The Famous Proverbs From Around the World

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old Famous Proverbs, Famous quotes, and Famous sayings, collected over the years from a variety of sources. Enjoy reading these insights and feel free to share this page on your social media to inspire others.

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A proverb is a short sentence that is full of meaning and sound advice. These little expressions add richness to our speech and allow us to explore and learn new vocabulary.

Proverb is a short saying that is commonly known by public, and repeated as a piece of advice or suggestion. A proverb usually expresses the common truth.

Who loves, labors. – Afghan Proverbs

There are twenty-five uncaught birds for a penny. – Afghan Proverbs

Everyone thinks his own thoughts are best. – Afghan Proverbs

What you see in yourself is what you see in the world. – Afghan Proverb

When the heart acts, the body is its slave. – African Proverbs

The world doesn’t make promises to anybody. – African Proverbs

Send a boy where he wishes to go, and you’ll see his best pace. – African Proverbs

A man who pays respect to the great paves his own way for greatness. – African Proverbs

Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today. – African Proverbs

If you live next to the cemetery, you can’t cry for everyone. – African Proverbs

Anxiety will not let you die of hunger. – African Proverbs

God conceals himself from the mind of man, but reveals himself to his heart. – African Proverbs

When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you. – African Proverbs

Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped. – African Proverbs

You want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. – African Proverb

A day without work, a night without sleep. – Albanian Proverbs

In nature, there’s no such thing as a lawn. – Albanian Proverbs

After shaking hands with a Greek, count your fingers. – Albanian Proverbs

Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan. – American Proverbs

After all is said and done, more is said than done. – American Proverbs

The opportunity of a lifetime is seldom so labeled. – American Proverbs

An ounce of proof is worth a ton of assertions. – American Proverbs

Boys will be boys. – American Proverbs

The road to the head lies through the heart. – American Proverbs

Do good and throw it in the sea. – Arab Proverb

Examine what is said, not who speaks. – Arab Proverb

Example is better than precept. – Arabic Proverbs

A sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to our steps as we walk the tightrope of life. – Arabic Proverbs

Trust God, but tie up your camel. – Arabic Proverbs

Throw a resourceful man into a river, and he’ll probably come out with a fish in his hand. – Arabic Proverbs

If you stop every time a dog barks, then your road will never end. – Arabic Proverbs

If man’s mouth were silent, then another part would speak. – Arabic Proverbs

Many wars have been caused by a single word. – Arabic Proverbs

How can the eater of dates prohibit the eating of dates? – Arabic Proverbs

It’s better to have a thousand enemies outside of the tent than one inside the tent. – Arabic Proverbs

Don’t pour away your water due to a mirage. – Arabic Proverbs

May your left ear wither and fall into your right pocket. – Arabic Proverbs

He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything. – Arabic Proverbs

A book is like a garden carried in the pocket. – Arabic Proverbs

Seek counsel of him who makes you weep, and not of him who makes you laugh. – Arabic Proverbs

The whisper of a pretty girl can be heard further than the roar of a lion. – Arabic Proverbs

If you wonder often, the gift of understanding will come. – Arapaho Proverbs

May our thoughts reach the sky where there is holiness. – Arapaho Proverbs

A dog that always barks gets little attention. – Argentine Proverbs

A man who develops himself is twice born. – Argentine Proverbs

If you chase two rabbits [at the same time], you will not catch either of them. – Armenian Proverbs

When someone’s wealth improves, their home’s columns suddenly appear crooked. – Armenian Proverbs

If you speak too much, you will learn too little. – Armenian Proverbs

There is no reason for war that reasonable men can’t settle. – Armenian Proverbs

On a rainy day, many people volunteer to water the chickens. – Armenian Proverbs

To be willing is only half the task. – Armenian Proverb

Rain beats a leopard’s skin, but it does not wash off the spots. – Ashanti Proverb

Those who lose dreaming are lost. – Australian Proverbs

The clash of ideas brings forth the spark of truth. – Australian Proverbs

We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love; and then we return home. – Australian Proverbs

A light is still a light, even though the blind man cannot see it. – Austrian Proverbs

Laughter is the remedy for 1001 illnesses. – Azerbaijani Proverbs

No man can paddle two canoes at the same time. – Bantu Proverb

Things used to be that way, now they’re this way, and who knows what they will be like later? – Basque Proverbs

A strong attack is half the battle won. – Basque Proverbs

The poor search for food, and the rich search for hunger. – Bengali / Bangladeshi Proverbs

You can have your nose broken easily if you put it in other people’s business. – Bengali / Bangladeshi Proverbs

The emotion felt by man in presence of nature certainly counts for something in the origin of religions. – Henri Bergson

On the battlefield, there is no distinction between upper and lower class. – Bhutanese Proverbs

You must first walk around a little before you can understand the distance from the valley to the mountain. – Bhutanese Proverbs

Clean your own yard first before asking others to clean theirs. – Bosnian & Herzegovinan Proverbs

Two things rule the world: reward and punishment. – Bosnian & Herzegovinan Proverbs

Someone who lies for you will also lie against you. – Bosnian & Herzegovinan Proverbs

A gentle word opens an iron gate. – Bulgarian Proverbs

A tree falls the way it leans. – Bulgarian Proverbs

If you haven’t been to two different bazaars, you don’t know the best value. – Burkinabe Proverbs

