Language/Multiple-languages/Culture/Similar-Sayings

Saying with Similar Meanings in Many languages

Hi polyglots 😊

This is the perfect lesson for polyglots! You'll be able to learn sayings with similar meanings in many languages!

In the list below, you'll find idioms, proverbs & saying with similar meanings in different languages.

Feel free to edit the tables below if some saying or languages are missing.

This page has a child: Language/Multiple-languages/Culture/Common-Allusions.

[In progress]

Achieve two goals with one action

language	saying	literal meaning
Afrikaans	twee vlieë met een klap slaan	hit two flies in one slap
Arabic	ضرب عصفورين بحجر واحد‎	hit two sparrows with one stone
Armenian	մի գնդակով երկու նապաստակ խփել	hit two rabbits with one bullet
Azerbaijani	bir güllə ilə iki dovşan vurmaq	hit two rabbits with one bullet
Bengali	এক ঢিলে দুই পাখি মারা	hit two birds with one stone
Breton	lazhañ div voualc'h gant ur maen	kill two birds with one stone
Bulgarian	да убиеш с един куршум два заека	kill two rabbits with one bullet
Catalan	matar dos pardals d'un tret	kill two birds with one stone
Central Kurdish	بە بەردێک دوو چۆلەکە بکوژە‎	kill two frogs with one stone
Chinese	一箭雙鵰／一箭双雕	one arrow, two eagles
Chinese	一石二鳥／一石二鸟	one stone, two birds
Czech	zabít dvě mouchy jednou ranou	kill two flies with one hit
Danish	slå to fluer med et smæk	hit two flies with one slap
Dutch	twee vliegen in één klap slaan	hit two flies in one slap
English	kill two birds with one stone	kill two birds with one stone
Esperanto	trafi du celojn per unu ŝtono	hit two targets with one stone
Estonian	tapma kaks kärbest ühe hoobiga	kill two flies in one slap
Finnish	tappaa kaksi kärpästä yhdellä iskulla	kill two flies in one slap
French	faire d’une pierre deux coups	use a stone for two hits
Georgian	ერთი გასროლით ორი კურდღლის მოკვლა	kill two rabbits with one shot
German	zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen	hit two flies in one slap
Hebrew	לתפוס שתי ציפורים במכה אחת	catch two birds with one stone
Hungarian	két legyet üt egy csapásra	kill two birds with one stone
Icelandic	slá tvær flugur í einu höggi	hit two flies in one slap
Indonesian	sekali mendayung, dua-tiga pulau terlampaui	reach two-three islands with one rowing stroke
Irish	dhá éan a mharú leis an urchar amháin	kill two birds with one shot
Italian	prendere due piccioni con una fava	catch two pigeons with one fava bean
Iranian Persian	با یک تیر دو نشان زدن‎	hitting two targets with one arrow
Japanese	一石二鳥	one stone, two birds
Kazakh	бір оқпен екі қоян ату	kill two birds with one shot
Korean	일석이조	one stone, two birds
Latin	Duo parietes de eadem fidelia dealbare	whitewash two walls out of the same bucket
Latvian	nošaut divus zaķus ar vienu šāvienu	shoot two bunnies with one shot
Lithuanian	vienu šūviu nušauti du zuikius	shoot two rabbits with one shot
Luxembourgish	zwou Mécken op ee Schlag kréien	kill two birds with one stone
Malay	sambil menyelam minum air	submerge and drink at the same time
Mongolian	нэг сумаар хоёр туулай буудах	kill two hares with one bullet
Modern Greek	μ' ένα σμπάρο δυο τρυγόνια	with one shot, two pigeons
Norwegian Bokmål	slå to fluer i en smekk	hit two flies in one slap
Norwegian Nynorsk	slå to fluger i ein smekk	hit two flies in one slap
Polish	upiec dwie pieczenie na jednym ogniu	cook two roasts on one fire
Portuguese	matar dois coelhos com uma cajadada só	kill two rabbits with a single crook blow
Romanian	omorî două muște dintr-o lovitură	hit two flies in one slap
Romanian	împușca doi iepuri dintr-un foc	kill two rabbits with one bullet
Russian	убить одним выстрелом двух зайцев	kill two hares with one shot
Serbo-Croatian	убити једним ударцем двије мухе / ùbiti jèdnīm ùdārcem dvȉje mùhe	hit two flies in one slap
Sinhala	එක ගලෙන් කුරුල්ලෝ දෙන්නයි	two birds by one stone
Spanish	matar dos pájaros de un tiro	kill two birds with one shot
Swedish	slå två flugor i en smäll	hit two flies in one slap
Tamil	ఒకేదెబ్బకు రెండు పిట్టలు	two birds with one stone
Thai	ยิงปืนนัดเดียวได้นกสองตัว	shoot two birds with one stone
Turkish	bir taşla iki kuş vurmak	hit two birds with one stone
Ukrainian	вбити двох зайців одним пострілом	kill two hares in one shot
Vietnamese	nhất tiễn song điêu	one arrow, two eagles
Vietnamese	một mũi tên trúng hai đích	two targets with one arrow
Welsh	lladd dau aderyn â'r un garreg	kill two birds with one stone
Yiddish	שיסן צוויי האזן מיט איין שאס‎	shoot two hares with one shot

Achievements require patience

language	saying	literal meaning
Amharic	ሮም፡በአንድ፡ቀን፡አልተገነባችም	Rome wasn't built in a day
Arabic	لم تبن روما في يوم	Rome wasn't built in a day
Bulgarian	хубавите неща стават бавно	good things happen slowly
Chinese	冰凍三尺，非一日之寒／冰冻三尺，非一日之寒	three chǐ (~3×30 centimetres) of ice is not the result of one day's coldness
Chinese	羅馬不是一日建成的／罗马不是一日建成的	Rome wasn't built in a day
Danish	Rom blev ikke bygget på en dag	Rome wasn't built in a day
Dutch	Keulen en Aken zijn niet op één dag gebouwd	Cologne and Aachen were not built in a day
Dutch	Rome is niet op één dag gebouwd	Rome wasn't built in a day
English	Rome wasn't built in a day	Rome wasn't built in a day
Esperanto	ne en unu tago elkreskis Kartago	Carthage was not grown in a day
Estonian	Roomat ei ehitatud ühe päevaga	Rome wasn't built in a day
Finnish	ei Roomaakaan päivässä rakennettu	not even Rome was built in a day
French	Paris ne s'est pas fait en un jour	Paris wasn't built in a day
French	Rome ne s'est pas faite en un jour	Rome wasn't built in a day
Galician	Roma non se fixo nun día	Rome wasn't built in a day
German	Rom ist nicht an einem Tag erbaut worden	Rome wasn't built in a day
Gujarati	ઉતાવળે આંબા ન પાકે	mangoes should not ripen in haste
Hebrew	רומא לא נבנתה ביום אחד‎	Rome wasn't built in a day
Hungarian	Róma sem egy nap alatt épült	Rome wasn't built in a day either
Icelandic	Róm var ekki byggð á einum degi	Rome wasn't built in a day
Ido	Roma ne konstruktesis dum un dio	Rome wasn't built in a day
Indonesian	Roma tidak dibangun dalam sehari	Rome wasn't built in a day
Irish	i ndiaidh a chéile a thógtar na caisleáin	the castles are built one after another
Italian	Roma non fu fatta in un giorno	Rome wasn't built in a day
Japanese	ローマは一日にして成らず	Rome wasn't built in a day
Korean	로마는 하루 아침에 이루어지지 않았다	Rome wasn't built in a day
Latin	Rōma nōn ūnō diē aedificāta est	Rome wasn't built in a day
Lithuanian	Roma nebuvo pastatyta per dieną	Rome wasn't built in a day
Modern Greek	η Ρώμη δε χτίστηκε σε μια μέρα	Rome wasn't built in a day
Norwegian Bokmål	Rom ble ikke bygget på en dag	Rome wasn't built in a day
Norwegian Nynorsk	Roma vart ikkje bygd på éin dag	Rome wasn't built in a day
Polish	nie od razu Kraków zbudowano	Cracow wasn't built in a day
Polish	nie od razu Rzym zbudowano	Rome wasn't built in a day
Portuguese	Roma e Pavia não se fizeram num dia	Rome wasn't built in a day
Russian	Москва не сразу строилась	Moscow wasn’t built at once
Scottish Gaelic	chan ann leis a' chiad bhuille a thuiteas a' chraobh	it is not with the first strike that the tree will fall
Spanish	no se ganó Zamora en una hora	Zamora was not won in an hour
Spanish	Roma no se hizo en un día	Rome wasn't built in a day
Swedish	Rom byggdes inte på en dag	Rome wasn't built in a day
Thai	กรุงโรมไม่ได้สร้างเสร็จในวันเดียว	Rome wasn't built in a day
Turkish	sabreden derviş muradına ermiş	the patient dervish achieved his wish
Ukrainian	Київ не відразу збудований	Kyiv wasn't built immediately
Ukrainian	Рим не одразу збудований	Rome wasn't built immediately
Welsh	nid mewn undydd y codwyd Rhufain	Rome wasn't built in a day

Aged woman dressed in young clothings

language	saying	literal meaning
Dutch	van achteren lyceum, van voren museum	from behind like grammar school, from the front like museum
English	mutton dressed as lamb	mutton dressed as lamb
Finnish	karitsaksi pukeutunut lammas	mutton dressed as lamb
German	von hinten Lyzeum, von vorne Museum	from behind like grammar school, from the front like museum
Polish	z tyłu liceum, z przodu muzeum	from behind like grammar school, from the front like museum

