day
Rome wasn't built in a day


花開堪折直須折

ㄏㄨㄚ ㄎㄞ ㄎㄢ ㄓㄜˊ ㄓˊ ㄒㄩ ㄓㄜˊ

хуа кай кань чжэ чжи сюй чжэ

/xu̯ä⁵⁵ kʰaɪ̯⁵⁵ kʰän⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵ ɕy⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ³⁵/

/faː⁵⁵ hɔːi̯⁵⁵ hɐm⁵⁵ t͡siːt̚³ t͡sɪk̚² sɵy̯⁵⁵ t͡siːt̚³/

From the poem “The Golden Dress” (《金縷衣》):
:
This is also the etymology for 莫待無花空折枝／莫待无花空折枝 (mò dài wú huā kōng zhé zhī).

zh-l

Love not your golden dress, I pray,
More than your youthful golden hours!
Gather sweet flowers while you may,
And not the twig devoid of flowers!

 Tang dynasty, author unknown, likely Du Qiuniang (杜秋娘), “The Golden Dress” (《金縷衣》)
Translation from 300 Tang Poems, A New Translation (edited by Xu Yuan-zhong, Loh Bei-yei and Wu Juntao, →ISBN)

Quàn jūn mò xī jīnlǚyī, quàn jūn xī qǔ shàonián shí. Huā kāi kān zhé zhí xū zhé, mò dài wú huā kōng zhé zhī.

勸君莫惜金縷衣，勸君惜取少年時。花開堪折直須折，莫待無花空折枝。

劝君莫惜金缕衣，劝君惜取少年时。花开堪折直须折，莫待无花空折枝。

If aflower is blooming, and you can pluck it, go ahead and pluck it.

No one is to blame but me for this. I was so casual and unwilling to commit to love. Then, when I did fall in love, I was unwilling to casually let it go. People always say things like carpe diem and gather ye rosebuds while ye may. But, when it comes to enjoying the rosebuds of love, even if you gather them, then what? Isn't the result the same, that we can never be married?

2005, 安妮玫瑰 (Anne Rose), 翡翠护身符 (Excerpt from "The Jadeite Amulet")

Zhè shéi yě bùnéng guài, zhǐ néng guài zìjǐ, qīngyì bùkěn àishàng, ài le yòu bùkěn qīngyì fàngxià, suī shuō huā kāi kān zhé zhí xū zhé, mò dài wú huā kōng zhé zhī, dànshì xiǎngshòu zhe àiqíng zhī huā de shíhòu, jíshǐ zhé le, yòu zěnyàng? Bù háishì yīyàng jié bù chū hūnyīn zhī guǒ ma.

這誰也不能怪，只能怪自己，輕易不肯愛上，愛了又不肯輕易放下，雖說花開堪折直須折，莫待無花空折枝，但是享受著愛情之花的時候，即使折了，又怎樣？不還是一樣結不出婚姻之果嗎。

这谁也不能怪，只能怪自己，轻易不肯爱上，爱了又不肯轻易放下，虽说花开堪折直须折，莫待无花空折枝，但是享受着爱情之花的时候，即使折了，又怎样？不还是一样结不出婚姻之果吗。


女人心，海底針

Awoman's heart (is like) a needle at the bottom of the sea.

nǚrén xīn, hǎidǐ zhēn [Phonetic:nǚrénxīn,háidǐzhēn]

нюйжэнь синь

/ny²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ti²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂən⁵⁵/

/nɵy̯¹³ jɐn²¹⁻³⁵ sɐm⁵⁵ hɔːi̯³⁵ tɐi̯³⁵ t͡sɐm⁵⁵/

a woman's thoughts are impossible to fathom


人非聖賢，誰能無過

ㄖㄣˊ ㄈㄟ ㄕㄥˋ ㄒㄧㄢˊ

ㄕㄟˊ ㄋㄥˊ ㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ

jan⁴ fei¹ sing³ jin⁴, seoi⁴ nang⁴ mou⁴ gwo³

жэнь фэй шэнсянь

/ʐən³⁵ feɪ̯⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛn³⁵ ʂeɪ̯³⁵ nɤŋ³⁵ u³⁵ ku̯ɔ⁵¹/

yàhn fēi sing yìhn, sèuih nàhng mòuh gwo

jan⁴ fei¹ sing³ jin⁴, soey⁴ nang⁴ mou⁴ gwo³

yen⁴ féi¹ xing³ yin⁴, sêu⁴ neng⁴ mou⁴ guo³

/jɐn²¹ fei̯⁵⁵ sɪŋ³³ jiːn²¹ sɵy̯²¹ nɐŋ²¹ mou̯²¹ kʷɔː³³/

人非聖賢，孰能無過 人非聖賢，孰能無過#Chinese

人非圣贤，孰能无过 人非圣贤，孰能无过#Chinese

Alternative form of 人非聖賢，孰能無過／人非圣贤，孰能无过 (rén fēi shèngxián, shú néng wúguò)


女子無才便是德

ㄋㄩˇ ㄗˇ ㄨˊ ㄘㄞˊ ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄕˋ ㄉㄜˊ

nǚzǐ wú cái biàn shì dé [Phonetic:nǘzǐwúcáibiànshìdé]

нюйцзы у цай бянь ши дэ

/ny²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ tɤ³⁵/

Cao Xueqin, Dream of the Red Chamber, mid-18ᵗʰ century CE

Zìgǔ dào: ‘Nǚ zǐ wú cái biàn shì dé.’ Zǒng yǐ zhēnjìng wèizhǔ, nǚgōng háishì dì'èr jiàn.

自古道：『女子無才便是德。』總以貞靜為主，女工還是第二件。

自古道：『女子无才便是德。』总以贞静为主，女工还是第二件。

A woman who lacks talent is virtuous; An old fashioned saying meaning that women should stay at home.