The fetus that fears criticism will never be born. – Burundi Proverbs

Don’t trust a hungry man to watch your rice. – Cambodian / Khmer Proverbs

By trying repeatedly, the monkey learns how to jump from the tree. – Cameroonian Proverbs

If the fight is tomorrow, why clench your fist today? – Cameroonian Proverbs

A man with too much ambition cannot sleep in peace. – Chad / Basutoland Proverbs

Don’t allow yesterday to spend up too much of today. – Cherokee Proverbs

Do not judge a person ‘til you have walked two moons in his moccasins. – Cheyenne Proverbs

Listening well is as powerful as talking well, and is also as essential to true conversation. – Chinese Proverbs

Do not believe that you will reach your destination without leaving the shore. – Chinese Proverbs

If you ask for directions rudely, you might end up many miles from your destination. – Chinese Proverbs

Listen to all, pluck a feather from every passing goose, but follow no one absolutely. – Chinese Proverbs

Better to be without a book than to believe a book entirely. – Chinese Proverbs

Cheat your conscience, and a whole life’s happiness is destroyed. – Chinese Proverbs

To do evil is to transgress the laws of Heaven. – Chinese Proverbs

He who gives away his belongings will slowly become a beggar. – Colombian Proverbs

He who does not like chattering woman will remain a bachelor. – Congo Proverbs

A day of hunger is not starvation. – Congo Proverbs

If you are too modest, you will go hungry. – Congo Proverbs

The teeth are smiling, but is the heart? – Congo Proverbs

You do not teach the paths of the forest to an old gorilla. – Congo Proverbs

If yuh ever find yurself in a hole, the first thin’ to do is stop diggin’. – Cowboy Proverbs

There’s two theories to arguin’ with a woman—and neither one works. – Cowboy Proverbs

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment. – Cowboy Proverbs

Timin’ has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance. – Cowboy Proverbs

Never ask a barber if he thinks yuh need a haircut. – Cowboy Proverbs

After weeks of beans and taters, even a change to taters and beans is good. – Cowboy Proverbs

When you’re trying’ somethin’ new, the fewer people that know about it, the better. – Cowboy Proverbs

It’s best to keep yer troubles pretty much to yerself, ‘cause half the people yu’d tell ‘em to won’t give a dang, and the other half will be glad to hear yu’ve got ‘em. – Cowboy Proverbs

The length of a conversation don’t tell nothin’ ‘bout the size of the intellect. – Cowboy Proverbs

It is easy for someone to talk about fasting when he has a full belly. – Croatian Proverbs

Seven sons of one mother, and each one of a different mind. – Cuban Proverbs

Every head is a world. – Cuban Proverbs

Brief encounters can result in long relationships. – Cuban Proverbs

When money talks, everyone else is silent. – Cuban Proverbs

How can you trust anyone who doesn’t know how to blush? – Cuban Proverbs

Life is short; but it barely takes a second to smile. – Cuban Proverbs

When the sun rises, it rises for everyone. – Cuban Proverb

Listen to what they say about others, and you will know what they say about you. – Cuban Proverbs

What is soon ripe is soon rotten. – Czech / Slovakian / Czechoslovakian Proverbs

The way to be safe is to never feel secure. – Czech / Slovakian / Czechoslovakian Proverbs

Only in water can you learn to swim. – Czech / Slovakian / Czechoslovakian Proverbs

The person who God shows a treasure to must dig it out himself. – Czech / Slovakian / Czechoslovakian Proverbs

Many a friend was lost through a joke, but none was ever gained so. – Czech / Slovakian / Czechoslovakian Proverbs

The big thieves hang the little ones. – Czech / Slovakian / Czechoslovakian Proverbs

Truth must be seasoned to make it palatable. – Danish Proverbs

Money is more eloquent than a dozen members of parliament. – Danish Proverbs

Many a man is a good friend but a bad neighbor. – Danish Proverbs

Better to ask twice than to lose your way once. – Danish Proverbs

You can’t take a cow from a man that has none. – Danish Proverbs

The best advice is found on the pillow. – Danish Proverbs

The road to a friend’s house is never long. – Danish Proverbs

It is hard to pay for bread that has been eaten. – Danish Proverbs

No man limps because another is hurt. – Danish Proverbs

He who leaps high must take a long run. – Danish Proverbs

Don’t sail out farther than you can row back. – Danish Proverb

Act in the valley so that you need not fear those who stand on the hill. – Danish Proverbs

A rainbow would be considered even more beautiful if it wasn’t free. – Dominican Proverbs

This world’s current nature is to celebrate the dead saints and persecute the living ones. – Dominican Proverbs

It’s not the load that kills—it’s the excessive load. – Dominican Proverbs

Wise people can’t answer the most foolish questions. – Dutch Proverbs

Skill and assurance form/are an invincible combination/couple. – Dutch Proverbs

A praying pirate is definitely a sign of danger. – Dutch Proverbs

Roasted pigeons will not fly into one’s mouth. – Dutch Proverbs

One cannot shoe a running horse. – Dutch Proverbs

You can’t hatch chickens from fried eggs. – Dutch Proverbs

Experience is a comb which nature gives to men when they are bald. – Eastern Proverb