Appearance makes a difference

language	saying	literal meaning
Afrikaans	die vere maak die voël	the feathers make the bird
Danish	klæder skaber folk	clothes make the man
Dutch	kleren maken de man	clothes make the man
Chinese	人靠衣裝，佛靠金裝／人靠衣装，佛靠金装	human relies on clothes, Buddha relies on the clothing of gold
English	fine feathers make fine birds	fine feathers make fine birds
Finnish	vaatteet tekevät miehen	clothes make the man
French	la belle plume fait le bel oiseau	the beautiful feathers make the beautiful bird
German	Kleider machen Leute	clothes make the man
Irish	eochair uaisle éadach	clothes is the key to nobility
Korean	옷이 날개다	clothes make the man
Polish	jak cię widzą, tak cię piszą	how they see you is how they perceive you
Russian	одежда красит человека	tailor makes the man

Appearance makes a difference not

language	saying	literal meaning
Arabic	ا يمكنك الحكم على كتاب من غلافه	you can't judge a book by its cover
Chinese	人不可貌相	man is not to be judged by the appearance
Czech	šaty nedělají člověka	clothes don't make the man
Danish	man skal ikke skue hunden på hårene	you must not look at the dog's hair
English	clothes don't make the man	clothes don't make the man
English	you can't judge a book by its cover	you can't judge a book by its cover
Finnish	vaatteet eivät tee miestä	clothes don't make the man
German	Kleider machen keine Leute	clothes don't make the man
Hungarian	nem a ruha teszi az embert	it is not the clothes that make the man
Italian	l'abito non fa il monaco	the habit does not make the monk
Japanese	馬子にも衣装	even packhorse drivers also wear clothes
Latin	barba non facit philosophum	the beard does not make the philosopher
Latin	cucullus non facit monachum	the cowl does not make the monk
Modern Greek	τα ράσα δεν κάνουν τον παπά	dressing doesn't make the pope
Polish	nie szata zdobi człowieka	clothes don't make the man
Portuguese	o hábito não faz o monge	the habit does not make the monk
Romanian	nu haina îl face pe om	it is not the clothes that make the man
Russian	по одёжке встречают, по уму провожают	meet by clothes, see off by the mind
Russian	на вид пригож, а внутри на чёрта похож	looks good, but looks like devil inside
Serbo-Croatian	одело не чини човека / odelo ne čini čoveka	the suits does not make the man
Slovenian	obleka ne naredi človeka	clothes don't make the man
Spanish	el hábito no hace al monje	the habit does not make the monk

Apples are healthy

language	saying	literal meaning
Chinese	一日一蘋果，醫生遠離我 / 一日一苹果，医生远离我	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Danish	et æble om dagen holder doktoren borte	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Esperanto	pomo ĉiun tagon forturnas malsanon	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Finnish	omena päivässä pitää lääkärin loitolla	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
French	omena päivässä pitää lääkärin loitolla	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
German	ein Apfel pro Tag hält den Doktor fern	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Hebrew	קח פרי ותהיה לי בריא	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Hungarian	minden nap egy alma az orvost távol tartja	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Icelandic	epli á dag kemur heilsunni í lag	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Italian	una mela al giorno toglie il medico di torno	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Japanese	一日一個のりんごで医者しらず	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Malay	makan sebiji epal sehari, tak perlu berjumpa dengan doktor lagi	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Modern Greek	ένα μήλο την ημέρα, τον γιατρό τον κάνει πέρα	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Polish	jabłko dziennie trzyma lekarza z dala	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Portuguese	uma maçã por dia traz saúde e alegria	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Russian	каждый день яблоко одно — врачу оставаться далеко	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Slovenian	eno jabolko na dan, odžene zdravnika stran	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Spanish	una manzana al día mantiene al médico en la lejanía	an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Swedish	ett äpple om dagen håller doktorn borta	an apple a day keeps the doctor away

Be patient

language	saying	literal meaning
Chinese	好事多磨／好事多磨	good things require much rubbing
Czech	kdo si počká, ten se dočká	those who wait will see
Czech	trpělivost růže přináší	patience brings roses
Danish	alt godt kommer til den der venter	all good things come to those who wait
Dutch	geduld is een schone zaak	patience is a virtual
English	good things come to those who wait	good things come to those who wait
English	patience is a virtue	patience is a virtue
Finnish	kärsivällisyys on hyve	patience is a virtue
Finnish	maltti on valttia	patience is a trump
French	tout vient à point à qui sait attendre	good things come to those who wait
Georgian	ვინც მოითმენსო, ის მოიგებსო	he who endures will win
German	Geduld ist eine Tugend	patience is a virtue
German	gut Ding will Weile haben	a good thing wants to have a while
German	was lange währt, wird endlich gut	something that takes a long time will finally be good
Hungarian	a türelem rózsát terem	patience produces roses
Italian	dare tempo al tempo	give time to time
Italian	la pazienza è la virtù dei forti	patience is the virtue of the storng
Italian	la pazienza è una virtù provata	patience is a proven virtue
Japanese	果報は寝て待て	results are sleeping and waiting
Japanese	待てば海路の日和あり	waiting for fair weather at a sea route
Maltese	il-paċenzja hija virtù	patience is a virtue
Modern Greek	το καλό πράγμα αργεί να γίνει	the good thing is late to happen
Norwegian	den som venter på noe stort, venter aldri for lenge	he who waits for something great never waits too long
Norwegian	tålmodighet er en dyd	patience is a virtue
Portuguese	quem espera sempre alcança	who waits always reaches
Portuguese	a paciência é uma virtude	patience is a virtue
Russian	кто ждёт, тот дождётся	who waits will wait
Spanish	la paciencia es una virtud	patience is a virtue
Spanish	las mejores cosas de la vida se hacen esperar	the best things in life are made to wait
Spanish	lo bueno se hace esperar	the good things make you wait
Swedish	den som väntar på något gott, väntar aldrig för länge	he who waits for something good never waits too long
Swedish	tålamod är en dygd	patience is a virtue
Turkish	bekleyen derviş muradına ermiş	the waiting dervish got his wish

Certain benefit is preferable even if it is little

language	saying	literal meaning
Arabic	عصفور في اليد أفضل من عصفورين على الشجرة	a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush
Armenian	փորձված թանը անփորձ մածունի հետ չեն փոխի	seasoned butter will not be exchanged for unseasoned yogurt
Chinese	一鳥在手勝於十鳥在林／一鸟在手胜于十鸟在林	a bird in the hand is better than ten in the forest
Croatian	bolje vrabac u ruci nego golub na grani	better a sparrow in the hand than a dove on the branch
Czech	epší vrabec v hrsti, nežli holub na střeše	better a sparrow in the hand than a pigeon on the roof
Danish	en fugl i hånden er bedre end ti på taget	a bird in the hand is better than ten on the roof
Dutch	beter één vogel in de hand dan tien in de lucht	better one bird in the hand than ten in the sky
English	a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush	a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
English	better an egg today than a hen tomorrow	better an egg today than a hen tomorrow
Estonian	parem varblane peos kui tuvi katusel	better a sparrow in the hand than a pigeon on the roof
Finnish	parempi pyy pivossa kuin kymmenen oksalla	better a hazel grouse in the hand than ten on the branch
French	à la main vaut mieux que grue qui vole	a sparrow in hand is worth more than a frying crane
French	un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras	a here-you-go is worth more than two you-can-have-it-laters
Galician	vale máis paxaro na man que cento voando	a bird in the hand is worth more than a hundred in flight
Georgian	დღევანდელი კვერცხი ჯობია ხვალინდელ ქათამს	today's egg is better than tomorrow's chicken
German	besser ein Spatz in der Hand als eine Taube auf dem Dach	rather a sparrow in the hand than a pigeon on the roof
Hebrew	טוב ציפור אחת ביד משתיים על העץ	rather one bird in the hand two on the tree
Hungarian	jobb ma egy veréb, mint holnap egy túzok	better a sparrow today than a bustard tomorrow
Icelandic	betri er einn fugl í hendi en tveir í skógi	one bird in a hand is better than two in the forest
Italian	meglio un uovo oggi che una gallina domani	better an egg today than a hen tomorrow
Japanese	明日の百より今日の五十	today's 50 over tomorrow's 100
Korean	손안에 있는 새가 숲속에 있는 두 마리보다 낫다	a bird in the hand is better than two in the forest
Latvian	labāk zīle rokā, nekā mednis kokā	rather a titmouse in hand than a wood grouse in a tree
Luxembourgish	Léiwer e Spatz an der Hand wei eng Dauf um Daach	rather a sparrow in the hand than a pigeon on the roof
Macedonian	поарно врапче на рака отколку гулаб на гранка	better a sparrow on a hand than a pigeon on a branch
Maltese	aħjar għasfur f'idejk minn mija fl-ajru	better to have a bird in your hands than a hundred in the air
Modern Greek	κάλλιο πέντε και στο χέρι παρά δέκα και καρτέρει	rather hold five in hand than wait for ten to come
Norwegian Bokmål	én fugl i hånden er bedre enn ti på taket	a bird in the hand is better than ten on the roof
Norwegian Nynorsk	ein fugl i handa er betre enn ti på taket	a bird in the hand is better than ten on the roof
Polish	lepszy wróbel w garści niż gołąb na dachu	a sparrow in the hand is better than a pigeon on the roof
Polish	lepszy wróbel w ręku niż cietrzew na sęku	a sparrow in the hand is better than a grouse on the knur
Polish	lepszy wróbel w ręku niż sokół na sęku	a sparrow in the hand is better than a falcon on the knur
Portuguese	mais vale um pássaro na mão do que dois voando	one bird in the hand is worth more than two flying
Romanian	nu da vrabia din mână pe cioara de pe gard	don't exchange the sparrow in the hand with the crow on the fence
Russian	не сули журавля в небе, дай синицу в руки	do not promise a crane in the sky, rather give a titmouse into my hands
Scottish Gaelic	's fhearr eun san làimh na deich air iteig	a bird in the hand is better than ten in flight
Serbo-Croatian	боље врабац у руци него голуб на грани / bolje vrabac u ruci nego golub na grani	better a sparrow in the hand than a dove on the branch
Slovak	lepší vrabec v hrsti ako holub na streche	better a sparrow in a handful than a pigeon on a roof
Spanish	más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando	a bird in the hand is worth more than one hundred in flight
Swedish	bättre en fågel i handen än tio i skogen	better a bird in the hand than ten in the forest
Turkish	bir eldeki kuş çalıdakinin iki misli değerdir	a bird in hand is worth twice as much in a bush
Vietnamese	một con chim trong tay có giá trị hơn hai con trong bụi cây	one bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush
Welsh	gwell bach mewn llaw na mawr gerllaw	better small in hand than large nearby