一朝被蛇咬，十年怕草繩

Bitten by a snake on one day, afraid of the straw rope for ten years

ㄧ ㄓㄠ ㄅㄟˋ ㄕㄜˊ ㄧㄠˇ

ㄕˊ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄆㄚˋ ㄘㄠˇ ㄕㄥˊ

jat¹ ziu¹ bei⁶ se⁴ ngaau⁵, sap⁶ nin⁴ paa³ cou² sing⁴⁻²

shínián pà cǎoshéng [Phonetic:yìzhāo bèi shé yǎo

ичжао бэй шэ яо

шинянь па цаошэн

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵ peɪ̯⁵¹ ʂɤ³⁵ jɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ni̯ɛn³⁵ pʰä⁵¹ t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɤŋ³⁵/

yāt jīu beih sèh ngáauh, sahp nìhn pa chóu síng

jat⁷ dziu¹ bei⁶ se⁴ ngaau⁵, sap⁹ nin⁴ paa³ tsou² sing⁴⁻²

yed¹ jiu¹ béi⁶ sé⁴ ngao⁵, seb⁶ nin⁴ pa³ cou² xing⁴⁻²

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡siːu̯⁵⁵ pei̯²² sɛː²¹ ŋaːu̯¹³ sɐp̚² niːn²¹ pʰaː³³ t͡sʰou̯³⁵ sɪŋ²¹⁻³⁵/

once bitten, twice shy
once bitten, twice shy


大魚吃小魚，小魚吃蝦米

The big fish eat the little fish, and the little fish eat small shrimps.

ㄉㄚˋ ㄩˊ ㄔ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄩˊ

ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄩˊ ㄔ ㄒㄧㄚ ˙ㄇㄧ

даюй чи сяоюй

сяоюй чи сями

/tä⁵¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ mi²/

The big fish eat the little fish, the little fish eat small shrimps, and the shrimps eat sludge.

Dà yú chī xiǎo yú, xiǎo yú chī xiāmi, xiāmi chī lànní.

大魚吃小魚，小魚吃蝦米，蝦米吃爛泥。

大鱼吃小鱼，小鱼吃虾米，虾米吃烂泥。

The weak are the prey of the strong; might makes right


head

Rom ist nicht an einem Tag erbaut worden


Paris ne s'est pas fait en un jour

Paris ne s’ est pas fait en un jour (canonical)

Literally, “Paris wasn't made in a day”.


己立立人，己達達人

ㄐㄧˇ ㄌㄧˋ ㄌㄧˋ ㄖㄣˊ

ㄐㄧˇ ㄉㄚˊ ㄉㄚˊ ㄖㄣˊ

цзи ли ли жэнь

цзи да да жэнь

/t͡ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ li⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ t͡ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ tä³⁵ tä³⁵ ʐən³⁵/

/kei̯³⁵ lɐp̚² lɐp̚² jɐn²¹ kei̯³⁵ taːt̚² taːt̚² jɐn²¹/

/kei̯³⁵ laːp̚² laːp̚² jɐn²¹ kei̯³⁵ taːt̚² taːt̚² jɐn²¹/

Zigong said, "Suppose the case of a man extensively conferring benefits on the people, and able to assist all, what would you say of him? Might he be called perfectly virtuous?" The Master said, "Why speak only of virtue in connection with him? Must he not have the qualities of a sage? Even Yao and Shun were still solicitous about this. Now the man of perfect virtue, wishing to be established himself, seeks also to establish others; wishing to be enlarged himself, he seeks also to enlarge others. To be able to judge of others by what is nigh in ourselves - this may be called the art of virtue."

Zǐgòng yuē: “Rú yǒu bó shī yú mín ér néng jì zhòng, hérú? Kěwèi rén hū?” Zǐyuē: “Hé shì yú rén, bì yě shèng hū! YáoShùn qí yóu bìng zhū! Fú rén zhě, jǐ yù lì ér lì rén, jǐ yù dá ér dá rén. Néng jìn qǔ pì, kěwèi rén zhī fāng yě yǐ.”

子貢曰：「如有博施於民而能濟眾，何如？可謂仁乎？」子曰：「何事於仁，必也聖乎！堯舜其猶病諸！夫仁者，己欲立而立人，己欲達而達人。能近取譬，可謂仁之方也已。」

子贡曰：「如有博施于民而能济众，何如？可谓仁乎？」子曰：「何事于仁，必也圣乎！尧舜其犹病诸！夫仁者，己欲立而立人，己欲达而达人。能近取譬，可谓仁之方也已。」

Just as you would like to establish yourself in the world, so allow others to establish themselves. Just as you seek to understand things, so allow others the same opportunity.


不入虎穴，焉得虎子

ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˋ ㄏㄨˇ ㄒㄩㄝˊ

ㄧㄢ ㄉㄜˊ ㄏㄨˇ ㄗˇ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˋ ㄏㄨˇ ㄒㄩㄝˋ

bù rù hǔxué, yān dé hǔzǐ [Phonetic:búrùhǔxué,yāndéhúzǐ]

янь дэ хуцзы

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʐu⁵¹ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ jɛn⁵⁵ tɤ³⁵ xu²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

bù rù hǔxuè, yān dé hǔzǐ [Phonetic:búrùhǔxuè,yāndéhúzǐ]

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʐu⁵¹ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕy̯ɛ⁵¹ jɛn⁵⁵ tɤ³⁵ xu²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ jɐp̚² fuː³⁵ jyːt̚² jiːn⁵⁵ tɐk̚⁵ fuː³⁵ t͡siː³⁵/

(Ban) Chao said: "If you don't enter the tiger's den, you cannot get the tiger's cub. Now there is only one stratagem: we will use fire to attack the (Xiongnu) caitiffs, taking advantage of (the cover of) night and that they don't know how many of us there are; we surely can cause them great terror and kill them all. Once we'll have slain all these caitiffs, Shanshan's resolve shall be shattered, and our endeavor shall succeed."