He has his own brain—he can solve his own problems. – Egyptian Proverbs

He gains a good deal who loses a vain hope. – English Proverbs

Better to be safe than sorry. – English Proverbs

Actions speak louder than words. – English Proverbs

A good example is the best sermon. – English Proverbs

A change is as good as a rest. – English Proverbs

The work will teach you how to do it. – Estonian Proverbs

One woman never praises another. – Estonian Proverbs

A close friend can become a close enemy. – Ethiopian Proverbs

Evil enters like a needle and spreads like an oak tree. – Ethiopian Proverb

When the hyena is gone, the dog barks. – Ethiopian Proverbs

The fool is thirsty in the midst of water. – Ethiopian Proverbs

A close friend can become a close enemy. – Ethiopian Proverb

When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion. – Ethiopian proverb

Life is like this: sometimes sun, sometimes rain. – Fijian Proverbs

A bark leaves no marks if you don’t let the dog bite. – Finnish Proverbs

Being in love is like feeling the sun from both sides. – Finnish Proverbs

Money is a good servant but a bad master. – French Proverbs

Vanity has no greater foe than vanity. – French Proverbs

Promising and performing are two things. – French Proverbs

He is past preaching who does not care to do well. – French Proverbs

Better be envied than pitied. – French Proverbs

Life is half spent before one knows what life is. – French Proverbs

Good advice is often annoying, bad advice never is. – French Proverb

In love, there is always one who kisses and one who offers the cheek. – French Proverb

Bad friends will prevent you from having good friends. – Gabon Proverbs

A dimple on the chin, the devil within. – Gaelic Proverb

Whomever I love is the most beautiful. – Georgian Proverbs

No person can like all, or be liked by all. – German Proverbs

God gives the nuts, but he doesn’t crack them. – German Proverbs

“It has not” doesn’t mean “it will not.” – German Proverbs

Great pains cause us to forget the small ones. – German Proverbs

Your friend’s enemy might be your best friend. – German Proverbs

If you wish to be valued, make yourself scarce. – German Proverbs

The tongue kills a man and the tongue saves a man. – Ghanaian Proverbs

Only a fool tests the water’s depth with both feet. – Ghanaian Proverbs

One lie spoils a thousand truths. – Ghanaian Proverbs

Every story can be told in different ways. – Greek Proverbs

Many pupils have gained more wealth than their masters. – Greek Proverbs

Many know how to flatter; few know how to praise. – Greek Proverbs

In baiting a mousetrap with cheese, always leave room for the mouse. – Greek Proverbs

You cannot reason with a hungry belly; it has no ears. – Greek Proverbs

Young wood makes a hot fire. – Greek Proverbs

Wonder is the beginning of wisdom. – Greek Proverbs

There’s many a slip ‘twixt the cup and the lip. – Greek Proverbs

Before you score, you first must have a goal. – Greek Proverb

The heart that loves is always young. – Greek Proverb

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. – Greek Proverbs

Beyond the mountain is another mountain. – Haitian Proverbs

To speak French does not mean that you are smart. [French is seldom spoken in Haiti, and usually used to try to impress others] – Haitian Proverbs

A monkey never thinks her baby’s ugly. – Haitian Proverbs

The road to Eden [Heaven] is difficult, but the ways to Tophet [Hell] are easy. – Hebrew Proverbs

Don’t be too sweet, or else you’ll be eaten up; don’t be too bitter, or else you’ll be spitted out. – Hebrew Proverbs

Don’t trust someone who tells you all of his troubles and keeps you from all of his joys. – Hebrew Proverbs

There is no book that contains absolutely nothing bad, and there is no book that contains absolutely nothing good. – Hebrew Proverbs

If someone is coming to kill you, get up early and kill him first. – Hebrew Proverbs

A defendant’s confession is worth a hundred witnesses. – Hebrew Proverbs

A good son-in-law is like the acquisition of a new son; a bad one is like the loss of your daughter. – Hebrew Proverbs

Do not speak of secrets in a field that is full of little hills. – Hebrew Proverbs

The sun will set without thy assistance. – Hebrew Proverbs

… And in a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.” – Hillel, (Pirke Avot 2:6)

Diet cures more than the surgical knife. – Hindustani / Hindu Proverbs

Regularity is the best medicine. – Hindustani / Hindu Proverbs

No one can be a totally fair judge in his own case. – Hindustani / Hindu Proverbs

Dig your well before you are thirsty. – Hindustani / Hindu Proverbs

In a treeless country, the castor plant is a big tree. – Hindustani / Hindu Proverbs

The living things of the Earth depend on each other just like the limbs and organs of the body. – Hindustani / Hindu Proverbs

An elephant, no matter how skinny, is valuable. – Hindustani / Hindu Proverbs

True nobility is in being superior to your previous self. – Hindustani / Hindu Proverbs

Don’t be afraid to weep—it will free your mind from sad thoughts.Hopi Proverbs

You must live your life from start to finish; no one can do it for you.Hopi Proverbs

A habit is first a wanderer, then a guest, and finally the boss. – Hungarian Proverbs

It’s natural to have some disagreement between husband and wife. – Hungarian Proverbs

A bashful beggar will have an empty wallet. – Hungarian Proverbs

An ox remains an ox, even if driven to Vienna. – Hungarian Proverbs

A prudent man does not make the goat his gardener. – Hungarian Proverbs

A loan though old is not gift. – Hungarian Proverbs

Who is curious gets old quickly. – Hungarian Proverbs

When your neighbor’s wall breaks, your own is in danger. – Icelandic Proverbs

A man’s will can be his paradise, but it can also be his hell. – Icelandic Proverbs