Circumstances of others seem better

language	saying	literal meaning
Arabic	طبيخ الجارة نوارة، وطبيخ أهل الدار مرار	Nawara's neighbor's cooking, and the people of the house's cooking are bitter
Bengali	ঘাস অন্য দিকে সবসময় সবুজ	the grass is always greener on the other side
Catalan	l'herba sempre és més verda a l'altra banda	the grass is always greener on the other side
Chinese	外國的月亮比較圓／外国的月亮比较圆	the moon in foreign countries is rounder
Danish	græsset er altid grønnere på den anden side af hækken	the grass is always greener on the other side of the hedges
Dutch	het gras is altijd groener aan de overkant	the grass is always greener on the other side
Esperanto	herbaro ĉiam aspektas pli verda trans barilo	the grass always look greener on the other side of a fence
Finnish	ruoho on aina vihreämpää aidan toisella puolella	The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence
French	l’herbe est toujours plus verte ailleurs	the grass is always greener on the other side
Galician	a vaca da veciña dá máis leite cá miña	the neighbor's cow gives more milk than mine
German	die Kirschen aus Nachbars Garten schmecken immer besser	the cherries from the neighbor's garden always taste better
Hebrew	הדשא של השכן ירק יותר	the neighbor's grass is greener
Hindi	दूर के ढोल सुहावने	things owned by other people look good
Hindi	दूर के ढोल सुहावने लगते हैं	distant drums sound pleasant
Hindi	दूसरे की थाली में घी अधिक दिखाई देता है	ghee appears to be more in someone else’s plate
Hungarian	a szomszéd rétje mindig zöldebb	the neighbour's meadow is always greener
Indonesian	rumput tetangga selalu terlihat lebih hijau	the grass always looks greener on the other side
Irish	is glas na cnoic a bhfad uainn	green are the hills that are far from us
Italian	l'erba del vicino è sempre più verde	the neighbor's grass is always greener
Japanese	隣の芝生は青い	the neighbor's lawn is green
Japanese	隣の花は赤い	the neighbor's flowers are red
Korean	남의 떡이 더 커 보인다	the other person's rice cake seems bigger
Kurdish	dengê defe ji dûr ve xweş e	the sound of the drum is pleasant from a distance
Malay	hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri	golden rain in other countries, stone rain in one's own country
Malayalam	അക്കരെ നിന്നാൽ ഇക്കരെ പച്ച	if you stand on the other shore, this side is greener
Marathi	दुरून डोंगर साजरे	appreciate the mountains from afar
Modern Greek	του γείτονα είναι πάντα καλύτερο	the neighbor's is always better
Norwegian Bokmål	gresset er alltid grønnere på den andre siden	the grass is always greener on the other side
Norwegian Nynorsk	graset er alltid grønare på den andre sida	the grass is always greener on the other side
Polish	wszędzie dobrze, gdzie nas nie ma	it is good everywhere where we are not
Portuguese	a grama do vizinho é sempre mais verde	the neighbor's grass is always greener
Russian	соседняя очередь всегда движется быстрее	the other queue always moves faster
Russian	там хорошо, где нас нет	it is good everywhere where we are not
Russian	в чужих руках толще	thicker in other people's hands
Scottish Gaelic	's e miann na lacha an loch air nach bi i	the duck's desire is the lake it is not on
Scottish Gaelic	tha iteagan bòidheach air na h-eòin a tha fad às	the birds that are far away have beautiful feathers
Scottish Gaelic	is gorm na cnuic a tha fada bhuainn	green are the hills that are far from us
Spanish	la hierba siempre es más verde del otro lado	the grass is always greener on the other side
Swedish	gräset är alltid grönare på andra sidan	the grass is always greener on the other side
Telugu	దూరపు కొండలు నునుపు	the far off mountains appear to be smooth
Turkish	davulun sesi uzaktan hoş gelir	the distant drum sounds pleasant
Ukrainian	добре там, де нас нема	it is better there, where we are not
Ukrainian	у сусі́да хата білі́ша	the neighbor's house is whiter
Yue Chinese	隔籬飯香／隔篱饭香	the meal of the neighbors smells better

Complete surprise

language	saying	literal meaning
Bulgarian	като гръм от ясно небе	like a bolt from the clear sky
Chinese	晴天霹靂／晴天霹雳	bolt from the clear sky
Croatian	bolje vrabac u ruci nego golub na grani	better a sparrow in the hand than a dove on the branch
Czech	blesk z čistého nebe	bolt from the clear sky
Danish	som et lyn fra en klar himmel	like a bolt out of the clear sky
English	boolt from the blue	boolt from the blue
Finnish	salama kirkkaalta taivaalta	lightning bolt out of a clear sky
German	Blitz aus heiterem Himmel	lightning bolt from the clear sky
Hebrew	טכרעם ביום בהיר	like thunder on a clear day
Hungarian	derült égből villámcsapás	thunderbolt from the clear sky
Icelandic	eins og þruma úr heiðskíru lofti	like a thunder from the clear sky
Indonesian	petir di siang bolong	lightning in broad daylight
Japanese	青天の霹靂	thunderbolt on the blue sky
Korean	청천 벽력과 같이	like a thunderstorm
Latvian	kā pērkons no skaidrām debesīm	like a thunder from the clear sky
Lithuanian	lyg perkūnas iš giedro dangaus	like a thunder from the clear sky
Modern Greek	κεραυνός εν αιθρία	lightning in the clear sky
Norwegian Bokmål	som lyn fra klar himmel	like lightning from the clear sky
Polish	grom z jasnego nieba	thunderbolt from the clear sky
Russian	гром среди ясного неба	thunder from a clear sky
Scottish Gaelic	clach às an adhar	stone from the clear sky
Serbo-Croatian	као гром из ведра неба / kao grom iz vedra neba	like a thunder from the bucket of heaven
Slovak	lepší vrabec v hrsti ako holub na streche	better a sparrow in a handful than a pigeon on a roof
Spanish	como rayo caído del cielo	like a lightning fallen from the sky
Swedish	som en blixt från klar himmel	like a lightning bolt out of a clear sky

Destroy one's paths, connections or opportunities

language	saying	literal meaning
Arabic	حرق السفن	burning the ship
Arabic	قطع الجسور	cutting the bridge
Chinese	過河拆橋／过河拆桥	cross the river, tear down the bridge
Chinese	破釜沉舟／破釜沉舟	smash the cooking pots and sink the boats
Dutch	je schepen achter je verbranden	burning your ships behind you
Danish	bryde alle broer	burn all bridges
Danish	brænde alle broer	break all bridges
English	burning one's bridges	burning one's bridges
French	brûler les ponts	burn the bridges
French	brûler ses vaisseaux	burn his ships
French	faire sauter les ponts	blow up the bridges
German	alle Brücken hinter sich abbrechen	burning all bridges behind oneself
Icelandic	brenna allar brýr að baki sér	burn all bridges behind oneself
Icelandic	brjóta allar brýr að baki sér	break all bridges behind oneself
Italian	bruciarsi i ponti alle spalle	burn the bridges behind
Modern Greek	Η αναπνοή είναι η γέφυρα που συνδέει τη ζωή με τη συνείδηση	Breathing is the bridge which unites life to consciousness
Norwegian Bokmål	bryte alle broer	burn all bridges
Norwegian Nynorsk	bryte alle bruer	burn all bridges
Polish	palić za sobą mosty	burn the bridges behind
Portuguese	queimar as pontes	burn the bridges
Russian	сжигать все мосты	burn the bridges
Spanish	quemar las naves	burn the ships
Spanish	quemar los puentes	burn the bridges
Swedish	bränna sina broar	burn the bridges
Swedish	bränna sina skepp	burn their ships

Difficult task has a start

language	saying	literal meaning
Arabic	رحلة الألف ميل تبدأ بخطوة واحدة	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Chinese	千里之行，始於足下／千里之行，始于足下	a journey of a thousand lǐ (1000×405 meters) begins with a single step
Czech	cesta dlouhá tisíc mil začíná jedním krokem	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Dutch	een reis van duizend mijlen begint met een enkele stap	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Esperanto	milmejla vojaĝo komenciĝas per unu paŝo	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Estonian	tuhande miiline rännak algab esimesest sammust	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Finnish	pisinkin matka alkaa yhdellä askeleella	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
French	un voyage de mille lieues commence toujours par un premier pas	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
German	eine Reise von tausend Meilen beginnt mit dem ersten Schritt	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Hebrew	גם מסע של אלף מייל מתחיל בצעד אחד קטן	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Hindi	हजार कोसों का सफर भी एक पैर उठाने से ही शुरू होता है	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Hungarian	az ezer mérföldes utazás is egyetlen lépéssel kezdődik	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Italian	un viaggio di mille miglia comincia con il primo passo	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Japanese	千里の道も一歩から	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Korean	천 리 길도 한 걸음부터	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Lithuanian	tūkstančio mylių kelionė prasideda žengus vieną žingsnį	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Modern Greek	ένα ταξίδι χιλίων μιλίων ξεκινά με ένα μόνο βήμα	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Norwegian	en vandring på tusen mil starter med ett enkelt skritt	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Polish	podróż tysiąca mil zaczyna się od jednego kroku	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Portuguese	uma viagem de mil milhas começa com um único passo	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Romanian	o călătorie de o mie de mile începe cu un singur pas	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Russian	путь в ты́сячу вёрст начина́ется с пе́рвого ша́га	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Serbo-Croatian	далеко путованје починје првим кораком / daleko putovanje počinje prvim korakom	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Slovenian	potovanje daleč se začne s prvim korakom	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Spanish	un viaje de mil millas comienza con un solo paso	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Tagalog	ang mahabang paglalakbay ay nagsimula sa isang hakbang	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Thai	หนทางไกลนับพันลี้เริ่มต้นจากก้าวแรก	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Turkish	binlerce kilometrelik yolculuk bile tek bir adımla başlar	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Ukrainian	шлях у ти́сячу миль почина́ється з одного́ кро́ку	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Vietnamese	hành trình ngàn dặm bắt đầu từ một bước đi	a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

