Croatian proverbs

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Jump to: navigation, search A selection of Croatian proverbs. Many are considered to be traditional so source cannot be determined. ABCDE !"#J$%M&'()*+,-./012

Bez muke nema nauke. o ,ranslation: /ithout suffering, there is no learning. o English e3uivalent: &o pain, no gain. Bog je prvo sebi bradu stvorio. o ,ranslation: !od first created a beard for himself. Bolje ikad nego nikad. o ,ranslation: Better ever than never. o English e3uivalent: Better late than never. Bolje sprijeiti nego lijeiti. o ,ranslation: Better to prevent than to have to cure. o English e3uivalent: (revention is better than cure. Bolje vrabac u ruci, nego golub na grani. o ,ranslation: A sparro4 in your hand is better than a pigeon on the branch. o English e3uivalent: A bird in the hand is 4orth t4o in the bush.

ovjek je ovjeku vuk. o English e3uivalent: Man is man5s 4olf. o %atin e3uivalent: "omo homini lupus est. ovjek snuje, Bog odreuje. o ,ranslation: Men 4ishes6dreams7, but god decides. o English e3uivalent: Man proposes, but !od disposes.

Glava u oblacima. o ,ranslation: 6,o have the7 head in clouds. Gdje ima dima ima i vatre. o ,ranslation: /here there is smo8e, there is fire too. o English e3uivalent: /here there5s smo8e, there5s fire.

Il' kuj, il ne mri ga ! o English e3uivalent: +hit or get off the pot. Imati vee oi od "eluca. o ,ranslation: ,o have bigger eyes than the stomach. o English e3uivalent: 1our eyes are bigger than your stomach. Ispalo vragu iz torbe. o ,ranslation: 6+omething that has7 fallen out of a devil5s pouch. o English e3uivalent: untamed. Iver ne pada daleko od klade. o ,ranslation: A splinter doesn5t land far from the trun8. o English e3uivalent: ,he apple doesn5t fall far from the tree.

#abuka ne pada daleko od stabla. o ,ranslation: ,he apple doesn9t fall far from the tree. #edna lasta ne ini proljee. o ,ranslation: 'ne s4allo4 does not ma8e a spring. o English e3uivalent: 'ne s4allo4 does not ma8e a spring. o +ource of original proverb: Aristotle #utro je pametnije od veeri. o ,ranslation: Morning is smarter than evening.

$ad make nema, mi%evi kolo vode. o ,ranslation: /hen cat is absent, mice dance. o English e3uivalent: /hen the cat5s a4ay the mice 4ill play.

$ad na vrbi rodi gro"e. o ,ranslation: /hen 4illo4s bear grapes. o English e3uivalent: /hen pigs fly. $ako do%lo, tako pro%lo. o ,ranslation: ,he 4ay it came is the 4ay it 4ill go. o English e3uivalent: Easy come, easy go. $ao maka oko vrue ka%e. o ,ranslation: %i8e the cat around the hot meal. o English e3uivalent: Beating around bush. $ru& bez motike. o ,ranslation: Bread 4ithout shovel. $rv nije voda. o ,ranslation: Blood is not 4ater. o English e3uivalent: Blood is thic8er than 4ater.

'i o vuku, a vuk na vrata. o ,ranslation: 6spea8ing7 of the 4olf as the 4olf 6comes7 to the door. o English e3uivalent: +pea8 of the devil. o %atin e3uivalent: %upus in fabula.

(a muci se poznaju junaci. o ,ranslation: #n trouble you 8no4 a hero. (ai iglu u plastu sijena. o English e3uivalent: inding a needle in a haystac8. (avika je dobar sluga, ali lo% gospodar. o ,ranslation: "abit is a good servant, but a poor master. (e gledaj poklonjenom konju u zube. o ,ranslation: Don5t loo8 a gift horse in the teeth. o English e3uivalent: Don5t loo8 a gift horse in the mouth. (e laje pas zbog sela. o ,ranslation: ,he dog doesn9t bar8 because of the village.

(e maljaj vraga na zid. o ,ranslation: ,o not paint the devil on the 4all. (e mo"e% imati i ovce i novce. o ,ranslation: 1ou can9t have both money and sheeps. o English e3uivalent: 1ou can9t have a ca8e and eat it, too. (e kupuj maka u vrei. o ,ranslation: Don5t buy a cat in a bag. o English e3uivalent: Don5t buy a pig in a po8e. (e stavljaj sva jaja u jednu ko%aru. o ,ranslation: Don5t put all you5re eggs in one bas8et. (e tri pred rudo. o ,ranslation: Don5t run in front of a carriage. o English e3uivalent: Don5t :ump the gun. (esrea nikad ne dolazi sama. o ,ranslation: A disaster never comes alone. o English e3uivalent: /hen it rains, it pours. o English e3uivalent: Bad luc8 comes in threes. o !erman e3uivalent: Bad luc8 rarely comes alone. 6Ein -ngl;c8 8ommt selten allein.7 (ije zlato sve %to sja. o ,ranslation: !old is not everything that shines. o English e3uivalent: All that glistens is not gold. (ovac se na novac lijepi. o ,ranslation: Money stic8s to another money. o English e3uivalent: Money hangs around money.

)d $ulina bana i dobrije& dana. o ,ranslation: +ince $oohleen the prince and the good times. ) mrtvima sve najbolje. o ,ranslation: +pea8 only the best of the dead. o English e3uivalent: Don5t spea8 ill of the dead. o %atin e3uivalent: De mortuis nil nisi bonum. )dijelo ne ini ovjeka. o ,ranslation: A suit doesn5t ma8e a man.