超曰：「不入虎穴，不得虎子。[[當今#Chinese|]]當今

If you don't enter the tiger's den, how will you get the tiger's cub?

There is an old Chinese saying, “How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's lair?” This saying holds true for human's practice and it also holds true for the theory of knowledge.

1937, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《實踐論》 (On Practice), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

Zhōngguórén yǒu yī jù lǎohuà: “Bù rù hǔxué, yān dé hǔzǐ.” Zhè jù huà duìyú rénmen de shíjiàn shì zhēnlǐ, duìyú rènshilùn yě shì zhēnlǐ.

中國人有一句老話：「不入虎穴，焉得虎子。」這句話對於人們的實踐是真理，對於認識論也是真理。

中国人有一句老话：「不入虎穴，焉得虎子。」这句话对于人们的实践是真理，对于认识论也是真理。

nothing ventured, nothing gained
nothing ventured, nothing gained

(rhetorical question) No pain, no gain; no risk, no reward; nothing ventured, nothing gained.


en-proverb

the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence

the grass is always greener on the other side#English

Alternative form of the grass is always greener on the other side


不以成敗論英雄

ㄅㄨˋ ㄧˇ ㄔㄥˊ ㄅㄞˋ ㄌㄨㄣˋ ㄧㄥ ㄒㄩㄥˊ

бу и чэнбай лунь инсюн

/pu⁵¹ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ paɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu̯ən⁵¹ iŋ⁵⁵ ɕi̯ʊŋ³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ jiː¹³ sɪŋ²¹ paːi̯²² lɵn²² jɪŋ⁵⁵ hʊŋ²¹/

A person should not be deemed a hero merely on the basis of the success or failure of their endeavors.


不在其位，不謀其政

ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄨㄟˋ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄇㄡˊ ㄑㄧˊ ㄓㄥˋ

bat¹ zoi⁶ kei⁴ wai⁶, bat¹ mau⁴ kei⁴ zing³

pu⁴ tsai⁴ chʻi² wei⁴, pu⁴ mou² chʻi² chêng⁴

бу цзай ци вэй

бу моу ци чжэн

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ weɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ moʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹/

bat⁷ dzoi⁶ kei⁴ wai⁶, bat⁷ mau⁴ kei⁴ dzing³

bed¹ zoi⁶ kéi⁴ wei⁶, bed¹ meo⁴ kéi⁴ jing³

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sɔːi̯²² kʰei̯²¹ wɐi̯²² pɐt̚⁵ mɐu̯²¹ kʰei̯²¹ t͡sɪŋ³³/

The Master said, "He who is not in any particular office has nothing to do with plans for the administration of its duties."

子曰：「不在其位，不謀其政。」

子曰：「不在其位，不谋其政。」

If you do not hold the post, do not meddle in the affairs of that post.


不打不相識

ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄕˊ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄕˋ

бу да бу сянши

/pu⁵¹ tä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ tä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ taː³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵/

/pu⁵¹ tä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ tä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ taː³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵/

Friends are often made after a fight; from an exchange of blows friendship grows; no acquaintance is made without a fight; no discord, no concord; out of blows friendship grows.


不打不成相識

ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄕˊ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄕˋ

бу да бу чэн сянши

/pu⁵¹ tä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ tä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/


不自由毋寧死

不自由毋宁死
不自由無寧死

ㄅㄨˋ ㄗˋ ㄧㄡˊ ㄨˊ ㄋㄧㄥˋ ㄙˇ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄗˋ ㄧㄡˊ ㄨˊ ㄋㄧㄥˊ ㄙˇ

bù zìyóu wúnìng sǐ [Phonetic:bú zìyóu wúnìng sǐ]

бу цзыю унин сы

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹ joʊ̯³⁵ u³⁵ niŋ⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

bù zìyóu wúníng sǐ [Phonetic:bú zìyóu wúníng sǐ]

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹ joʊ̯³⁵ u³⁵ niŋ³⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː²² jɐu̯²¹ mou̯²¹ nɪŋ²¹ sei̯³⁵/

There is a saying that goes, “Give me liberty or give me death.” So even if one were to be free for one day and commit suicide by cutting their throat the next day, it would be desirable, let alone for thirty or forty years!

Yǔ yuē: “Bù zìyóu, wúnìng sǐ!” Ránzé zàn yǒu zìyóu zhī yīrì ér míngrì zìwěn qí hóu, yóu suǒ yuàn yě, kuàng miányán zhìyú sānsìshí nián hū!

語曰：「不自由，無寧死！」然則暫有自由之一日而明日自刎其喉，猶所願也，況綿延至於三四十年乎！

语曰：「不自由，无宁死！」然则暂有自由之一日而明日自刎其喉，犹所愿也，况绵延至于三四十年乎！

Give me liberty or give me death
give me liberty or give me death


不知者不罪

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄓㄜˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄨㄟˋ

bùzhī zhě bù zuì [Phonetic:bùzhī zhě bú zuì]

бучжи чжэ бу цзуй

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡su̯eɪ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ t͡sɛː³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sɵy̯²²/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ t͡sɛː³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sɵy̯²²/

One who errs unknowingly need not be held responsible.


留得青山在，不怕沒柴燒

As long as the green mountains are there, one need not worry about firewood.

ㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄉㄜˊ ㄑㄧㄥ ㄕㄢ ㄗㄞˋ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄆㄚˋ ㄇㄟˊ ㄔㄞˊ ㄕㄠ

bùpà méi chái shāo [Phonetic:liú dé qīngshān zài

лю дэ циншань цзай

бупа мэй чай шао

/li̯oʊ̯³⁵ tɤ³⁵ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ ʂän⁵⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ pʰä⁵¹ meɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰaɪ̯³⁵ ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵/


不孝有三，無後為大

ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙㄢ

ㄨˊ ㄏㄡˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄉㄚˋ

bat¹ haau³ jau⁵ saam¹, mou⁴ hau⁶ wai⁴ daai⁶

бусяо ю сань

у хоу вэй да

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ sän⁵⁵ u³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ tä⁵¹/

bāt haau yáuh sāam, mòuh hauh wàih daaih

bat⁷ haau³ jau⁵ saam¹, mou⁴ hau⁶ wai⁴ daai⁶

bed¹ hao³ yeo⁵ sam¹, mou⁴ heo⁶ wei⁴ dai⁶

/pɐt̚⁵ haːu̯³³ jɐu̯¹³ saːm⁵⁵ mou̯²¹ hɐu̯²² wɐi̯²¹ taːi̯²²/

Mencius said, 'There are three things which are unfilial, and to have no posterity is the greatest of them. Shun married without informing his parents because of this, lest he should have no posterity. Superior men consider that his doing so was the same as if he had informed them.'

Mèngzǐ yuē: “Bùxiào yǒu sān, wúhòu wéi dà. Shùn bù gào ér qǔ, wéi wúhòu yě, jūnzǐ yǐwèi yóu gào yě.”

孟子曰：「不孝有三，無後為大。舜不告而娶，為無後也，君子以為猶告也。」

孟子曰：「不孝有三，无后为大。舜不告而娶，为无后也，君子以为犹告也。」

I have seen too many cases of transgender people suffering domestic violence in Shandong… the notion that "there are three ways to be unfilial; the worst is to not produce offspring" has been deeply ingrained in the minds of many, but my sperms weren't active… my dad almost fell out with me about this.

2021 January 15, 张楠茜, 《拯救可橙： 被父母强送矫治的跨性别者》, in 《鳳凰週刊》 [Phoenix Weekly], →ISSN, issue 747, page 42

“Shāndōng wǒ jiàndào guò tài duō de jiābàodǎng de lìzi le...... Bùxiào yǒu sān, wú hòu wèi dà de guānniàn gēnshēndìgù, dànshì wǒ de jīngzǐ méiyǒu huóxìng...... Wèile zhè shì wǒ bà chādiǎn gēn wǒ nàofān le.”

「山東我見到過太多的家暴黨的例子了……不孝有三，無後為大的觀念根深蒂固，但是我的精子沒有活性……為了這事我爸差點跟我鬧翻了。」

「山东我见到过太多的家暴党的例子了……不孝有三，无后为大的观念根深蒂固，但是我的精子没有活性……为了这事我爸差点跟我闹翻了。」

There are three ways to be unfilial; the worst is to not produce offspring.


le silence est d'or

a closed mouth catches no flies
a closed mouth catches no flies

silence is golden; a closed mouth catches no flies

la parole est d’argent et le silence est d’or


le temps, c'est de l'argent

le temps (canonical)
c’est de l’ argent (canonical)


après la pluie, le beau temps

LL-Q150 (fra)-Lepticed7-après la pluie, le beau temps.wav

LL-Q150 (fra)-DenisdeShawi-après la pluie, le beau temps.wav

Literally, “after rain [comes] good weather”.

lit

every cloud has a silver lining
every cloud has a silver lining


tel père, tel fils

LL-Q150 (fra)-Lyokoï-tel père, tel fils.wav

like father, like son
like father, like son

la pomme ne tombe jamais loin de l’arbre


不是冤家不聚頭

不是冤家不聚头
勿是冤家勿碰頭

ㄅㄨˋ ㄕˋ ㄩㄢ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄩˋ ㄊㄡˊ

bùshì yuānjiā bù jùtóu [Phonetic:búshì yuānjiā bú jùtóu]

буши юаньцзя бу цзюйтоу

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ɥɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕy⁵¹ tʰoʊ̯³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ siː²² jyːn⁵⁵ kaː⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sɵy̯²² tʰɐu̯²¹/

If you were not destined to be lovers, you would not be together. Those with some kind of connection will be brought together. (often said about lovers who have a disagreement)


不是一家人，不進一家門

ㄅㄨˋ ㄕˋ ㄧ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄖㄣˊ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄧ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄇㄣˊ

bat¹ si⁶ jat¹ gaa¹ jan⁴, bat¹ zeon³ jat¹ gaa¹ mun⁴

bù jìn yī jiā mén [Phonetic:búshì yì jiā rén

буши и цзя жэнь

бу цзинь и цзя мэнь

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕin⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ mən³⁵/

bāt sih yāt gā yàhn, bāt jeun yāt gā mùhn

bat⁷ si⁶ jat⁷ gaa¹ jan⁴, bat⁷ dzoen³ jat⁷ gaa¹ mun⁴

bed¹ xi⁶ yed¹ ga¹ yen⁴, bed¹ zên³ yed¹ ga¹ mun⁴

/pɐt̚⁵ siː²² jɐt̚⁵ kaː⁵⁵ jɐn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sɵn³³ jɐt̚⁵ kaː⁵⁵ muːn²¹/

If a bride were not meant to marry into a family, fate would not bring her in the door.


nothing ventured, nothing gained

En-au-nothing ventured, nothing gained.ogg

Attested since 1546 in a book of English proverbs by John Heywood (see quotation below). Perhaps translated from or influenced by French Qui onques rien n'enprist riens n'achieva (“One who never undertook anything never gained anything”). Though a translation, a similar phrase of "Nothing ventured, nothing have." appears in Sir George Dasent's translation of the Icelandic text "The Saga of the Burnt Njal" (events occurring between 960 and 1020 A.D.), suggesting it may have gone back much further.
However, certain translations of Herodotus 7.9 include "if nothing is ventured in life, then nothing is gained". Suggesting either the phrase or something similar stretches to even before 960AD.