Pissing in your shoes won’t keep your feet warm for very long. – Icelandic Proverbs

A sitting crow starves. – Icelandic Proverbs

Character is always corrupted by prosperity. – Icelandic Proverb

The baby has not been born yet, and yet you assert that his nose is like his grandfather’s! – Indian Proverbs

When a crow is killed by a storm, the fortuneteller says, “He died by my curse.” – Indian Proverbs

Even if fed milk, a snake will still emit poison. – Indian Proverbs

Pearls are worthless in the desert. – Indian Proverbs

To lend is to buy a quarrel. – Indian Proverbs

When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice. – Indian Proverbs

It is better to sit down than to stand, it is better to lie down than to sit, but death is the best of all. (About laziness) – Indian Proverbs

Do not blame God for having created the tiger, but thank him for not having given it wings. – Indian Proverbs

Call on God, but row away from the rocks. – Indian Proverbs

Where love reigns, the impossible may be attained. – Indian Proverb

Life is a bridge. Cross over it, but build no house on it. – Indian Proverbs

Nothing is difficult when you get used to it. – Indonesian Proverbs

Most people don’t announce their faults with a gong. – Indonesian Proverbs

Solved riddles look easy. – Iranian / Persian Proverbs

Necessity can change a lion into a fox. – Iranian / Persian Proverbs

The way a house is decorated will tell much about its owner. – Iranian / Persian Proverbs

Don’t just take love—experience it. – Iranian / Persian Proverbs

You can close the city gates, but you can’t close the people’s mouths. – Iranian / Persian Proverbs

All authors should prepare to encounter criticism.Iraqi Proverbs

Sometimes you must sacrifice your beard in order to save your head. – Iraqi Proverbs

A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures in the doctor’s book. – Irish Proverbs

It is a bad hen that does not scratch herself. – Irish Proverbs

It is a long road that has no turning. – Irish Proverbs

Age is honorable and youth is noble. – Irish Proverb

It is not a secret if it is known by three people. – Irish Proverbs

It is not fish until it is on the bank. – Irish Proverbs

It is sweet to drink but bitter to pay for. – Irish Proverbs

It is the good horse that draws its own cart. – Irish Proverbs

It is easier to threaten than to kill. – Italian Proverbs

He that will not strive in this world should not have come into it. – Italian Proverbs

Of future and contingent matters, we can have no definite knowledge. – Italian Proverbs

He who offends writes on sand, he who is offended on marble. – Italian Proverbs

Live and let live. – Italian Proverbs

If you can’t live longer, live deeper. – Italian Proverb

Poun ah fret cyaan pay ounce ah det. – Jamaican Proverbs

What good a educayshun if him got noh sens. – Jamaican Proverbs

Howdy an tenk yu noh broke noh skware. – Jamaican Proverbs

All kine ah fish eat man, but only shark get de blame. – Jamaican Proverbs

Yu shek man han, yu noh shek im heart. – Jamaican Proverbs

If you go to a donkey’s house, don’t talk about ears. – Jamaican Proverb

A frog in a well does not know the great sea. – Japanese Proverbs

You can’t see the whole sky through a bamboo tube. – Japanese Proverbs

Clear sky, cultivate; rainy, read. – Japanese Proverbs

A few kind words can warm three winter months. – Japanese Proverbs

Time spent laughing is time spent with the kami. – Japanese Proverbs

Fall seven times, stand up eight. – Japanese Proverb

Character can be built on daily routine. – Japanese Proverbs

The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour. – Japanese Proverb

When a father helps a son, both smile; but when a son must help his father, both cry. – Jewish Proverb

If God lived on earth, people would break his windows. – Jewish Proverb

Commit a sin twice and it will not seem a crime. – Jewish Proverb

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. – Jewish Proverb

He that can’t endure the bad will not live to see the good. – Jewish Proverb

Truth is the safest lie. – Jewish Proverb

Saving the mustard seeds in your hand might cause you to miss out on getting a watermelon. – Kashmir Proverbs

The healthy person experiences a healthy world. – Kashmir Proverbs

The message spoken to the daughter is often aimed at the daughter-in-law. – Kashmir Proverbs

The enemy you know is better than the one you don’t know. – Kenyan Proverbs

He who does not know one thing knows another. – Kenyan Proverbs

A man who uses force is afraid of reasoning. – Kenyan Proverb

Anyone who goes hungry for three days will be inclined to steal. – Korean Proverbs

Put something off for one day, and ten days will pass. – Korean Proverbs

Even if the sky falls on you, there is a hole you can escape from. – Korean Proverbs

Power lasts ten years; influence not more than a hundred. – Korean Proverb

Be swift if you are a hammer; be patient if you are an anvil. – Kurdish Proverbs

A good companion shortens the longest road. – Kurdish Proverbs

Dealing with yourself is harder than dealing with the rest of the world. – Kurdish Proverbs

Search yourself, and you will find God. – Kurdish Proverbs

It is better to be a male for one day than a female for ten. – Kurdish Proverbs

The satiated do not understand the concern of the hungry. – Kyrgyz Proverbs / Kirghiz

To the person who takes, six is not enough; to the person who gives, five is too much. – Kyrgyz Proverbs / Kirghiz

One who is extremely intelligent might turn crazy. – Kyrgyz Proverbs / Kirghiz

Rags to riches to rags. – Lancastrian Proverb

When one dog barks another will join it. – Latin Proverbs

Eat well, drink in moderation, and sleep sound, in these three good health abound. – Latin Proverbs

