head

cel bogat face cum vrea, cel sărac face cum poate

[tʃel boˈɡat ˌfatʃe kum ˈvre̯a | tʃel səˈrak ˌfatʃe kum ˈpo̯ate]

Literally, “the rich (one) does as he pleases, the poor (one) does as he can”.

lit

a rich man does as he pleases, a poor man does as he can


câinii latră, caravana trece

Calque of Ottoman Turkish [script needed] (it ürür, kervan yürür). Literally, “the dogs bark, but the caravan goes by”.

lit

the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on
the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on

the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on; sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me (let people say what they will)


Dumnezeu nu bate cu parul

Literally, “God doesn't beat with the club”. Possibly a calque of Hungarian Isten nem ver bottal, with the same meaning.

Dumnezeu nu dă cu parul (alternative)
Dumnezeu nu bate cu bățul (alternative)

what goes around comes around
what goes around comes around

sow the wind, reap the whirlwind
sow the wind, reap the whirlwind

the chickens come home to roost
the chickens come home to roost

what goes around comes around, sow the wind, reap the whirlwind, the chickens come home to roost


calul de dar nu se caută la dinți

don't look a gift horse in the mouth
don't look a gift horse in the mouth


nemulțumitului i se ia darul

Literally, “the gift is taken away from the ungrateful”.

lit

beggars can't be choosers
beggars can't be choosers

take it or leave it, beggars can't be choosers


așchia nu sare departe de trunchi

Literally, “the splinter doesn't jump far from the tree trunk”.

lit

apple does not fall far from the tree
apple does not fall far from the tree

like father, like son
like father, like son

like mother, like daughter
like mother, like daughter

apple does not fall far from the tree, like father, like son, like mother, like daughter


ce se naște din pisică, șoareci mănâncă

Literally, “whatever is born out of cat, it is mice that it eats”. Attested for the first time, in a slightly different form, as the subtitle of Nicolae Filimon's 1862 novel Ciocoii vechi și noi: "Ce naște din pisică șoareci mănâncă".

lit

ce naște din pisică șoareci mănâncă (alternative)
ce iese din pisică, șoareci mănâncă (alternative)

the apple does not fall far from the tree, like father, like son, like mother, like daughter


hoțul neprins e negustor cinstit

Literally, “the uncaught thief is an honest merchant”.

lit

hoțul neprins este negustor cinstit (alternative)
hoțul neprins, negustor cinstit (alternative)

benefit of the doubt
benefit of the doubt

(colloquial) one is innocent until proven guilty; one is given the benefit of the doubt


câte bordeie, atâtea obiceie

Literally, “as many huts, so many customs”.

when in Rome, do as the Romans do
when in Rome, do as the Romans do


sângele apă nu se face

Literally, “blood doesn't turn into water”. Probably a calque from one of these languages: Bulgarian кръвта вода не става (krǎvta voda ne stava), Greek το αίμα νερό δεν γίνεται (to aíma neró den gínetai) or Hungarian a vér nem válik vízzé.

blood is thicker than water
blood is thicker than water


lupul își schimbă părul, dar năravul ba

Literally, “the wolf changes its hair, but not its temperament”.

lit

the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature


peștele de la cap se împute

Literally, “the fish starts to stink from the head”. Ultimately, calque of Latin piscis primum a capite foetet.

calque

the fish rots from the head
the fish rots from the head


câinele care latră nu mușcă

barking dogs seldom bite
barking dogs seldom bite


nu lăsa pe mâine ce poți face azi

Literally, “don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today”.

lit

there's no time like the present
there's no time like the present

never put off until tomorrow what you can do today; there's no time like the present


bate fierul cât e cald

Literally, “strike the iron while it's hot”.

strike the iron while it's hot
strike the iron while it's hot


banul este ochiul dracului

money is the root of all evil
money is the root of all evil


head

când pisica nu-i acasă, joacă șoarecii pe masă

Literally, “when the cat isn't home, the mice are dancing on the table”.

lit

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


head

cine se trezește de dimineață, departe ajunge

Literally, “he who wakes up early, gets far away”.

lit

the early bird gets the worm
the early bird gets the worm


fă-te frate cu dracul până treci puntea

Literally, “become a brother to the devil until you cross the bridge”.

lit

if you can't beat them, join them
if you can't beat them, join them


la plăcinte înainte, la război înapoi

Literally, “ahead, when it comes to pies and backwards, when there is war”.

lit

everyone likes pleasant things, no one wants to do the hard and dangerous ones.


cui pe cui se scoate

Literally, “one nail removes another nail”.

one nail drives out another
one nail drives out another


ochii care nu se văd se uită

Literally, “the eyes which don't see each other forget each other”.

lit

long absent, soon forgotten
long absent, soon forgotten


capul plecat sabia nu-l taie

Literally, “bowing head is not cut by the sword”.