Do not invite suspicions

language	saying	literal meaning
Chinese	瓜田不納履，李下不整冠／瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠	don't adjust the shoes in a melon field, don't organise the hat under a plum tree
Japanese	瓜田に履を納れず、李下に冠を正さず	don't adjust the shoes in a melon field, don't organise the hat under a plum tree
Korean	과전불납리, 이하부정관	don't adjust the shoes in a melon field, don't organise the hat under a plum tree

False display of sorrow

language	saying	literal meaning
Arabic	دموع التماسيح	crocodile tears
Armenian	կոկորդիլոսի արցունքներ	crocodile tears
Catalan	llàgrimes de cocodril	crocodile tears
Chinese	貓哭耗子／猫哭耗子	cat weeping for a mouse
Chinese	鱷魚的眼淚／鳄鱼的眼泪	crocodile tears
Czech	krokodýlí slzy	crocodile tears
Danish	krokodilletårer	crocodile tears
Dutch	krokodillentranen	crocodile tears
English	crocodile tears	crocodile tears
Finnish	krokotiilinkyyneleet	crocodile tears
French	larmes de crocodile	crocodile tears
Galician	bágoas de crocodilo	crocodile tears
German	Krokodilstränen	crocodile tears
Hebrew	דמעות תנין‎	crocodile tears
Hungarian	krokodilkönnyek	crocodile tears
Icelandic	krókódílstár	crocodile tears
Indonesian	air mata buaya	crocodile tears
Iranian Persian	اشک تمساح‎‎	crocodile tears
Italian	lacrime di coccodrillo	crocodile tears
Korean	악어의 눈물	crocodile tears
Lithuanian	krokodilo ašaros	crocodile tears
Malayalam	മുതലക്കണ്ണീർ	crocodile tears
Modern Greek	κροκοδείλια δάκρυα	crocodile tears
Norwegian	krokodilletårer	crocodile tears
Polish	krokodyle łzy	crocodile tears
Portuguese	lágrimas de crocodilo	crocodile tears
Romansch	larmas da crocodil	crocodile tears
Russian	крокодиловы слёзы	crocodile tears
Scottish Gaelic	deòir nam breugan	crocodile tears
Spanish	lágrimas de cocodrilo	crocodile tears
Swedish	krokodiltårar	crocodile tears
Telugu	మొసలి కన్నీళ్లు	crocodile tears
Ukrainian	крокодилячі сльози	crocodile tears
Welsh	dagrau crocodeil	crocodile tears

False display of sorrow

language	saying	literal meaning
Arabic	عندما تكون في روما، افعل ما يفعله الرومان	when in Rome, do as the Romans do
Belarusian	в Рим като ри́мляните	in Rome like the Romans
Catalan	a terra que vas, usança que trobes	in the land you go, the customs you find
Chinese	入鄉隨俗／入乡随俗	when entering a town, follow the customs
Czech	jiný kraj, jiný mrav	other country, other customs
Czech	kdo chce s vlky býti, musí s nimi výti	he who wants to be with wolves, must howl with them
Danish	skik følge eller land fly	observe custom or flee country
Danish	man må hyle med de ulve man er iblandt	one must howl with the wolves among which one is
Dutch	's lands wijs, 's lands eer	as the country does, so the country does
English	when in Rome, do as the Romans do	when in Rome, do as the Romans do
Esperanto	alia lando, aliaj moroj	another country, other customs
Esperanto	en Romio, agu kiel Romiano	in Rome, act like a Roman
Esperanto	kies gasto mi estas, ties feston mi festas	whose guest I am, I celebrate his feast.
Esperanto	inter lupoj, kriu lupe	among wolves, cry wolf
Faroese	sær er siður á landi	to its own is the custom in a land
Finnish	maassa maan tavalla	the country's customs in the country
French	autre pays, autre coutume	another country, another custom
French	à Rome, fais comme les Romains	in Rome, do as the Romans
Galician	cada país seu uso, cada roca seu fuso	each country its custom, each spinning distaff its spindle
German	andere Länder, andere Sitten	other countries, other customs
German	man muss mit den Wölfen heulen	one has to howl with the wolves
Hebrew	ברומא התנהג כרומאי‎	In Rome, behave like a Roman
Hindi	जैसा देश वैसा भेष	as the country is, same should be the manner
Hungarian	ha Rómában élsz, élj úgy, mint a rómaiak	if you live in Rome, live like the Romans
Icelandic	sinn er siður í landi hverju	its own is the custom in each land
Indonesian	di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung	where the feet touch the ground, there the sky held up
Irish	fág an tír nó bí san fhaisean	leave the country or be fashionable
Italian	paese che vai, usanze che trovi	country you go, customs you find
Italian	a Roma, fai come i romani	in Rome, do as the Romans do
Japanese	郷に入っては郷に従え	when entering a town, follow the customs
Kabyle	di Ṛṛuma, dder am iṛumaniyen	in Rome, live like the Romans
Kabyle	di tmura nniḍen dder am aken ttidiren	in other countries live as they do
Korean	입향순속	when entering a town, follow the customs
Korean	로마에 가면 로마법을 따르라	when in Rome, do as the Romans do
Korean	고을에 들어가면 고을 풍속을 따르라	when you enter a town, follow the town's customs
Latin	si fueris Rōmae, Rōmānō vīvitō mōre; si fueris alibī, vīvitō sīcut ibī	if you are in Rome, live as a Roman; if you are elsewhere, live as you would have lived there
Lithuanian	Romoje elkis kaip romėnai	In Rome, do as the Romans do
Malay	di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung	hold up the sky of the land where you stand
Malay	masuk ke dalam kandang kambing mengembek, masuk ke dalam kandang kerbau menguak	bleat in the goat's pen, grunt in the buffalo's shed
Maltese	meta tkun Ruma, agħmel bħal Rumani	when in Rome, do as the Romans do
Northern Kurdish	li gorî derdor û adetên xwecihî tevgeriyan	behaved according to the environment and local customs
Norwegian Bokmål	når man er i Rom gjør man som romerne	when in Rome, do as the Romans do
Persian	خواهی نشوی رسوا همرنگ جماعت شو	if you don't want to be disgraced, be like the crowd
Polish	jeśli wejdziesz między wrony, musisz krakać jak i one	when you go among the crows, you must caw like them
Polish	w czyim chlebie smakujemy, tego i pochlebujemy	in whose bread we taste, we also flatter
Polish	co kraj, to obyczaj	every country, there is a custom
Portuguese	quando em Roma, faça como os romanos	when in Rome, do as the Romans do
Romanian	la Roma, faci ca romanii	in Rome, do as the Romans do
Russian	с волками жить — по-волчьи выть	to live amongst wolves, you should howl like a wolf
Russian	со своим уставом в чужой монастырь не ходят	don’t go with your own rules to someone else’s monastery
Scottish Gaelic	beus na tuath, far am bithear 's e a nithear	the manners of the folk, where one is it is what one does
Scottish Gaelic	dèan san Òban a rèir an Òbain	do in Oban according to Oban
Serbo-Croatian	кад си у Риму, понашај се као Римљанин / kad si u Rimu, ponašaj se kao Rimljanin	when in Rome, act like a Roman
Somali	meel Il laga la'yahay ishaa layska tuura	where there is no eye, throw away the eye
Spanish	allá donde fueres, haz lo que vieres	when you go there, do what you see
Spanish	si entre burros te ves, rebuzna alguna vez	if you find yourself among donkeys, bray any way
Swedish	ta seden dit man kommer	take to the custom from where you're at
Thai	เข้าเมืองตาหลิ่ว ต้องหลิ่วตาตาม	to enter the town of squint-eyed people and need to squint one's own eyes like them
Turkish	Roma'dayken Romalılar gibi davran	when in Rome, act like the Romans
Vietnamese	nhập gia tùy tục, nhập giang tùy khúc	enter the house and follow customs, enter river and follow bends
Welsh	pan foch yn Rhufain, gwnewch fel y Rhufeiniaid	when you are in Rome, do as the Romans do
Welsh	yn Ffrainc rhaid yfed yn ffraeth	in France you have to drink witty

Give one a little benefit and the one will demand more

language	saying	literal meaning
Albanian	jepja gishtin, të merr dorën	I give you the finger, take your hand
Arabic	فتحناله، دخل بحماره‎	we opened the door, he came in with his donkey
Chinese	得寸進尺／得寸进尺	get a cùn (~ 3 centemetres) and go for a chǐ (~ 30 centemetres)
Danish	ræk nogen en lillefinger, og han tager hele armen	give someone a little finger, they take the whole arm
English	give them an inch and they'll take a mile	give them an inch and they'll take a mile
Finnish	kun antaa pahalle pikkusormen, se vie koko käden	when you give the evil a little finger, it takes the whole hand
French	tendez-leur la main et ils vous prennent le bras	lend a hand and they take your arm
German	gib jemandem den kleinen Finger und er nimmt die ganze Hand	give someone the little finger and he takes the whole hand
Modern Greek	Δώσε θάρρος στο χωριάτη, να σ΄ανέβει στο κρεβάτι	Give courage to the villager to hop on your bed!
Hebrew	נותנים לו אצבע והוא רוצה את כל היד‎	he's given the little finger and he wants the whole hand
Russian	дай ему палец, он всю руку откусит	give him a finger, he'll bite your whole hand off