He makes his home where the living is best. – Latin Proverbs

Night is the mother of council. – Latin Proverbs

Nothing dries sooner than tears. – Latin Proverbs

Like a fish out of water. – Latin Proverbs

Who lies with dogs shall rise up with fleas. – Latin Proverbs

Truth will be out. – Latin Proverbs

Still waters run deep. – Latin Proverb

No matter how much you eat, save some seeds for sowing.Latvian Proverbs

If the fool has a hump, no one notices it; if the wise man has a pimple, everybody talks about it. (Livonian) – Latvian Proverbs

When the water rises, the fish eat the ants; when the water falls, the ants eat the fish. – Lao Proverbs

Love overlooks defects; hatred magnifies them. – Lebanese Proverbs

The person who knew you when you were young will seldom respect you as an adult. – Lebanese Proverbs

Some men build a wine cellar after only finding one grape. – Lebanese Proverbs

When you return from a trip, bring back something for your family—even if it is only a stone. – Lebanese Proverbs

If anyone is not willing to accept your point of view, try to see his point of view. – Lebanese Proverbs

Lower your voice and strengthen your argument. – Lebanese Proverbs

Do not look where you fell; look where you slipped. – Liberian Proverbs

Gossiping about the enemy can result in a war. – Liberian Proverbs

Every head must do its own thinking. – Liberian Proverbs

Each trip gives you its own uniqueness. – Libyan Proverbs

If everyone thought the same way, no goods would ever be sold. – Libyan Proverbs

If my neighbor is happy, my own work will go easier, too. – Macedonian Proverbs

Anger is as a stone cast into a wasp’s nest. – Malabar Proverb

While the sun is shining, bask in it! – Malawi Proverbs

If you are too shy to ask, you might lose your way. – Malaysian Proverbs

When you go away, the conversation changes. – Malaysian Proverbs

If you plant grass, you won’t get rice. – Malaysian Proverbs

No matter how big the whale is, a tiny harpoon can kill him. – Malaysian Proverbs

To truly love your wife, leave her alone every once in a while. – Malaysian Proverbs

No matter how many house chores you complete, there are always more to be done. – Mali Proverbs

If the rabbit is your enemy, admit he can sprint fast. – Mali Proverbs

He who thinks about his own grief forgets about the grief of others. – Maltese Proverbs

The law is not made for the rich. – Maltese Proverbs

Enjoy yourself, for there is nothing in the world we can call our own. – Maltese Proverbs

The rat who only knows about one hole will soon be caught by the cat. – Mexican Proverbs

Since excuses were invented, no one is ever in the wrong. – Mexican Proverbs

He who speaks too much is tiresome; he who speaks to little is boring. – Mexican Proverbs

He who lingers around will hear bad things spoken about him. – Mexican Proverbs

He who follows his own advice must take the consequences. – Mexican Proverbs

If you want to live in peace, you mustn’t tell everything you know, or judge everything you see. – Mexican Proverbs

If you don’t honor your wife, you are dishonoring yourself. – Mexican Proverbs

It is easier to catch an escaped horse than to take back an escaped word. – Mongolian Proverbs

Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone. – Moroccan Proverb

He who does not travel, does not know the value of men. – Moorish Proverb

Trust in Allah, but tie your camel. – Muslim Proverb

Don’t use up your arrows before you go to battle. – Myanmar / Burmese Proverbs

Sparrows who mimic peacocks are likely to break a thigh. – Myanmar / Burmese Proverbs

If you really want honesty, don’t ask questions you don’t really want answers to. – Myanmar / Burmese Proverbs

If you take big paces you leave big spaces. – Myanmar / Burmese Proverbs

The cat and the mouse can’t be neighbors for long. – Namibian Proverbs

The zebra told the white horse, “I am white,” and told the black horse, “I am actually black.” – Namibian Proverbs

Even a small mouse has anger. – Native American Proverbs

A spear is a big responsibility. – Navajo Proverbs

Opportunities come, but do not linger. – Nepalese Proverbs

A house full of people is filled with different points of view. – New Zealander Proverbs

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows will fall behind you. – New Zealander Proverb

There is more than one way to achieve a goal. – New Zealander Proverbs

Take time to enjoy life’s roses. – New Zealander Proverbs

Frowning and fierceness do not prove manliness. – Nigerian Proverbs (Yoruba)

Rain does not make friends with anybody—it falls on any person it meets outside. – Nigerian Proverbs

The house roof fights the rain, but he who is sheltered ignores it. – Nigerian Proverbs

Being happy in one’s home is better than being a chief. – Nigerian Proverbs

You know who you love, but you can’t know who loves you. – Nigerian Proverbs

Until lions have their own historians, accounts of the hunt will always celebrate the hunter. – Nigerian Proverbs

A wealthy man will always have followers. – Nigerian Proverbs

It takes a whole village to raise a child. – Nigerian Proverbs (Yoruba)

Character is religion. – Nigerian Proverbs (Yoruba)

If you say yes, your [personal] God will also say yes. – Nigerian Proverbs (Igbo)

When the mouse laughs at the cat, there is a hole nearby. – Nigerian Proverbs

When the music changes, so does the dance. – Nigerian Proverbs

You may go where you want, but you cannot escape yourself. – Norwegian Proverbs

Afterthought is good, but forethought is better. – Norwegian Proverbs

Bad is called good when worse happens. – Norwegian Proverbs

Sometimes I go about pitying myself, and all the time
I am being carried on great wings across the sky. – Ojibway Proverbs