Noght vēter noght haue spare to speke spare to spede

1546, John Heywood, A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the englishe tongue compacte in a matter concernyng two maner of mariages, The fyrste parte. The leuenth chapiter:

Nothing venture, nothing have; spare to speak, spare success

Her husband was one of those unfortunate men, called speculators. He believed that to gain thousands, thousands must be put in jeopardy—“nothing ventured, nothing gained,” was his rule, and he practiced it to perfection.

1842, E.S.J., “Julia Dayton: Or the power of truth over error”, in Universalist Union, page 609:

Do not allow the danger of making a mistake to inhibit your initiative to the point of “nothing ventured, nothing gained.” It is much healthier to expect to make mistakes, take a few good risks now and then, and take your medicine when you lose.

1944, W. Julian King, The Unwritten Laws of Engineering, page 22:

If one takes no risks, one will not gain any benefits.


lika barn leka bäst

Literally, "alike children play best (with each other)." Leka is a frozen (slightly) archaic present tense plural form. The present tense plural used to be identical to the infinitive for all verbs except vara. Leker would be expected in contemporary Swedish.

birds of a feather flock together
birds of a feather flock together


ju fler kockar, desto sämre soppa

Literally, the greater the number of cooks, the worse the soup.

too many cooks spoil the broth
too many cooks spoil the broth


head

när katten är borta, dansar råttorna på bordet

Literally ‘when the cat is away, the rats dance on the table’.

when the cat's away the mice will play
when the cat's away the mice will play

när katten är borta dansar råttorna på bordet


不患寡而患不均

ㄅㄨˋ ㄏㄨㄢˋ ㄍㄨㄚˇ ㄦˊ ㄏㄨㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄩㄣ

bù huàn guǎ ér huàn bùjūn [Phonetic:bú huàn guǎ ér huàn bùjūn]

бу хуань гуа эр хуань буцзюнь

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ xu̯än⁵¹ ku̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ xu̯än⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ waːn²² kʷaː³⁵ jiː²¹ waːn²² pɐt̚⁵ kʷɐn⁵⁵/

Confucius said. "… I have heard that rulers of states and chiefs of families are not troubled lest their people should be few, but are troubled lest they should not keep their several places; that they are not troubled with fears of poverty, but are troubled with fears of a want of contented repose among the people in their several places. …"

Kǒng Zǐ yuē: “...... Qiū yě wén yǒu guó yǒu jiā zhě, bù huàn guǎ ér huàn bùjūn, bù huàn pín ér huàn bù'ān.......”

孔子曰：「……丘也聞有國有家者，不患寡而患不均，不患貧而患不安。……」

孔子曰：「……丘也闻有国有家者，不患寡而患不均，不患贫而患不安。……」

(of money, wealth etc.) Do not worry if there is not enough to go around, only worry if it is not evenly distributed (among the people).


不經一事，不長一智

ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄥ ㄧ ㄕˋ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄤˇ ㄧ ㄓˋ

bat¹ ging¹ jat¹ si⁶, bat¹ zoeng² jat¹ zi³

bù zhǎng yī zhì [Phonetic:bù jīng yí shì

pu⁴ ching¹ i¹ shih⁴, pu⁴ chang³ i¹ chih⁴

бу цзин и ши

бу чжан и чжи

/pu⁵¹ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

bat⁷ ging¹ jat⁷ si⁶, bat⁷ dzoeng² jat⁷ dzi³

bed¹ ging¹ yed¹ xi⁶, bed¹ zêng² yed¹ ji³

/pɐt̚⁵ kɪŋ⁵⁵ jɐt̚⁵ siː²² pɐt̚⁵ t͡sœːŋ³⁵ jɐt̚⁵ t͡siː³³/

one can't know about something unless one experiences it; wisdom comes from experience


仇人相見，分外眼紅

ㄔㄡˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄐㄧㄢˋ

ㄈㄣˋ ㄨㄞˋ ㄧㄢˇ ㄏㄨㄥˊ

sau⁴ jan⁴ soeng¹ gin³, fan⁶ ngoi⁶ ngaan⁵ hung⁴

чоужэнь сянцзянь

фэньвай яньхун

/ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯³⁵ ʐən³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ fən⁵¹⁻⁵³ waɪ̯⁵¹ jɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ xʊŋ³⁵/

sàuh yàhn sēung gin, fahn ngoih ngáahn hùhng

seo⁴ yen⁴ sêng¹ gin³, fen⁶ ngoi⁶ ngan⁵ hung⁴

/sɐu̯²¹ jɐn²¹ sœːŋ⁵⁵ kiːn³³ fɐn²² ŋɔːi̯²² ŋaːn¹³ hʊŋ²¹/

When two enemies meet, their eyes are especially red; when enemies come face to face, their eyes blaze with hate.


分久必合，合久必分

ㄈㄣ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄅㄧˋ ㄏㄜˊ

ㄏㄜˊ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄅㄧˋ ㄈㄣ

/fən⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pi⁵¹ xɤ³⁵ xɤ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pi⁵¹ fən⁵⁵/

From Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter One (first line after the opening poem).

(literal) That which is long divided must unify; that which is long unified must divide.

(figurative) worldly affairs are constantly changing


to each his own

Calque of Latin suum cuique, short for suum cuique pulchrum est (“to each his own is beautiful”).