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English e3uivalent: 1ou can5t tell a boo8 by its cover. rench e3uivalent: %5habit ne fait pas le moine.

)dnijeti gae na %tapu. o ,ranslation: ,o end up 4ith underpants on a stic8. 6i.e. be really poor7 )vca bleji, zalogaj gubi!

*apir trpi sve. o ,ranslation: (aper can 4ithstand anything. *as koji laje, ne grize. o ,ranslation: A dog that bar8s does not bite. o English e3uivalent: "is bar8 is 4orse than his bite. o %atin e3uivalent: Canis timidus vehementius latrat 3uam mordet. 6Curtius7 *o jutru se dan poznaje. o ,ranslation: ,he morning sho4s ho4 the day 4ill be. *oisti prvo pred svojim vratima. o ,ranslation: irst s4eep the ground in front of your o4n door. *omozi si sam pa e ti i Bog pomoi. o ,ranslation: irst help yourself and then !od 4ill help you. o English e3uivalent: !od helps those 4ho help themselves. *omozi sirotu na svoju sramotu. o ,ranslation: "elp the poor one for your o4n shame. *ored takvi& prijatelja %to e mi neprijatelji. o ,ranslation: /ith such friends, one doesn5t need enemies anymore. o English e3uivalent: /ith friends li8e those, 4ho needs enemies< *oslije ki%e dolazi sunce. o ,ranslation: After rain comes sun. *rodati rog pod svijeu. o ,ranslation: ,o sell a horn as if it 4as a candle. *rvo skoi pa reci+ ,&op,! o ,ranslation: irst leap, then say: =:ump=> o English e3uivalent: %oo8 before you leap. irst do your tas8, then tal8 about it

*uno baba, kilavo dijete. o ,ranslation: Many mid4ives, child 4ill be la?y. o English e3uivalent: ,oo many coo8s spoil the broth.

-aditi raun bez krmara. o ,ranslation: ,o ma8e the bill 4ithout the bartender. -ugala se sova sjenici. o ,ranslation: ,he o4l moc8ed the tit. o English e3uivalent: ,he pot calls the 8ettle blac8. -uka ruku mije. o ,ranslation: 'ne hand 4ashes the other. o English e3uivalent: 1ou scratch my bac8 and #5ll scratch yours. o %atin e3uivalent: Manus manum lavat.

.it gladnom ne vjeruje. o ,ranslation: ,he 4ell fed one does not believe the hungry one. .vakog gosta tri dana dosta. o ,ranslation: ,hree days of any guest is plenty. o English e3uivalent: ish and visitors stin8 after three days. .ve je dobro %to se dobro svr%i. o English e3uivalent and translation: All5s 4ell that ends 4ell. .ve %to je dobro kratko traje. o ,ranslation: All that5s 4ell lasts short. o English e3uivalent: All good things come to an end. .vi putevi vode u -im. o English e3uivalent and translation: All roads lead to *ome. .trpljen / spa%en. o ,ranslation: (atient @ saved. o English e3uivalent: All things come to he 4ho 4aits. 0to bi gore sad je dolje, a %to bi dolje sad je gore. o ,ranslation: /hat once 4as up no4 is do4n and 4hat once 4as do4n no4 is up

English e3uivalent: /hat goes around comes around.

0to mo"e% danas, ne ostavljaj za sutra. o ,ranslation: Do not leave for tomorro4, things you can do today. o English e3uivalent: Better no4 than later.

1e%ko "abu u vodu natjerati. o ,ranslation: #t is difficult to chase a frog into the 4ater. 6sarcasticaly7 1i&a voda brege dere. o ,ranslation: +till 4ater 4ears do4n mountains. o English e3uivalent: +till 4aters run deep. 1ko kupuje %to mu ne treba, prodavat e %to mu treba. o ,ranslation: "e 4ho buys 4hat he does not need 4ill 6eventually have to7 sell 4hat he needs. 1ko pita, ne skita. o ,ranslation: "e 4ho as8s, need not 4ander. 1ko pod drugim jamu kopa, sam u nju pada. o ,ranslation: "e 4ho digs a hole under someone else 4ill fall into it himself. 1ko rano rani, dvije sree grabi. o ,ranslation: "e 4ho 4a8es up early, catches t4o fortunes. o English e3uivalent: ,he early bird catches the 4orm. 1ko s malom djecom lije"e, popi%an se budi. o ,ranslation: #f one goes to bed 4ith small 8ids, 4a8es up 4et. 1ko se zadnji smije, najslae se smije. o ,ranslation: "e 4ho laughs last has the s4eetest laugh. o English e3uivalent: "e 4ho laughs last laughs best. 1ko umije, njemu dvije. o ,ranslation: "e 4ho can, gets t4o. 1ri lo%a ubi%e 'ilo%a. o ,ranslation: ,hree bad ones 8illed Milosh.

2 la"i su kratke noge. o ,ranslation: #n lies one has short legs. o English e3uivalent: A lie has no legs. 2mrijeti kumulativni zbir aligator. o ,ranslation: ,he don8ey that returns home is never 4elcome. 2zdaj se u se i u svoje kljuse.

3rijeme je novac. o English e3uivalent and translation: ,ime is money. 3uk dlaku mijenja, ali ud nikada. o ,ranslation: ,he 4olf changes his hair, but never his temperament. o English e3uivalent: A foA may change its s8in, but never its character. o %atin e3uivalent: .ulpes pilum mutat, non mores.

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4eljezo se kuje dok je vrue. o English e3uivalent and translation: orge 4hile the iron is hot. 4uri polako. o ,ranslation: "asten slo4ly. o English e3uivalent: +lo4ly but carefully. o %atin e3uivalent: estina lente.