Even if you hide yourself from the world, don’t lose sight of your real nature. – Okinawan Proverbs

Respect old people, and be gentle with children. – Okinawan Proverbs

One who eats plain food is healthy. – Okinawan Proverbs

Ask questions from your heart, and you will receive answers from your heart. – Omaha Proverbs

It is easy to show braveness from a safe distance. – Omaha Proverbs

Live near water, and ask not about sustenance. – Omani Proverbs

Do not talk Arabic in the house of a Moor. – Oriental Proverb

If you like what you are doing, nothing is too far and no job is too hard. – Philippine / Filipino / Tagalog Proverbs

Avoiding danger is not cowardice. – Philippine / Filipino / Tagalog Proverbs

Courage without discretion is no good. – Philippine / Filipino / Tagalog Proverbs

Alertness and courage are life’s shield. – Philippine / Filipino / Tagalog Proverbs

No matter how much care is taken, someone will always be misled. – Philippine / Filipino / Tagalog Proverbs

It is easier to dam a river than to stop the flow of gossip. – Philippine / Filipino / Tagalog Proverbs

The child who is given everything he asks for usually won’t succeed in life. – Philippine / Filipino / Tagalog Proverbs

Even if the truth is buried for centuries, it will eventually come out and thrive. – Philippine / Filipino / Tagalog Proverbs

A good character is real beauty that never fades. – Philippine / Filipino / Tagalog Proverbs

The person who makes an error should be taught, and not made fun of. – Philippine / Filipino / Tagalog Proverbs

If you buy things you don’t need, you will soon be selling things you do need. – Philippine / Filipino / Tagalog Proverbs

God promised me a fur coat, and I am already sweating. – Polish Proverbs

The news of a good deed travels far, but the news of a bad one travels even farther. – Polish Proverbs

Truth can take you everywhere…including jail! – Polish Proverbs

The devil seduced Eve in Italian. Eve mislead Adam in Bohemian. The Lord scolded them both in German. Then the angel drove them from paradise in Hungarian. – Polish Proverbs

Did hogs feed here or did Lithuanians have a feast here? – Polish Proverbs

Better no doctor at all than three. – Polish Proverbs

Love enters a man through his eyes, woman through her ears. – Polish Proverbs

If you love him, don’t lend him. – Polish Proverbs

He who is well prepared has already won half of the battle. – Portuguese (Portugal) Proverbs

Not much can be done when everyone is giving orders. – Portuguese (Portugal) Proverbs

He who serves two masters has to lie to one. – Portuguese (Portugal) Proverbs

Never cut what can be untied. – Portuguese (Portugal) Proverbs

The only good thing that comes from the east is the sun. – Portuguese (Portugal) Proverbs

A house without a dog or a cat is the house of a scoundrel. – Portuguese Proverb

Change yourself and fortune will change. – Portuguese Proverb

Never sleep while your meat is cooking on the fire. – Pueblo Proverbs

Do not fear a stain that disappears with water – .Puerto Rican Proverbs

What might not happen in a year might happen in an instant. – Puerto Rican Proverbs

The journey is just as important as the destination. – Roma / Rom / Gypsy Proverbs

The dog that trots about finds a bone. – Roma / Rom / Gypsy Proverbs

We are all wanders of this earth; our hearts are full of wonder and our souls are full of dreams. – Roma / Rom / Gypsy Proverbs

May you wander over the face of the earth forever, never sleep twice in the same bed, never drink water twice from the same well, and never cross the same river twice in a year. – Gypsy Curse

After the war, many heroes present themselves. – Romanian Proverbs

Without other people’s companionship, even paradise would be an unlikable place. – Romanian Proverbs

Chooses a wife to please yourself, not others. – Romanian Proverbs

The eyes have one language everywhere. – Romanian Proverbs

Better late than never. – Romanian Proverbs

The blessing of having many children has never broken a man’s roof. – Romanian Proverbs

If you wish to die young, make your physician your heir. – Romanian Proverbs

Take thy thoughts to bed with thee, for the morning is wiser than the evening. – Russian Proverbs

There is no shame in not knowing; the shame lies in not finding out. – Russian Proverb

A dog is wiser than a woman; it does not bark at its master. – Russian Proverbs

A single Russian hair outweighs half a Pole. – Russian Proverbs

An enemy will agree, but a friend will argue. – Russian Proverbs

Do not be born good or handsome, but be born lucky. – Russian Proverbs

He lied like an eyewitness. – Russian Insult

In the birds’ court, a cockroach never wins his case. – Rwandan Proverbs

You can outrun what is running after you, but not what is running inside of you. – Rwandan Proverbs

If you are building something and a nail breaks, should you stop building altogether, or should you change the nail? – Rwandan Proverbs

Work is good, as long as you don’t forget to live. – Rwandan Proverbs

Better to prevent than regret. – Salvadorian / Salvadoran Proverbs

In every generation there are some outstanding chiefs. – Samoan Proverbs

A careless person will be taken by surprise by his observant enemy. – Samoan Proverbs