I would never want my bathroom decorated in chartreuse and turquoise, but to each his own, I suppose.

Every person is entitled to his or her personal preferences and tastes.

elkeen na sy eie smaak

every person is entitled to his or her personal preferences

Toată lumea are dreptul la preferințele sale personale.

you pays your money and you takes your choice

Everyone should receive what they deserve.


勿以惡小而為之

ㄨˋ ㄧˇ ㄜˋ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄦˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄓ

у и э сяо эр вэй чжи

/u⁵¹ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤ⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

a quote from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Do not commit an evil act just because it is small in scale.


勿以善小而不為

ㄨˋ ㄧˇ ㄕㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄦˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄨㄟˊ

у и шань сяо эр бу вэй

/u⁵¹ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂän⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ pu⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵/

/mɐt̚² jiː¹³ siːn²² siːu̯³⁵ jiː²¹ pɐt̚⁵ wɐi̯²¹/

A quote from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Do not fail to carry out an act of kindness just because it is small in scale.


రౌతు మెత్తనైతే గుర్రం మూడు కాళ్ళ మీద పరిగెత్తుతుంది • (rautu mettanaitē gurraṁ mūḍu kāḷḷa mīda parigettutundi)

/ɾaut̪u met̪ːanait̪eː ɡuram̃ muːɖu kaːɭːa miːd̪a paɾiɡet̪ːut̪un̪d̪i/

[ɾawt̪u met̪ːanajt̪eː ɡuram̃ muːɖu kaːɭːa miːd̪a paɾiɡet̪ːut̪und̪i]

when the cat's away the mice will play (lit. “If the rider is soft, the horse runs on three legs”)

en-రౌతు_మెత్తనైతే_గుర్రం_మూడు_కాళ్ళ_మీద_పరిగెత్తుతుంది-te-proverb-ZCnlwCWD


天不從人願

ㄊㄧㄢ ㄅㄨˋ ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄩㄢˋ

тянь бу цун жэнь юань

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ t͡sʰʊŋ³⁵ ʐən³⁵ ɥɛn⁵¹/

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ t͡sʰʊŋ³⁵ ʐən³⁵ ɥɛn⁵¹/

Heaven does not abide by the wishes of people.


天下興亡，匹夫有責

ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄒㄧㄥ ㄨㄤˊ

ㄆㄧˇ ㄈㄨ ㄧㄡˇ ㄗㄜˊ

tin¹ haa⁶ hing¹ mong⁴, pat¹ fu¹ jau⁵ zaak³

тянься синван

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ ɕiŋ⁵⁵ wɑŋ³⁵ pʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ fu⁵⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sɤ³⁵/

tin¹ haa⁶ hing¹ mong⁴, pat⁷ fu¹ jau⁵ dzaak⁸

tin¹ ha⁶ hing¹ mong⁴, ped¹ fu¹ yeo⁵ zag³

/tʰiːn⁵⁵ haː²² hɪŋ⁵⁵ mɔːŋ²¹ pʰɐt̚⁵ fuː⁵⁵ jɐu̯¹³ t͡saːk̚³/

To preserve a regime, that is only for its ruler and ministers to be concerned about. To preserve a nation, even a lowly ordinary person bears responsibility.

Bǎo guó zhě, qí jūn qí chén, ròushízhě móu zhī. Bǎo tiānxià zhě, pǐfū zhī jiàn yǔ yǒu zé yān ěr yǐ.

保國者，其君其臣，肉食者謀之。保天下者，匹夫之賤與有責焉耳矣。

保国者，其君其臣，肉食者谋之。保天下者，匹夫之贱与有责焉耳矣。

whether a nation stands or falls depends on ordinary citizens


天行健，君子以自強不息

ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄢˋ

ㄐㄩㄣ ㄗˇ ㄧˇ ㄗˋ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧ

ㄐㄩㄣ ㄗˇ ㄧˇ ㄗˋ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧˊ

tin¹ hang⁴ gin⁶, gwan¹ zi² ji⁵ zi⁶ koeng⁴ bat¹ sik¹

jūnzǐ yǐ zìqiángbùxī [Phonetic:tiānxíngjiàn

тянь син цзянь

цзюньцзы и цзыцянбуси

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕiŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sz̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ pu⁵¹ ɕi⁵⁵/

jūnzǐ yǐ zìqiángbùxí [Phonetic:tiānxíngjiàn

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕiŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sz̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ pu⁵¹ ɕi³⁵/

tīn hàhng gihn, gwān jí yíh jih kèuhng bāt sīk

tin¹ hang⁴ gin⁶, gwan¹ dzi² ji⁵ dzi⁶ koeng⁴ bat⁷ sik⁷

tin¹ heng⁴ gin⁶, guen¹ ji² yi⁵ ji⁶ kêng⁴ bed¹ xig¹

/tʰiːn⁵⁵ hɐŋ²¹ kiːn²² kʷɐn⁵⁵ t͡siː³⁵ jiː¹³ t͡siː²² kʰœːŋ²¹ pɐt̚⁵ sɪk̚⁵/

Just as the celestial bodies never run out of energy to orbit round and round, so should we always strive to better ourselves.


don't count your chickens before they're hatched

First attested in English in Thomas Howell's 1570 New Sonnets and Pretty Pamphlets in the couplet "Counte not thy Chickens that vnhatched be, / Waye wordes as winde, till thou finde certaintee", possibly deriving from similar medieval and early modern Latin fables and maxims.

[...] Make Fools believe in their fore-seeing / Of things before they are in Being; / To swallow Gudgeons ere th' are catch'd, / And count their Chickens ere th' are hatch'd, [...]