Heavy rain

language	saying	literal meaning
Azerbaijani	tut ucundan, göyə çıx	grab the ends, go to sky
Catalan	ploure a bots i barrals	rain bota bags and barrels
Chinese	傾盆大雨／倾盆大雨	pour from a basin
Czech	lít jako z konve	pour from a water can
Dutch	pijpenstelen regenen	rain pipe handles
English	rain buckets	rain buckets
English	rain cats and dogs	rain cats and dogs
Finnish	sataa äkäisiä ämmiä äkeet selässä	rain angry hags with harrows on their back
Finnish	sataa kuin saavista kaataen	rain as if by pouring from a tub
French	pleuvoir comme vache qui pisse	rain like a cow pissing on a flat rock
French	pleuvoir des cordes	rain ropes
French	pleuvoir des hallebardes	rain halberds
German	Bindfäden regnen	rain threads
German	wie aus Eimern schütten	like pouring out of buckets
Hungarian	zuhog, mintha dézsából öntenék	pour from a tub
Icelandic	rigna eldi og brennisteini	rain fire and brimstone
Italian	piovere a catinelle	rain buckets
Italian	piovere come Dio la manda	rain as God sends it
Japanese	土砂降りになる	become dropping dirt and sand
Modern Greek	βρέχει με το τουλούμι	rain with the goatskin
Modern Greek	ρίχνει καντάρια	pour kantars
Modern Greek	ρίχνει καρεκλοπόδαρα	it's raining cats and dogs
Norwegian Bokmål	regne sinte kjerringer	rain mad hags
Polish	lać jak z cebra	pour like from a bucket
Portuguese	chover a cântaros	rain buckets
Portuguese	chover a potes	rain pots
Portuguese	chover canivete	rain pocketknives
Portuguese	o céu vir abaixo	the sky comes down
Romanian	ploua cu găleata	rain with the bucket
Russian	лить как из ведра	pour like from a bucket
Spanish	llover a cántaros	rain jugs
Spanish	llover a mares	rain seas
Swedish	stå som spön i backen	stand like rods in the ground
Welsh	bwrw hen wragedd â ffyn	[beating (raining)] old women with sticks
Yue Chinese	落狗屎／落狗屎	pouring dog poop

I don't understand the language

language	saying	literal meaning
Arabic	يتحدث باللغة الصينية	speaking in Chinese
Armenian	դա ինձ համար չինարեն է	it's Chinese to me
Chavacano	Aleman ese comigo	it's German to me
Chinese	鳥語／鸟语	bird's speech
Chinese	天書／天书	writing from the heaven
Czech	to je pro mě španělská vesnice	it's a Spanish village to me
Danish	det er græsk for mig	it is Greek to me
Danish	en by i Rusland	a town in Russia
Danish	rent volapyk	pure Volapük
Dutch	dat is Chinees voor mij	this is Chinese to me
English	it's Greek to me	it's Greek to me
Esperanto	ĝi estas por mi volapukaĵo	it is Volapük to me
Finnish	se on minulle täyttä hepreaa	it is totally Hebrew to me
French	c'est de l'hébreu	it's Hebrew
French	c'est du chinois	it's Chinese
French	c'est du javanais	it's Javanese
French	c'est du russe	it's Russian
Georgian	ჩინურია ჩემთვის	Chinese to me
German	das kommt mir spanisch vor	it seems Spanish to me
German	das sind für mich böhmische Dörfer	that is Czech villages to me
Hebrew	זה סינית בשבילי	it’s Chinese for me
Hindi	क्या मैं फ़ारसी बोल रहा हूँ	am I speaking Persian
Hungarian	ez nekem kínai	it’s Chinese to me
Icelandic	þetta er hebreska fyrir mér	this is Hebrew to me
Indonesian	bahasa dewa	language of deities
Indonesian	itu bahasa planet	that's the language of a planet
Italian	è ostrogoto	it's Ostrogoth
Italian	per me è arabo	it's Arabic to me
Latin	graecum est; nōn legitur	it's Greek; it cannot be read
Macedonian	шпанско село	Spanish village
Modern Greek	αυτά μου φαίνονται κινέζικα	these look chinese to me
Norwegian Bokmål	det er helt gresk for meg	it's full Greek to me
Norwegian Nynorsk	det er heilt gresk for meg	it's full Greek to me
Polish	to dla mnie chińszczyzna	it's Chinese to me
Portuguese	para mim você está falando grego	you are speaking Greek to me
Panjabi	ਕੀ ਮੈਂ ਫਾਰਸੀ ਬੋਲਦਾ ਪਿਆਂ	am I speaking Persian
Romanian	e chineză pentru mine	it's Chinese to me
Russian	китайская грамота	Chinese writing
Serbo-Croatian	шпанска села / španska sela	Spanish villages
Spanish	esto es chino para mí	this is Chinese for me
Spanish	no entiendo ni papa	I don't understand even one potato
Swedish	det är rena grekiskan	it is pure Greek
Tagalog	parang intsik	it looks like Chinese
Turkish	bir şey anladıysam Arap olayım	let me be Arabic if I understand anything
Ukrainian	це для мене китайська грамота	that's Chinese writing to me
Vietnamese	nói tiếng Lào	to speak Lao
Vietnamese	nói tiếng Miên	to speak Khmer

Ignorant and narrow-minded person

language	saying	literal meaning
Chinese	井底之蛙／井底之蛙	a frog at the bottom of a well
Japanese	井底の蛙	a frog at the bottom of a well
Malay	katak di bawah tempurung	a frog under a coconut shell
Malayalam	കൂപമണ്ഡൂകം	the frog in a well
Sanskrit	कूपमण्डूक	frog in a well
Thai	กบในกะลา	frog in a coconut shell
Vietnamese	ếch ngồi đáy giếng	a frog that sits at the bottom of a well

Inexperienced

language	saying	literal meaning
Bulgarian	с жълто около устата	with yellow around the mouth
Chinese	乳臭未乾／乳臭未干	{smell of} the mother's milk is not dried
Dutch	nat achter de oren	wet behind the ears
English	wet behind the ears	wet behind the ears
German	grün hinter den Ohren	green behind the ears
German	feucht hinter den Ohren	wet behind the ears
Japanese	尻が青い	have a blue butt
Latvian	vēl slapjš aiz ausīm	still wet behind the ears
Norwegian	våt bak ørene	wet behind the ears
Russian	молоко на губах не обсохло	the milk has not dried on the lips

Irreversible actions have been taken; the future is determined

language	saying	literal meaning
Arabic	سبق السيف العذل‎	the sword preceded the humiliation
Bulgarian	зарът е хвърлен	the dice have been thrown
Catalan	el dau ha estat tirat	the die has been rolled
Chinese	木已成舟／木已成舟	the wood has already been made into a boat
Croatian	kostky byly vrženy	the dice were rolled
Danish	terningen er kastet	the die is thrown
Dutch	de geest is uit de fles	genie is out of the bottle
English	genie is out of the bottle	genie is out of the bottle
English	the die is cast	the die is cast
Esperanto	la ĵetkubo estas ĵetita	the die is thrown
Estonian	liisk on langenud	the die is fallen
Finnish	arpa on heitetty	the die is thrown
French	le sort en est jeté	the fate is thrown
French	les dés sont jetés	the dice are thrown
French	les jeux sont faits	the games are made
Galician	a sorte está botada	the fate is thrown
Georgian	კამათელი გაგორებულია	the dice are rolled
German	die Würfel sind gefallen	the dice are fallen
Hungarian	a kocka el van vetve	the die has been cast away
Icelandic	teningnum er kastað	the die is thrown
Italian	il dado è tratto	the die is thrown
Japanese	賽は投げられた	the dice have been thrown
Korean	주사위는 던져졌다	the dice have been thrown
Latin	ālea iacta est	the die is cast
Macedonian	коцката е фрлена	the die is thrown
Modern Greek	ο κύβος ερρίφθη	the die is thrown
Northern Kurdish	tîr ji kevan pekiya	the arrow has left the bow
Norwegian Bokmål	terningen er kastet	the die is thrown
Norwegian Nynorsk	terningen er kasta	the die is thrown
Persian	تاس‌ها پرتاب شده‌اند‎	the dice have been thrown
Polish	kości zostały rzucone	the dice have been thrown
Portuguese	a sorte está lançada	the fate is cast
Portuguese	os dados estão lançados	the dice are thrown
Romanian	zarul este aruncat	the die is rolled
Russian	жребий брошен	the fate is thrown
Scottish Gaelic	dè a bhios ann, tachraidh e	what will happen will happen
Serbo-Croatian	ко̏цка је бачена / kȍcka je bačena	the dice is thrown
Slovak	kocky sú hodené	the dice are rolled
Slovenian	kọ̑cka je padla	the die is thrown
Spanish	la suerte está echada	the fortune is thrown
Swedish	tärningen är kastad	the dice are thrown
Turkish	zar atıldı	dice rolled
Ukrainian	гральну кістку кинуто	the die is thrown
Ukrainian	жереб кинуто	the fortune is thrown