The person with burnt fingers asks for tongs. – Samoan Proverbs

It is useless to shake the branch that bears no fruit. – Samoan Proverbs

Let each person do his share of the work. – Samoan Proverbs

Control your emotion or it will control you. – Samurai Proverbs

The greatest hero is the person who controls his desires. – Sanskrit Proverbs

Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow is but a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to This Day. – Sanskrit Proverb

You can’t cook one half of a chicken and expect the other half to lay eggs. – Sanskrit Proverbs

You cannot purchase friendship—you have to do your part to make it. – Sauk Proverbs

Look at your own moccasin tracks before pronouncing someone else’s faults. – Sauk Proverbs

Rather spoil your joke than lose your friend. – Scottish / Scotch Proverbs

Please yourself and you’ll please somebody. – Scottish / Scotch Proverbs

Better to bend than to break. – Scottish / Scotch Proverbs

Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead. – Scottish / Scotch Proverbs

Many a good tale is spoiled in the telling. – Scottish / Scotch Proverbs

We’ll never know the worth of water till the well go dry. – Scottish / Scotch Proverbs

Never marry for money. Ye’ll borrow it cheaper. – Scottish / Scotch Proverbs

A penny saved is a penny gained. – Scottish / Scotch Proverbs

Better wear out shoes than sheets. – Scottish / Scotch Proverbs

He that winna be ruled by the rudder maun be ruled by the rock. – Scottish / Scotch Proverbs

Before leaving your host, give him a little present—it will serve as a little courtesy, and will not offend. – Seneca Proverbs

The more often you ask how much farther you have to go, the longer your quest will feel. – Seneca Proverbs

If you wait for tomorrow, tomorrow comes. If you don’t wait for tomorrow, tomorrow comes. – Senegal Proverbs

He may say that he loves you, wait and see what he does for you. – Senegal Proverbs

We won the war, but we lost peace. – Serbian & Montenegrin Proverbs

Believing is easier than investigating. – Serbian & Montenegrin Proverbs

Complain to someone who can help you. – Serbian & Montenegrin Proverbs

You are not being honest if you burn your tongue and don’t tell everyone else the soup is hot. – Serbian & Montenegrin Proverbs

Some people are smart but not wise. – Shoshone Proverbs

Where there is a sea, there are pirates. – Singaporean / Malay Proverbs

The person who can see a house in China is unaware of an elephant on his nose. – Singaporean / Malay Proverbs

The turtle lays thousands of eggs without anyone knowing, but when the hen lays an egg, the whole country is informed. – Malay Proverb

Though a tree grow ever so high, the falling leaves return to the ground. – Malay Proverb

When the dogs bark at the moon, the moon is not brought down because of it. – Sinhala Proverbs

When a man moves from nature, his heart becomes hard. – Sioux Proverbs

True peace between nations will only happen when there is true peace within people’s souls. – Sioux Proverbs

Speak the truth, but leave immediately after. – Slovenian Proverb

Let not the tongue utter what the head must pay for. – Spanish Proverbs

Though the speaker be a fool, let the hearer be wise. – Spanish Proverbs

He who has no shame has no conscience. – Spanish Proverbs

What does not happen in a year may happen in a moment. – Spanish Proverbs

Tomorrow’s remedy will not ward off the evil of today. – Spanish Proverbs

Don’t believe what you see, but only what I tell you. – Spanish Proverbs

Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you. – Spanish Proverb

Do not rejoice at my grief, for when mine is old, yours will be new. – Spanish Proverb

A large chair does not make a king. – Sudanese Proverb

When a pickpocket sees a saint, all he sees are his pockets. – Sufi Proverbs

Don’t cross the stream to find water. – Swedish Proverbs

Don’t throw away an old bucket until you know the new one holds water. – Swedish Proverbs

Those who want to sing will always find a song. – Swedish Proverbs

Advice should be viewed from behind. – Swedish Proverbs

What breaks in a moment may take years to mend. – Swedish Proverbs

Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow. – Swedish Proverb

One should go invited to a friend in good fortune, and uninvited in misfortune. – Swedish Proverbs

Sometimes you must be silent in order to be heard. – Swiss Proverbs

The night rinses what the day has soaped. – Swiss Proverbs

A small house is enough room for a thousand friends. – Syrian Proverbs

It takes sweat to work, but only saliva to criticize. – Taiwanese Proverbs

A husband and wife often fight intensely at one moment, and then kiss intensely at the next moment. – Taiwanese Proverbs

A beautiful person might not have a beautiful life. – Taiwanese Proverbs

Some prefer liquor, others prefer tofu, and some even like rotten salmon. – Taiwanese Proverbs

Greed will cause pain. – Taiwanese Proverbs

If someone transports dung and does not eat it, don’t conclude that he is an honest person. – Taiwanese Proverbs

A good husband might have a bad wife, and a bad wife might have a good husband. – Tamil Proverbs

Little by little, a little becomes a lot. – Tanzanian Proverbs

Help me during the flood, and I will help you during the drought. – Tanzanian Proverbs

The sweetness of food doesn’t last long, but the sweetness of good words does. – Thai Proverbs

In a battle between elephants, the ants get squashed. – Thai Proverb

Who can say for sure that one will live to see tomorrow? – Tibetan Proverbs

Landing a single punch on your enemies nose is more satisfying than hearing well-intentioned advice from your elders. – Tibetan Proverbs

Spreading the news is also multiplying it. – Tibetan Proverbs

Friendship is a furrow in the sand. – Tongan Proverb

When somebody comes to you and shows you respect, serve him your dinner and make his bed. – Tunisian Proverbs