better bend than break
better bend than break

a submissive man is not persecuted; better bend than break


cu răbdarea treci și marea

Literally, “by having patience, you can cross even the sea”.

lit

good things come to those who wait
good things come to those who wait


apa trece, pietrele rămân

Literally, “water goes by, stones remain”.

irrelevant things pass, important things remain, so one should focus on the important things


ro-proverb

nu da vrabia din mână pe cioara de pe gard

Literally, “don't exchange the sparrow in the hand with the crow on the fence”.

lit

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush


scopul scuză mijloacele

Literally, “the goal excuses the means”.

the ends justify the means
the ends justify the means


nu iese fum fără foc

Literally, “no smoke comes out without fire”.

no smoke without fire
no smoke without fire


ro-proverb

socoteala de acasă nu se potrivește cu cea din târg

Literally, “home calculation doesn't match the one at the market”.


râde ciob de oală spartă

Literally, “a potsherd laughs at the cracked pot”.

pot calling the kettle black
pot calling the kettle black


nu haina îl face pe om

Literally, “clothes don't make the man”.

clothes don't make the man
clothes don't make the man

you can't judge a book by its cover
you can't judge a book by its cover

clothes don't make the man; you can't judge a book by its cover


foamea este cel mai bun bucătar

hunger is a good sauce
hunger is a good sauce


prietenul la nevoie se cunoaște

Literally, “one can tell who is a friend when in need”.

lit

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


head

spune-mi cu cine te însoțești, ca să-ți spun cine ești

Literally, “tell me with whom you congregate, so I can tell you who you are”.

lit

a man is known by the company he keeps
a man is known by the company he keeps


cum îți așterni, așa dormi

Literally, “as you make your bed, so you sleep”.

as you make your bed, so you must lie in it


ziua bună se cunoaște de dimineață

Literally, “a good day can be told from the morning”.

lit

a good beginning makes a good ending
a good beginning makes a good ending


head

chelului tichie de mărgăritar îi trebuie

Literally, “the bald man needs a hat adorned with pearls”.

lit

one should focus on important things first


head

cine fură azi un ou, mâine va fura un bou

Literally, “he who steals today an egg will steal tomorrow an ox”. Compare qui vole un œuf vole un bœuf.

lit

once a thief, always a thief
once a thief, always a thief


toamna se numără bobocii

Literally, “one should count the ducklings in autumn”.

lit

don't count your chickens before they're hatched


nu vinde blana ursului din pădure

Ultimately from Aesop's fable The Bear and the Travelers.

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


corb la corb nu scoate ochii

Literally, “a raven does not pull out the eyes of another raven”.

lit

dog does not eat dog
dog does not eat dog


fă ce zice popa, nu ce face popa

Literally, “do what the priest says, not what the priest does”.

lit

do as I say and not as I do
do as I say and not as I do


obraznicul mănâncă praznicul

fortune favors the bold
fortune favors the bold


vorba lungă, sărăcia omului

great talkers are little doers
great talkers are little doers


cine seamănă vânt culege furtună

cine seamăna vânt culege furtună (canonical)

Literally, “he who sows the wind, reaps the whirlwind”.

lit

sow the wind, reap the whirlwind
sow the wind, reap the whirlwind


tot țiganul își laudă ciocanul

Literally, “every Gypsy [smith] is praising his own hammer”.

m-g

every Gypsy 􂀿smith􂁀 is praising his own hammer

lit

all his geese are swans
all his geese are swans


buturuga mică răstoarnă carul mare

Literally, “the small stump topples the big cart”.

little strokes fell great oaks
little strokes fell great oaks


cine se aseamănă se adună

Literally, “people who are alike come together”.

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


cine râde la urmă, râde mai bine

Literally, “he who laughs at the end, laughs better”.

lit

he who laughs last laughs best
he who laughs last laughs best


nu tot ce zboară se mănâncă

Literally, “not everything that flies can be eaten”.

lit

one should not believe everything one hears.


gura bate curul

a closed mouth gathers no feet
a closed mouth gathers no feet


cu o floare nu se face primăvară

Literally, “one flower doesn't make spring”.

one swallow does not a summer make
one swallow does not a summer make


ulciorul nu merge de multe ori la apă

Literally, “the pitcher doesn't go many times to get water”.

lit

the pitcher goes so often to the well that it is broken at last


are balta pește

Literally, “there are (plenty of) fish in the pond”.

lit

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


se întâmplă și la case mai mari

Literally, “it happens at bigger houses also”.

(idiomatic) accidents will happen in the best regulated families


mulți văd, puțini cunosc

Literally, “many see, few understand/know”.

more than meets the eye
more than meets the eye


omul sfințește locul

Literally, “the man sanctifies the place”.

it matters who inhabits a place to improve it


head

afară-i vopsit gardul, înăuntru-i leopardul

Literally, “outside the fence is painted, inside it's the leopard”.

lit

all that glitters is not gold
all that glitters is not gold