Little things can add up and become great

language	saying	literal meaning
Chinese	集腋成裘／集腋成裘	gather underarm hairs and then a fur coat can be made
Chinese	聚沙成塔／聚沙成塔	gather sands and then a tower can be built
Danish	mange bække små gør en stor å	many small brooks make a big river
Dutch	vele kleintjes maken een grote	many little things make a big one
English	many a mickle makes a muckle	many a mickle makes a muckle
English	take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves	take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves
Finnish	pienistä puroista syntyy suuri joki	small streams make a big river
Finnish	senteissä tuhannen alku	in cents is the beginning of a thousand
French	les petits ruisseaux font les grandes rivières	small streams make big rivers
German	wer den Pfennig nicht ehrt, ist des Talers nicht wert	he who does not value the penny is not worth the thaler
Hungarian	sok kicsi sokra megy	a lot of little goes to a lot
Icelandic	margt smátt gerir eitt stórt	many small things make one big thing
Irish	bailíonn brobh beart	a blade gathers a bundle
Jamaican Patois	every mikkle mek a mukkle	many a mickle makes a muckle
Japanese	塵も積もれば山となる	dust, if piled up, becomes a mountain
Korean	티끌 모아 태산	a lot of little goes to a lot
Korean	푼돈을 아끼면 큰돈은 저절로 모인다	if you save small amounts, big amounts will naturally accumulate
Malay	sedikit-sedikit, lama-lama jadi bukit	bit by bit, in the end it becomes a hill
Malay	sehari selembar benang, lama-lama menjadi kain	every day a thread, soon a cloth
Polish	grosz do grosza, a będzie kokosza	one grosz at a time and there will be a hen
Polish	ziarnko do ziarnka, a zbierze się miarka	grain to grain and the measuring cup will collect
Russian	копейка рубль бережёт	a kopeck saves a rouble
Slovenian	zrno na zrno pogača kamen na kamen palača	grain by grain a cake, stone by stone a palace
Swedish	många bäckar små gör en stor å	many small streams make a big river
Spanish	un grano no hace granero, pero ayuda al compañero	one grain does not make a granary, but it helps its companion
Spanish	damlaya damlaya göl olur	drop by drop becomes a lake

Not easily categorised

language	saying	literal meaning
Arabic	لا السمك ولا الطيور‎	neither fish nor bird
Catalan	ni carn ni peix	neither meat nor fish
Chinese	非驢非馬／非驴非马	neither donkey nor horse
Czech	ani ryba ani rak	neither fish nor crayfish
Danish	hverken fugl eller fisk	neither bird nor fish
Dutch	mossel noch vis	neither mussel nor fish
Dutch	vlees noch vis	neither meat nor fish
English	neither fish nor fowl	neither fish nor fowl
Faroese	hvørki fuglur ella fiskur	neither bird nor fish
Finnish	ei lintu eikä kala	neither bird nor fish
French	mi-figue mi-raisin	half-fig half-grape
Galician	nin arre nin xo	neither too little nor too much
German	weder Fisch noch Fleisch	neither fish nor meat
Hebrew	לא בשר ולא חלב‎	neither meat nor milk
Icelandic	hvorki fugl né fiskur	neither bird nor fish
Irish	níl sé ina ghruth ná ina mheadhg	it's neither curd nor whey
Italian	né carne né pesce	neither meat nor fish
Japanese	海の物とも山の物ともつかない	neither things in the ocean nor things in the mountain
Norwegian Bokmål	hverken fugl eller fisk	neither bird nor fish
Polish	ni pies, ni wydra	neither dog nor otter
Portuguese	nem carne nem peixe	neither meat nor fish
Romanian	nici cal nici măgar	neither horse nor donkey
Russian	ни рыба ни мясо	neither fish nor meat
Spanish	ni chicha ni limonada	neither chicha nor lemonade
Swedish	varken fågel eller fisk	neither fowl nor fish
Yue Chinese	唔湯唔水／唔汤唔水	neither soup nor water

Opportunity has passed

language	saying	literal meaning
Armenian	գնացքը գնացել է	the train has left
Danish	det tog er kørt	the train has run
Dutch	dat is een gepasseerd station	that is a passed station
Dutch	vlees noch vis	neither meat nor fish
English	that ship has sailed	that ship has sailed
English	that train has left the station	that train has left the station
Finnish	se juna meni jo	it is June for me
German	dieser Zug ist abgefahren	that train has left
Hungarian	ez a vonat már elment	this train has already gone
Hungarian	ez a hajó már elment	this ship has aready gone
Italian	hai perso il treno	you missed the train
Norwegian Bokmål	det toget er kjørt	that train has left
Russian	поезд ушёл	the train is gone
Spanish	ese barco ya zarpó	that ship has already sailed
Spanish	se te fue el tren	you missed the train

People who often threat seldom commit it

language	saying	literal meaning
Afrikaans	blaffende honde byt nie	barking dogs don't bite
Albanian	qeni që leh, s'të ha	the dog that barks will not eat you
Basque	zakur zaunkaria nekez hozkaria	barking dog hardly bite
Catalan	gos que lladra, no mossega	dog that barks doesn't bite
Czech	pes, který štěká, nekouše	a dog that barks doesn't bite
Dutch	blaffende honden bijten niet	barking dogs do not bite
English	barking dogs seldom bite	barking dogs seldom bite
Esperanto	bojanta hundo ne mordas	a barking dog does not bite
Esperanto	ne ĉio batas, kio tondras	not everything thunders strikes
Finnish	haukkuva koira ei pure	a barking dog does not bite
French	chien qui aboie ne mord pas	a dog that barks does not bite
German	Hunde, die bellen, beißen nicht	dogs who bark don't bite
Hungarian	amelyik kutya ugat, az nem harap	the dog that barks does not bite
Italian	can che abbaia non morde	a barking dog doesn't bite
Japanese	弱い犬ほどよく吠る	weak dogs bark more
Korean	짖는 개는 물지 않는다	barking dogs don't bite
Latin	canis sine dentibus vehementius lātrat	a dog without teeth barks more violently
Macedonian	куче што лае, не каса	a dog that barks, does not bite
Malay	anjing menyalak tak menggigit	barking dog doesn't bite
Malayalam	കുരയ്ക്കുന്ന പട്ടി കടിക്കില്ല	a barking dog will not bite
Modern Greek	σκύλος που γαβγίζει, δε δαγκώνει	a dog that barks doesn't bite
Polish	pies, co bardzo szczeka, nie bardzo kąsa	a dog that barks a lot, doesn't bite much
Portuguese	cão que ladra não morde	dog that barks, doesn't bite
Romanian	câinele care latră nu mușcă	barking dog doesn't bite
Russian	лающая собака не кусает	a barking dog won't bite
Serbian	пас који ла̏је не гризе	a dog that barks doesn't bite
Slovenian	pes, ki laja, ne grize	a dog that barks doesn't bite
Spanish	perro ladrador, poco mordedor	barking dog, not very biting
Swedish	skällande hund bits inte	barking dog does not bite
Tagalog	ang asong tahol nang tahol ay hindi nangangagat	a dog that barks does not bite
Tamil	குரைக்கும் நாய் கடிக்காது	a barking dog does not bite
Telugu	అరిచే కుక్క కరవదు	a barking dog will not bite
Thai	หมาเห่าไม่กัด	barking dog doesn't bite
Turkish	havlayan köpek ısırmaz	the barking dog does not bite

Person being mentioned arrives

language	saying	literal meaning
Arabic	اذكر غائبا تره‎	mention an absent person, and you shall see him
Azerbaijani	adını çək, qulağını bur	name him, find him in the direction to which you turn your ear
Basque	otsoa aipatu, otsoa agertu	the wolf mentioned, the wolf appears
Bulgarian	говорим за вълка, а той в кошарата	speaking about the wolf , and he is in the sheep pen
Catalan	parlant del rei de Roma, entra per la porta	speak of the king of Rome, and he will come in through the door
Chinese	說曹操，曹操到／说曹操，曹操到	speak of Cáo Cāo and Cáo Cāo arrives
Czech	my o vlku a vlk za dveřmi, my o vlku a vlk za humny	speak of the wolf and the wolf is behind the doors
Danish	når man taler om solen	when you speak of the sun
Dutch	als je het over de duivel hebt, dan zie je zijn staart	we not only see his tail, we even step on it
English	speak of the devil and he shall appear	speak of the devil and he shall appear
Estonian	kus hundist juttu	where speaking of the wolf
Finnish	siinä paha missä mainitaan	there is the evil where it is mentioned
French	quand on parle du loup, on en voit la queue	when you speak of the wolf, you see his tail
Georgian	ძაღლი ახსენე და ჯოხი ხელში დაიჭირეო	mention the dog and hold a stick in your hand
German	wenn man vom Teufel spricht, dann kommt er	when one speaks of the devil, then he comes
Hebrew	מדברים על החמור, והחמור בא‎	speak of the donkey and the donkey comes
Hungarian	ne fesd az ördögöt a falra, mert megjelenik	don't paint the devil on the wall, or he will appear
Icelandic	oft kemur illur þá um er rætt	often evil comes when it is discussed
Irish	tagann gach aon rud lena iomrá ach madadh rua agus marbhán	everything comes to mention but a red wolf and a dead man
Italian	parli del diavolo e spuntano le corna	talk about the devil, and the horns appear
Japanese	噂をすれば影がさす	if you gossip, it will cast a shadow
Korean	호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다	the tiger comes when he is spoken about
Latin	lupus in fābulā	the wolf in a story
Latin	lupus in sermōne	the wolf in a conversation
Lithuanian	vilką minim, vilkas čia	you mention a wolf, the wolf is here
Modern Greek	κατά φωνή κι ο γάιδαρος	by voice, here is the donkey
Norwegian	når man snakker om sola	when you speak of the sun
Polish	o wilku mowa, a wilk tu	talk about the wolf, and he is almost here
Portuguese	falando do diabo, aparece o rabo	when you speak of the devil, his tail will show up
Romanian	vorbești de lup și lupul la ușă	you talk about the wolf and the wolf comes
Russian	про серого речь, а серый навстречь	when it’s spoken about a grey one, one meets the grey one
Scottish Gaelic	thig an donas ri iomradh	the misfortune comes as mentioned
Serbo-Croatian	ми о вуку, ми о вуку а вук на врата / mi o vuku, mi o vuku a vuk na vrata	we mention the wolf, and he enters the door
Slovenian	ti o volku volk iz gozda	we speak of the wolf, the wolf comes from the forest
South Levantine Arabic	ابن الحلال عند ذكره ببان	the decent man appears with the mention
South Levantine Arabic	ذكرنا القط، أجا ينط	we mentioned the cat and he came jumping
Spanish	habla del rey de Roma, y asoma	speak of the king of Rome, and he surprises you
Swedish	när man talar om trollen, står de i farstun	when one speaks of the trolls, they're out in the hallway
Turkish	iti an, çomağı hazırla	wait, prepare the stick
Ukrainian	про вовка промовка	speaking of the wolf
Welsh	sonier am ddiawl, fe ymddengys y cythraul	mention the devil, the devil will appear
Yiddish	מע זאל נאר דערמאנען משיחן‎	We should only mention the Christ