Call someone “master,” and he’ll sell you at an auction. – Tunisian Proverbs

Better to blush than to keep the concern in your heart. – Tunisian Proverbs

The enemy of your belly: 40 years. [If you take away someone’s food or livlihood, he’ll hold it against you for 40 years.) – Tunisian Proverbs

By telling the truth, your head will be cracked. – Tunisian Proverbs

Pretend you are crazy, and you will survive. – Tunisian Proverbs

In dealing with a powerful person, either be nice to him, avoid him, or allow him to speak without answering him. – Tunisian Proverbs

If you see someone riding a bamboo-cane/log, tell him “What a lovely horse!” [Allow others to enjoy their own fantasies] – Tunisian Proverbs

You hate me, but God will remember me. – Tunisian Proverbs

Those who flee from taxes and rent flee from selling and buying. – Tunisian Proverbs

He who builds a mill must also have a bell. – Tunisian Proverbs

Better to wait patiently [for the real] than rush into a thing of illusion. – Tunisian Proverbs

A thirsty person will accept polluted water. – Tunisian Proverbs

A bad year will pass; a bad mind will not pass. – Tunisian Proverbs

Though I am rich, I still enjoy receiving gifts. – Tunisian Proverbs

Everyone lives—the person with one coat, the person with two, and even the person with none.

If the time does not suit you, suit yourself to the time. – Turkish Proverbs

Baghdad is not remote for a lover. – Turkish Proverbs

Few deserve a happy life. – Turkish Proverbs

One eats while another watches—that is how revolutions are begun. – Turkish Proverbs

Death is a black camel that lies down at every door. Sooner or later you must ride the camel. – Turkish Proverbs

There is not a single season without fruit. – Turkish Proverbs

If you search for a faultless woman, you’ll remain a bachelor. – Turkish Proverbs

Black as hell, strong as death, sweet as love. (About coffee.) – Turkish Proverbs

An Englishman will burn his bed to catch a flea. – Turkish Proverbs

A man does not seek his luck, luck seeks its man. – Turkish Proverbs

No rose without a thorn, or a love without a rival. – Turkish Proverbs

Measure a thousand times and cut once. – Turkish Proverb

A man does not seek his luck; luck seeks its man. – Turkish Proverb

If a guest doesn’t want to stay, it’s better to let him go. – Uighur Proverbs

Who do I to sue for my own faults? – Uighur Proverbs

If the boss is full, no one will care if the slave is hungry. – Uighur Proverbs

The hunter who is tracking an elephant does not stop to throw stones at birds. – Ugandan Proverbs

The laughter of a child is the light of a house. – Ugandan Proverbs

No matter how hard you try, you’ll never get milk out of a bull. – Ukrainian Proverbs

The buffalo that arrives late will have to drink muddy water and eat dry grass. – Vietnamese Proverbs

When you eat, it’s vegetables; when you’re sick, it’s medicine. – Vietnamese Proverbs

A spoon does not know the taste of soup, nor a learned fool the taste of wisdom. – Welsh Proverb

Have a horse of your own and then you may borrow another’s. – Welsh Proverb

May the grass grow at your door and the fox build his nest on your hearthstone.
May the light fade from your eyes, so you never see what you love.
May your own blood rise against you, and the sweetest drink you take be the bitterest cup of sorrow.
May you die without benefit of clergy;
May there be none to shed a tear at your grave, and may the hearthstone of hell be your best bed forever. – Traditional Wexford Curse

An angry man is not fit to pray. – Yiddish Proverbs

The girl who can’t dance says the band can’t play. – Yiddish Proverbs

The innkeeper loves the drunkard, but not for a son-in-law. – Yiddish Proverbs

To be rich is not everything, but it certainly helps. – Yiddish Proverbs

The truth is not always what we want to hear. – Yiddish Proverbs

A man should live if only to satisfy his curiosity. – Yiddish Proverbs

Words should be weighed, not counted. – Yiddish Proverb

Your health comes first; you can always hang yourself later. – Yiddish Proverbs

Your neighbor’s apples are the sweetest. – Yiddish Proverbs

Everyone is kneaded out of the same dough, but not baked in the same oven. – Yiddish Proverb

The jay bird don’t rob his own nest. – West Indies Proverb

If you understand, things are just as they are. If you do not understand, things are just as they are. – Zen Proverbs

The most beautiful fig may contain a worm. – Zulu Proverb

A fault confessed is half redressed. – Zulu Proverb

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

Procrastination is the thief of time. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

Pigs might fly, but they are most unlikely birds. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

Little pitchers have big ears. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

If two men ride a horse, one must ride behind. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

The devil looks after his own. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

Tomorrow never comes. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

While the cat’s away, the mice can play. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

With foxes we must play the fox. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

Patience is the best medicine. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

Every ass loves to hear himself bray. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

Evil is sooner believed than good. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

But a daughter’s a daughter the rest of your life. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

A thief believes everybody steals. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

As mad as a March hare. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

Clouds gather before a storm. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

Children should be seen and not heard. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

Curiosity killed the cat. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

As proud as a peacock. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

Between the devil and the deep blue sea. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

A cat has nine lives. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

A forest is in an acorn. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

Tell the truth and shame the devil. – Proverb of Unknown Origin

As the best wine makes the sharpest vinegar, the truest lover may turn into the worst enemy. – Proverb of Unknown Origin