[1663 (indicated as 1664), [Samuel Butler], “The Second Part of Hudibras. Canto III.”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678, →OCLC; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC, page 175:

don't sell the skin till you have caught the bear

don't count your chickens before they hatch

don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched

One should not depend upon a favorable (and typically overoptimistic) outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur.

one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur

moenie die beer se vel verkoop voordat hy geskiet is nie

lā taštarī s-samaka wahuwa fī l-baḥri bali ntaẓir ḥattā yuṣṭāda

لَا تَشْتَرِي ٱلسَّمَكَ وَهُوَ فِي ٱلْبَحْرِ بَلِ ٱنْتَظِرْ حَتَّى يُصْطَادَ

no diguis blat fins que no sigui al sac i ben lligat

de huid niet verkopen voor de beer geschoten is

la manĝota fiŝo estas ankoraŭ en la rivero

älä nylje karhua ennen kuin se on kaadettu

il ne faut pas vendre la peau de l’ours avant de l’avoir tué

no stâ vendi le piel dal ors prime di vêlu copât

man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben

man soll das Fell des Bären nicht verteilen, bevor er erlegt ist

ekki er sopið kálið þó í ausuna sé komið

non dire gatto se non ce l'hai nel sacco

ahakoa iti te koutu whenua e kore e taea te parepare

não conte com o ovo antes da galinha botar

не говори́ «гоп», пока́ не перепры́гнешь

na h-abair diug a choidhche ris an eun gus an dig e às an ugh

dèan fanaid air do sheann-bhrògan nuair a gheibh thu do bhrògan ùra

no vendas la piel del oso antes de cazarlo

sälj inte skinnet innan björnen är skjuten

ālu lēdu, cūlu lēdu, koḍuku pēru sōmaliṅgamu

ఆలు లేదు, చూలు లేదు, కొడుకు పేరు సోమలింగము

xvalý denʹ uvéčeri, a žyttjá péred smértju

хвали́ день уве́чері, а життя́ пе́ред сме́ртю

i n' fåt nén vinde l' oû k' est co e cou del poye


без кота мышам раздолье

без кота́ мыша́м раздо́лье

без кота́ мыша́м раздо́лье • (bez kotá myšám razdólʹje)

без кота́ мыша́м раздо́лье (canonical)
bez kotá myšám razdólʹje (romanization)

LL-Q7737 (rus)-Tatiana Kerbush-без кота мышам раздолье.wav

Literally, “without the cat, it’s freedom to the mice”.

lit

en-без_кота_мышам_раздолье-ru-proverb-mZwcElxO


天涯何處無芳草

ㄊㄧㄢ ㄧㄚˊ ㄏㄜˊ ㄔㄨˋ ㄨˊ ㄈㄤ ㄘㄠˇ

тянья хэчу у фанцао

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ jä³⁵ xɤ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵¹ u³⁵ fɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/tʰiːn⁵⁵ ŋaːi̯²¹ hɔː²¹ t͡sʰyː³³ mou̯²¹ fɔːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰou̯³⁵/

From 《離騷》 in the Chu Ci:
From “Butterflies Adore Flowers” (《蝶戀花》), by Su Shi

In what place are there not fragrant herbs? Why do you miss your old habitat?

The Verses of Chu, 4ᵗʰ century BCE – 2ⁿᵈ century CE

Hé suǒ dú wú fāngcǎo xī, ěr hé huái hū gù yǔ?

何所獨無芳草兮，爾何懷乎故宇？

何所独无芳草兮，尔何怀乎故宇？

Fuzzy catkins get sparser on willow branches after the wind
But where, within the corners of the world, cannot fragrant herbs be found?

Zhī shàng liǔmián chuī yòu shào, tiānyá héchù wú fāngcǎo?

枝上柳綿吹又少，天涯何處無芳草？

枝上柳绵吹又少，天涯何处无芳草？

Where in the world is there a lack of fragrant grass?

There is no need to be overly attached to one person or location, everything has something about it that is endearing.

there are plenty of fish in the sea
there are plenty of fish in the sea

(of lost love) there are plenty of fish in the sea


夫妻本是同林鳥

ㄈㄨ ㄑㄧ ㄅㄣˇ ㄕˋ ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄋㄧㄠˇ

фуци бэнь ши тун линь няо

/fu⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ pən²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ lin³⁵ ni̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/fuː⁵⁵ t͡sʰɐi̯⁵⁵ puːn³⁵ siː²² tʰʊŋ²¹ lɐm²¹ niːu̯¹³/

Even though a husband and wife were originally birds from the same forest (...when adversity strikes, they fly in separate directions).


walls have ears

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-walls have ears.wav

"But it is well to remember that walls have ears, and therefore to whisper."

1915, William MacLeod Raine, chapter 20, in Steve Yeager:

“We're talking about everything you can't discuss in Damascus, because there the walls have ears,” Mr. Taieb said.

2015 July 15, Thanassis Cambanis, “A Syrian Parody Features the Civil War, and Is Stalked by It”, in New York Times, retrieved 2017-09-27:

There is always a risk of being overheard, so one should be careful about what one says.