Prevent before it happens

language	saying	literal meaning
Arabic	الوقاية خير من العلاج	prevention is better than cure
Chinese	未雨綢繆／未雨绸缪	bind the window tightly before it rains
Chinese	防患未然／防患未然	prevent trouble before it happens
Danish	det er bedre at forebygge end at helbrede	it is better to prevent than to cure
Dutch	voorkomen is beter dan genezen	prevention is better than cure
French	mieux vaut prévenir que guérir	prevention is better than cure
English	prevention is better than cure	prevention is better than cure
German	Vorbeugen ist besser als Heilen	prevention is better than cure
Japanese	予防は治療に勝る	prevention is better than cure
Malay	mencegah lebih baik daripada mengubati	prevention is better than cure
Modern Greek	κάλλιον το προλαμβάνειν παρά το θεραπεύειν	prevention is better than cure
Modern Greek	κάλλιον του θεραπεύειν το προλαμβάνειν	prevention is better than cure
Polish	lepiej zapobiegać niż leczyć	better to prevent than to cure
Portuguese	prevenir é melhor do que remediar	prevention is better than cure
Russian	профилактика лучше лечения	prevention is better than cure
Spanish	mas vale prevenir que lamentar	prevention is better than regret
Spanish	por si las moscas	just in case there are flies

Prominence invites trouble

language	saying	literal meaning
Chinese	樹大招風／树大招风	big tree catches wind
Dutch	hoge bomen vangen veel wind	tall trees catch a lot of wind

Random people

language	saying	literal meaning
Afrikaans	Jan Rap en sy maat	Jan Rap and his partner
Albanian	Filani apo Fisteku	Filani or Fisteku
Arabic	فلان، علان وترتان	Fulàn, 'Illàn or Tirtàn
Azerbaijani	Ali, Vali, Pirvali	Ali, Vali, Pirvali
Basque	Urlia, Sandia eta Berendia	Urlia, Sandia and Berendia
Bulgarian	Сульо и Пульо	Súljo and Púljo
Catalan	en Pau, en Pere i en Berenguera	Pau, Pere and Berenguera
Chinese	阿貓阿狗／阿猫阿狗	kitties and doggies
Chinese	張三李四／张三李四	the third son of Zhāng, the fourth son of Lǐ
Danish	gud og hvermand	God and every man
Dutch	Jan, Piet en Klaas	Jan, Piet and Klaas
Dutch	Jan en Alleman	Jan and Alleman
English	Tom, Dick and Harry	Tom, Dick and Harry
Finnish	mattimeikäläinen	Matt-someone
French	Pierre, Paul ou Jacques	Pierre, Paul or Jacques
German	Hans und Franz	Hans and Franz
German	Hinz und Kunz	Hinz and Kunz
German	Krethi und Plethi	Cherethites and Pelethites
Hindi	ऐरा-ग़ैरा नत्थू ख़ैरा	Airā-Ġairā Natthū Xairā
Hungarian	boldog-boldogtalan	happy-unhappy
Italian	Tizio, Caio e Sempronio	Tizio, Caio and Sempronio
Japanese	猫も杓子も	cats and ladles too
Korean	개나 소나	dogs or cows
Macedonian	Петко, Трајко и Круме	Petko, Trajko and Krume
Modern Greek	κάθε καρυδιάς καρύδι	every walnut of the walnut tree
Norwegian	Gud og hvermann	God and every man
Norwegian	Per, Pål og Askeladden	Per, Pål or Askeladden
Persian	اره و اوره و شمسی کوره‎	Âre, Ure, Šamsi Kure
Portuguese	Fulano, Beltrano e Cicrano	Fulano, Beltrano and Cicrano
Portuguese	Fulano, Sicrano e Beltrano	Fulano, Sicrano and Beltrano
Romanian	Ion, Vasile, Gheorghe, Ana	Ion, Vasile, Gheorghe, Ana
Russian	Иванов, Петров, Сидоров	Ivanóv, Petróv, Sídorov
Sardinian	Fulanu, Bodale e Nighele	Fulanu, Bodale and Nighele
Serbo-Croatian	И Кунто и Панто / I Kunto i Panto	both Kunto and Panto
Serbo-Croatian	Пера, Мика, Лаза / Pera, Mika, Laza	Pera, Mika, Laza
Serbo-Croatian	Марко и Трајко / Marko i Trajko	Marko and Trajko
Spanish	Fulano, Mengano y Sotano	Fulano, Mengano and Sotano
Swedish	Joži or Džony	Joži or Džony
Swedish	Andersson, Pettersson och Lundström	Andersson, Pettersson or Lundström
Tamil	குப்பனோ சுப்பனோ	Kuppaṉō or Cuppaṉō
Telugu	అప్పారావు, సుబ్బారావు	Appārāvu, Subbārāvu
Turkish	Ahmet, Mehmet	Ahmet, Mehmet
Turkish	Ali, Veli	Ali, Veli
Urdu	ایراغیرہ نتھو خیرا‎	Era Ġera, Nathu, Khera
Welsh	Twm, Dic neu Harri	Twm, Dic or Harri

Stop fighting

language	saying	literal meaning
Catalan	enterrar la destral de guerra	bury the hatchet
Chinese	化干戈為玉帛／化干戈为玉帛	turn shields and spears into jade and silk
Czech	zakopat válečnou sekeru	bury the hatchet
Dutch	de strijdbijl begraven	bury the hatchet
English	bury the hatchet	bury the hatchet
Finnish	haudata sotakirves	bury the hatchet
French	enterrer la hache de guerre	bury the hatchet
German	das Kriegsbeil begraben	bury the hatchet
Hungarian	elássa a csatabárdot	bury the hatchet
Icelandic	að grafa stríðsöxina	bury the hatchet
Italian	sotterrare l'ascia di guerra	bury the hatchet
Modern Greek	θάψτε το τσεκούρι του πολέμου	bury the hatchet
Norwegian Bokmål	begrave stridsøksen	bury the hatchet
Polish	zakopać topór wojenny	bury the hatchet
Russian	закопать топор войны	bury the hatchet
Swedish	begrava stridsyxan	bury the hatchet

Subordinates take the advantage when their superior is absent

language	saying	literal meaning
Afrikaans	as die kat weg is, is die muis baas	when the cat's away, the mouse is boss
Chinese	山中無老虎，猴子稱大王／山中无老虎，猴子称大王	when there is no tiger in the mountain, the monkeys proclaim themselves kings
Cimbrian	balda di khatz velt, di maüs tåntzan	when the cat is missing, the mice dance
Czech	když kocour není doma, myši mají pré	when the cat's away from home, the mice are having free time
Danish	når katten er ude, spiller musene på bordet	when the cat is out, the mice is playing on the table
Dutch	als de kat van huis is, dansen de muizen op tafel	when the cat is not at home, the mice dance on the table
English	when the cat's away the mice will play	when the cat's away the mice will play
Esperanto	kiam kato promenas, la musoj festenas	when the cats are gone, the mice feast
Estonian	kui kassid läinud, on hiirtel pidu	when the cats are gone, the mice have a party
Finnish	kun kissa on poissa, hiiret hyppivät pöydällä	when the cat is gone, the mice jump on the table
French	quand le chat n'est pas là, les souris dansent	when the cat isn't there, the mice dance
German	ist die Katze aus dem Haus, tanzen die Mäuse auf dem Tisch	if the cat is out of the house, the mice dance on the table
Hungarian	ha nincs otthon a macska, cincognak az egerek	if the cat is not home, the mice squeak
Icelandic	þegar kötturinn er frá fara mýsnar á stjá	when the cat is gone, the mice go to roost
Irish	nuair a bhíonn an cat amuigh, bíonn na lucha ag rince	when the cat is out, the mice dance
Italian	quando il gatto non c'è, i topi ballano	when the cat is away, the mice play
Japanese	鬼いぬ間の洗濯	laundry when ogres are absent
Japanese	鼬無き間の貂誇り	pride of marten when weasels are absent
Khmer	ឆ្មាមិននៅ កណ្ដុរឡើងរាជ្យ	if cats are not there, mice reign
Kikuyu	hiti ciathiĩ mbwe ciegangara	when hyenas go away, foxes play
Kikuyu	ngatia ciathiĩ hiti cĩeragara	when lions have gone, hyenas dance
Korean	고양이가 없으면 쥐가 살판이 난다	if the cat is not there, the mice will eat
Latin	audācem reddit fēlis absentia murem	the absence of cat make the mouse bold
Lower Sorbian	gaž jo kócor z domu, ga maju myšy swóju wólu	when the cat's out of the house, the mice will have their will
Luxembourgish	wann d’Kaz fort ass, sinn d’Mais Meeschter	when the cat is gone, the mice are masters
Modern Greek	όταν λείπει η γάτα, χορεύουν τα ποντίκια	when the cat is away, the mice dance
Northern Kurdish	kitik ne li mal e, navê mişkî Evdal e	the kitten is not at home, the mouse's name is Evdal
Norwegian	når katten er borte, danser musene på bordet	when the cat’s away, the mice are dancing on the table
Persian	در خانه کسی که گربه نباشد موش کدخداست‎	in the house of the one who does not have a cat, there are mice
Polish	gdy kota nie ma, myszy harcują	when the cat is away, the mice play
Portuguese	quando o gato sai, os ratos fazem a festa	when the cat is out, the mice play
Romanian	când pisica nu-i acasă, joacă șoarecii pe masă	when the cat isn't home, the mice are dancing on the table
Russian	без кота мышам раздолье	without the cat, it’s freedom to the mice
Scottish Gaelic	tha fios aig an luch nach eil an cat a-staigh	the mouse knows the cat is not inside
Serbian	где мачке у кући нема ту мишеви коло воде	where there are no cats in the house, there are mice around the water
Spanish	cuando el gato no está, los ratones bailan	when the cat is not there, the mice dance
Swedish	när katten är borta, dansar råttorna på bordet	when the cat is away, the rats dance on the table
Telugu	రౌతు మెత్తనైతే గుర్రం మూడు కాళ్ళ మీద పరిగెత్తుతుంది	if the rider is soft, the horse runs on three legs
Thai	แมวไม่อยู่ หนูร่าเริง	the cat is away, the mouse is cheerful
Vietnamese	vắng chủ nhà, gà vọc niêu tôm	when the owner is away from home, the chicken will peck the earthenware pot of shrimp

