What is a proverb?
A
proverb is a short, pithy saying that expresses a traditionally held truth or piece
of advice, based on common sense or experience.
Nothing
defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the element of language
that best encapsulates a society's values and beliefs is its proverbs.
This
graphic shows the words that are used in English proverbs, with the size of
each word indicating how often it occurs.
There
are some proverbs of different cultures:
1. The old horse
in the stable still yearns to run. – Asian Proverb
2.
Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone
– Moroccan Proverb
3.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day;
teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. – Asian Proverb
4.
Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man
healthy, wealthy and wise. – English Proverb
5.
Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and
you weep alone. – English Proverb
6.
A tree is known by its fruit. – Southern
African Proverb
7.
A monkey in silk is a monkey no less. –
American Proverb
8.
Even a small star shines in the darkness. –
Finnish Proverb
9.
The path is made by walking. – African Proverb
10.
There is no shame in not knowing; the shame lies
in not finding out. – Russian Proverb
11.
A beautiful thing is never perfect. – Egyptian
Proverb
12.
Good advice is often annoying, bad advice never
is. – French Proverb
13.
Where love reigns, the impossible may be
attained. – Indian Proverb
14.
Before you score, you first must have a goal. –
Greek Proverb
15.
A bad worker blames his tools. – Australian
Proverb
16.
Don’t sail out farther than you can row back. –
Danish Proverb
17.
An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an
army of lions led by a sheep – Arabic Proverb
18.
After the game, the king and pawn go into the
same box. – Italian Proverb
19.
Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is
half a sorrow. – Swedish Proverb
20.
Words should be weighed, not counted. – Yiddish
Proverb
21.
Do good and throw it in the sea. – Arabic
Proverb
22.
Truth is more valuable if it takes you a few
years to find it. – French Proverb
23.
A loose tooth will not rest until it’s pulled
out. – African Proverb
24.
Drop by drop you break the rock – Italian
Proverb
25. The tree often
hides the forest – French Proverb
26.
Do not push the river, it will flow itself –
Polish Proverb
27.
Measure a thousand times and cut once. –
Turkish Proverb
28.
Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you. –
Spanish Proverb
29.
If you take big paces, you leave big spaces. –
Burmese Proverb
30.
Turn your face toward the sun and the shadows
fall behind you. – Maori Proverb
31.
Better little than too little – Cameroonian
Proverb
32.
Tell me who your friends are, so I can tell you
who you are – Bulgarian Proverb
33.
Don’t count your chickens before they’re
hatched. – Australian Proverb
34. To be willing
is only half the task. – Armenian Proverb
35.
When the sun rises, it rises for everyone. –
Cuban Proverb
36.
No man can paddle two canoes at the same time.
– Bantu Proverb
37.
Age is honorable and youth is noble. – Irish
Proverb
38.
The tree with most leaves will not necessarily
produce juicy fruit. – Brazilian Proverb
39.
A mother understands what a child does not say
– Yiddish Proverb
Other universal proverbs:
1.
If
you can't be good, be careful
2.
If
you can't beat them, join them
3.
If
you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen Link to proverb
4.
If
you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas
5.
If
you pay peanuts, you get monkeys
6.
Love
of money is the root of all evil Link to proverb
7.
Love
is blind Link to proverb
8.
Love
makes the world go round
9.
Love
thy neighbor as thyself Link to proverb
10. Love will find a way
11. Never give a sucker an even break Link to proverb
12. Never go to bed on an argument
13. Never judge a book by its cover
14. Never let the sun go down on your anger
15. Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away.
16. Once a thief, always a thief
17. Once bitten, twice shy
18. One good turn deserves another Link to proverb
19. One man's meat is another man's poison Link to proverb
20. One might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb
21. One law for the rich and another for the poor
22. The pen is mightier than sword Link to proverb
23. The price of liberty is eternal vigilance
24. The proof of the pudding is in the eating
25. The road to hell is paved with good intentions Link to proverb
26. The shoemaker's son always goes barefoot Link to proverb
27. You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs
28. You can't make bricks without straw
29. You can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
30. You can't take it with you [when you die]
31. Attack is the best form of defense
32. Bad money drives out good
33. Bad news travels fast Link to proverb
34. Bad penny always turns up
35. Barking dog never bites
36. Be careful what you wish for
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