لِلْحِيطَان آذَان

li-l-ḥīṭān ʔāḏān

壁に耳あり、 障子に目あり

かべにみみあり、 しょうじにめあり, kabe ni mimi ari, shōji ni me ari

障子に目あり (しょうじにめあり, shōji ni me ari, literally “sliding doors have eyes”)

낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다

nanmareun saega deutgo bammareun jwiga deunneunda

may tainga ang lupa, may pakpak ang balita


man kan inte lära gamla hundar sitta

Literally: "one can't teach old dogs to sit".

you can't teach an old dog new tricks
you can't teach an old dog new tricks


心想事成

ㄒㄧㄣ ㄒㄧㄤˇ ㄕˋ ㄔㄥˊ

синьсяншичэн

/ɕin⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵/

/sɐm⁵⁵ sœːŋ³⁵ siː²² sɪŋ²¹/

/sim⁴⁴⁻³⁵ siɔŋ³¹ sz̩⁵³⁻⁵⁵ sən¹¹/

/ɕin⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵/

/sɐm⁵⁵ sœːŋ³⁵ siː²² sɪŋ²¹/

/sim⁴⁴⁻³⁵ siɔŋ³¹ sz̩⁵³⁻⁵⁵ sən¹¹/

may your dreams come true, wish you the best!; to have one's wishes come true


心靜自然涼

ㄒㄧㄣ ㄐㄧㄥˋ ㄗˋ ㄖㄢˊ ㄌㄧㄤˊ

синь цзин цзыжань лян

/ɕin⁵⁵ t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡sz̩⁵¹ ʐän³⁵ li̯ɑŋ³⁵/

/sɐm⁵⁵ t͡sɪŋ²² t͡siː²² jiːn²¹ lœːŋ²¹/

/sɐm⁵⁵ t͡sɪŋ²² t͡siː²² jiːn²¹ lœːŋ²¹/

A: “Why are you not feeling hot on such a hot day?” B: “When the mind is still, it will be cool.”

Jiǎ: “Zhème rè de tiān, nǐ zěnme yīdiǎn dōu bù xián rè?” Yǐ: “Xīn jìng zìrán liáng.”

甲：「這麼熱的天，你怎麼一點都不嫌熱？」乙：「心靜自然涼。」

甲：「这么热的天，你怎么一点都不嫌热？」乙：「心静自然凉。」

When the mind is still, you will be calm, cool and collected.


bird in the hand

Cowboys picks are more miss than hit. Galloway is a relatively young guy, so what the hey. Bird in the hand, right?

2000 September 6, Maze II, “the Seattle curse?”, in alt.sports.football.pro.dallas-cowboys (Usenet):

Elly had ratcheted up the pressure with her threats of leaving early. I had no other bites on the ad. “Bird in the hand” and all that . . . . So much for negotiating.

2003, Robert C. Hereth, Money, Xlibris Corp., →ISBN, page 192:

‘Look on the bright side,’ he said when he’d finished. ‘At least we got five hundred quid. Bird in the hand, eh?’

2013, Andrew Taylor, “Catch-13”, in Martin Edwards, editor, Deadly Pleasures, Sutton: Severn House, →ISBN, page 219:

“Well, there is that, sir,” Harcourt replied after a moment to think that over. “Bird in the hand, and all that?”

2014, Dewey Lambdin, The King's Marauder, New York: Thomas Dunne Books, →ISBN, page 150:

You're afraid of losing the customer. If I offer them this other product, they might stop buying that product for which they've come to me for years. Bird in the hand, right?

2018, Alex Goldfayn, Selling Boldly, Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN:

A little bit of cash now means more to the boys than the promise of a fortune who knows when. Bird in the hand, and all […]

2019, Tim Buckley, Cara is Missing, Kibworth Beauchamp: Matador, →ISBN, pages 276–277:

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush#English

Short for a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.


clothes don't make the man

You cannot accurately judge a person solely by appearances.

one is met by his clothes and is seen off by his mind

po odjóžke vstrečájut, po umú provožájut

по одёжке встреча́ют, по уму́ провожа́ют

handsome in appearance but looks like a devil inside

на вид приго́ж, а внутри́ на чёрта похо́ж


日有所思，夜有所夢

ㄖˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄙ

ㄧㄝˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄇㄥˋ

/ʐ̩⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ sz̩⁵⁵ jɛ⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ mɤŋ⁵¹/

/jɐt̚² jɐu̯¹³ sɔː³⁵ siː⁵⁵ jɛː²² jɐu̯¹³ sɔː³⁵ mʊŋ²²/

That which one thinks about during the day, is what one dreams about at night.


barking dogs seldom bite

People who make threats rarely carry them out.

qeni që leh, s'të ha

people who make threats rarely carry them out

弱い犬ほどよく吠る

よわいいぬほどよくほえる

pies, co bardzo szczeka, nie bardzo kąsa

krowa, która dużo ryczy, mało mleka daje

соба́ка, кото́рая ла́ет — не куса́ет (sobáka, kotóraja lájet — ne kusájet)

ang asong kahol nang kahol ay hindi nangangagat

ang asong tahol nang tahol ay hindi nangangagat


blood is thicker than water

It seems as though you had come to be so very near to us; and blood is thicker than water, is it not? If cousins are not friends, who can be?

1865 May 15 – 1866 January 1, Anthony Trollope, “Mary Belton”, in The Belton Estate. […], volume III, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published December 1865 (indicated as 1866), →OCLC, page 201:

The old clans are scattered now, but blood is thicker than water still, and you're welcome to the fireside of your kinsman!

c. 1915, Lucy Fitch Perkins, chapter 5, in The Scotch Twins:

You know blood is thicker than water / But you just want everyone to get along

2019 March 6, “Binary Star”, in Benjamin and mpi (lyrics), SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] (music), R∃/MEMBER, performed by Uru, Sacra Music, →vgmdb:

(family, idiomatic) Family relations and loyalties are stronger than relationships with people who are not family members.

s'bëhet gjaku ujë

relationships are stronger within the family

is fearr beagán den ghaol ná mórán den charthanas

кровь — не води́ца (krovʹ — ne vodíca) (blood is not water)

кровь людска́я — не води́ца (krovʹ ljudskája — ne vodíca) (people's blood is not water)

's e a leanabh fhèin as luaithe a bhaisteas an sagart

thèid dùthchas an aghaidh nan creag

hereditary tendencies will go against the rocks