Something ruins everything else

language	saying	literal meaning
Belarusian	лыжка дзёгцю ў бочцы мёду	a spoonful of tar in a barrel of honey
Chinese	一顆老鼠屎壞了一鍋粥／一顆老鼠屎坏了一锅粥	a piece of mouse shit ruins a pot of porridge
Danish	hår i suppen	hair in the soup
Dutch	haar in de boter	hair in the butter
English	fly in the ointment	fly in the ointment
English	fly in the buttermilk	fly in the buttermilk
English	turd in the punchbowl	turd in the punchbowl
English	worm in the apple	worm in the apple
French	couille dans le pâté	testicle in the pâté
French	couille dans le potage	testicle in the soup
German	Haar in der Suppe	hair in the soup
Polish	łyżka dziegciu w beczce miodu	a spoonful of tar in a barrel of honey
Russian	ложка дёгтя в бочке мёда	a spoonful of tar in a barrel of honey
Serbo-Croatian	муха у јухи / muha u juhi	fly in the ointment
Serbo-Croatian	муха у супи / muha u supi	fly in the soup
Swedish	smolk i glädjebägaren	mote in the joy cup
Swedish	en droppe malört i glädjebägaren	a drop of wormwood in the joy cup
Ukrainian	ложка дьогтю в бочці ме́ду	a spoonful of tar in a barrel of honey

Unfortunate events occur in quantity

language	saying	literal meaning
Arabic	المصائب لا تأتي فرادى‎	misfortunes do not come alone
Catalan	les desgràcies mai no venen soles	misfortunes do not come alone
Chinese	屋漏偏逢連夜雨／屋漏偏逢连夜雨	the roof is leaking, several continuous nights of rain are following
Chinese	禍不單行／祸不单行	misfortunes do not come alone
Cimbrian	balda di khatz velt, di maüs tåntzan	when the cat is missing, the mice dance
Czech	neštěstí nechodí nikdy samo	misfortunes never come alone
Czech	když se to sere, tak se to sere	when it shits, then it shits
Danish	en ulykke kommer sjældent alene	a misfortune seldom comes alone
Dutch	een ongeluk komt zelden alleen	a misfortune seldom comes alone
English	bad things come in threes	bad things come in threes
English	it never rains but it pours	it never rains but it pours
Esperanto	malfeliĉo malofte venas sole	a misfortune seldom comes alone
Faroese	sjáldan er ein báran støk	a wave seldome comes alone
Faroese	har ein skriðan er lopin er onnur væntandi	when one landslide is over, another is waiting
Finnish	ei vahinko yksinään tule	the damage will not come alone
Finnish	kaikki on vastaan, vain saha puoltaa	everything is against me, only the saw pulls
French	un malheur ne vient jamais seul	a misfortune never comes alone
German	ein Unglück kommt selten allein	a misfortune seldom comes alone
Hebrew	צרוֹת באות בצרורות‎	misfortunes come in packages
Hungarian	a baj nem jár egyedül	trouble does not come alone
Icelandic	sjaldan er ein báran stök	a wave seldome comes alone
Icelandic	það er ýmist of eða van	it is either too much or too little
Italian	i guai non vengono mai da soli	misfortunes never come alone
Italian	piove sul bagnato	it rains on the wet
Italian	al peggio non c'è mai fine	there is no ending to worse
Japanese	踏んだり蹴ったり	we often tread on and we often bump off
Japanese	泣きっ面に蜂	a wasp on a tearful face
Japanese	弱り目に祟り目	in times of weakness, evil eyes
Japanese	降れば土砂降り	if it rains, it rains like pouring dirt and sand
Korean	불행은 겹친다	misfortunes pile up
Latin	aliud ex aliō malum	one trouble after another
Latin	nūlla calamitās sōla	no misfortune is alone
Latin	Fortūna obesse nūllī contenta est semel	Fortune is never satisfied with hurting a man just once
Latin	aliō relinquente flūctū alius excēpit	one wave was letting me go, another one snatched me
Latin	dolor dolōrem trūdit et metus metum	one sorrow presses hard on another, and one fear on another fear
Lithuanian	bėda viena nevaikšto	trouble does not come alone
Luxembourgish	en Ongléck kënnt seelen eleng	a misfortune seldom comes alone
Modern Greek	ενός κακού, μύρια έπονται	one evil is followed by thousands
Norwegian Bokmål	en ulykke kommer sjelden alene	a misfortune seldom comes alone
Norwegian Nynorsk	ei ulykke kjem sjeldan aleine	a misfortune seldom comes alone
Polish	nieszczęścia chodzą parami	misfortunes walk in pairs
Portuguese	um mal nunca vem só	a bad thing never comes alone
Portuguese	uma desgraça nunca vem sozinha	a misfortune never comes alone
Romanian	o nenorocire nu vine niciodată singură	a misfortune never comes alone
Russian	пришла беда — отворяй ворота	when the trouble comes, open the gate
Russian	беда не приходит одна	trouble does not come alone
Scottish Gaelic	nuair a thig air duine, thig air uile	when it befalls one, it befalls all
Serbo-Croatian	несрећа никада не долази сама / nesreća nikada ne dolazi sama	misfortune never comes alone
Slovak	nešťastie nechodí samo	misfortune does not come alone
Slovenian	nesreča ne pride nikoli sama	misfortune never come alone
Spanish	las desgracias nunca vienen solas	misfortunes never come alone
Spanish	cuando llueve, diluvia	when it rains, it pours
Spanish	llueve sobre mojado	it rains on the wet
Spanish	si no quieres caldo, taza y media	if you do not want broth, a bowl and a half
Swedish	en olycka kommer sällan ensam	a misfortune seldom comes alone
Swedish	när det regnar så öser det ner	when it rains, it pours
Thai	ความวัวไม่ทันหาย ความควายเข้ามาแทรก	the condition of cows does not yet cease, the condition of buffaloes comes in to join
Vietnamese	бі́да ні́коли сама́ не хо́дить	trouble does not come alone
Vietnamese	họa vô đơn chí	misfortune never comes alone
Walloon	on måleur ni vént måy tot seu	misfortune never comes alone
Walloon	helynt ni ddaw ei hunan	trouble does not come by itself

Use excessive force

language	saying	literal meaning
Chinese	高射炮打蚊子／高射炮打蚊子	to use an anti-aircraft gun to hit a mosquito
Chinese	割雞焉用牛刀／割鸡焉用牛刀	why use an cattle cleaver for killing a chicken
Chinese	牛鼎烹雞／牛鼎烹鸡	to use a cauldron for a cattle to cook a chicken
Czech	jít s kanónem na vrabce	to go shooting a cannon at a sparrow
Danish	skyde spurve med kanoner	to shoot sparrows with cannons
Dutch	met een kanon op een mug schieten	to shoot a mosquito with a cannon
English	use a sledgehammer to crack a nut	use a sledgehammer to crack a nut
Finnish	ampua tykillä kärpästä	to shoot at a fly with a cannon
French	écraser une mouche avec un marteau	to smash a fly with a hammer
French	tuer une mouche avec un canon	to kill a fly with a cannon
German	mit Kanonen auf Spatzen schießen	to shoot at sparrows with cannons
Italian	sparare agli uccellini col cannone	to shoot at little birds with a cannon
Kannada	ಗುಬ್ಬಿ ಮೇಲೆ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾಸ್ತ್ರ	to strike a sparrow with the brahmāstra
Norwegian Bokmål	skyte spurv med kanoner	to shoot sparrows with cannons
Norwegian Nynorsk	skyte sporv med kanonar	to shoot sparrows with cannons
Polish	strzelać z armaty do muchy impf	to shoot a cannon at a fly
Russian	палить из пушки по воробьям	to fire a cannon at sparrows
Spanish	matar moscas a cañonazos	to kill flies with cannon shots
Swedish	skjuta sparvar med kanoner	to shoot sparrows with cannons
Telugu	పిచ్చుక మీద బ్రహ్మాస్త్రము	to strike a sparrow with the brahmāstra
Thai	ขี่ช้างจับตั๊กแตน	to ride an elephant to catch a grasshopper
Welsh	cymryd gordd i dorri cneuen	to take a sledgehammer to crack a nut

Other Lessons

• Introduction to Common Han Characters
• Ranking of countries by cost of living in the world
• Introduction to Writing Systems
• Traditional Architectures
• Traditional Symbols and Motifs
• Naming in different cultures
• Text Processing Tools
• Productivity tools for polyglots
• Similar Sayings
• Websites of DIY Procedures
• Comparison of Advanced FLOSS Tools for Learning
• Best Singers
• Most Famous Folk Songs