English Proverbs & Sayings

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

A good beginning makes a good end.
A good name is better than a good face.

A leopard cannot change its spots.

A rotten apple spoils the barrel.
A smooth sea never made a skilled
mariner.
A problem shared is a problem
halved.
A stitch in time saves nine.

A swallow does not make the

summer.
Actions speak louder than words
All cats are grey in the dark.
All good things come to those who
wait.
All roads lead to Rome
An apple a day keeps the doctor
away.

An ounce of prevention is worth a

pound of cure.
April showers bring May flowers.
Be swift to hear, slow to speak.
Better late than never.

Better safe than sorry.

Someone who helps you when you are in

trouble is a real friend.
If a task is carefully planned, there's a
better chance that it will be well done.
A good reputation is better than a good
appearance.
It is impossible for a bad or unpleasant
person to become good or pleasant.
A dishonest or immoral person can have a
bad influence on a group.
Overcoming adversity leads to
competence.
It is easier to deal with a problem when
you discuss it with someone.
If you deal with a problem at an early stage
you will save time and prevent it from
getting worse.
One good event does not mean that
everything is alright.
What a person actually does is more
important than what they say they will do.
People are undistinguished until they have
made a name for themselves.
If you are patient you will be rewarded.
There are many different ways to reach an
objective.
Eating an apple every day can help to
keep you healthy.
Other interpretation: A small preventive
treatment wards off serious problems.
It is easier to prevent something from
happening than to repair the damage or
cure the disease later.
Something bad or unpleasant today may
bring good things in the future.
Listen carefully before speaking.
It's better to do something, even if it's late,
than not do it at all.
It's better to be too careful than to be
careless and regret it later.

Charity begins at home.

Dead men tell no lies.

Diligence is the mother of good

fortune.
Don't bark if you can't bite.
Don't count your chickens before
they're hatched.
Don't judge a book by its cover.
Early to bed, and early to rise,
makes
a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
Easier said than done.
Empty vessels make the most noise.
Every man for himself.
Every rose has its thorn.
Every why has a wherefore.
Experience is the father of wisdom.
Failure teaches success.
First come, first served.
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me
twice, shame on me.
Friendship is like money, easier made
than kept.
Give someone an inch and they will
take a mile (or yard)
God helps those who help
themselves.
Great minds think alike.

Half a loaf is better than none

Haste makes waste

A person's first duty is to help and care for

his own family.
A dead person cannot cause difficulties by
revealing something that it would be
preferable to conceal.
Hard work brings rewards.
Don't complain if you can't enforce your
point of view.
You must not be too confident that
something will be successful.
Don't judge by appearances.
It is much better for you to go to bed early
and to get up early in the morning;
What is suggested sounds easy, but it is
more difficult to actually do it.
The least intelligent people are often the
most talkative or noisy.
You must think of your own interests
before the interests of others.
Every good thing has an unpleasant side.
There is an explanation for everything.
Experience and knowledge result in better
judgement.
People can learn from their failures and be
successful later on.
The first person in the line will be attended
to first.
One should learn from one's mistakes.
Effort is necessary to keep a friendship
alive.
Give someone a little and they will want
more - some people are never satisfied.
Success comes to those who make a real
effort to achieve it.
Intelligent people very often have the same
idea at the same time.
You should be grateful for something, even
if it is not as much as you wanted.
If something is done too quickly, it may be
done carelessly and need to be redone.

He can who believes he can.

He who hesitates is lost.
He who is everywhere is nowhere.
He who plays with fire gets burnt.
Health is better than wealth.
Honesty is the best policy.
Honey catches more flies than
vinegar.
Hunger is a good sauce.

If two ride a horse, one must ride

behind.
If you want a friend, be a friend.
It is always darkest before the dawn.
It's no use crying over spilt milk.
Kindness begets kindness.
Knowledge is power.

Laughter is the best medicine.

Learn to walk before you run.
Let bygones be bygones.
Lightning never strikes in the same
place twice.
Like father, like son.
Look before you leap.
Many hands make light work.
Men make houses, women make
homes.
Money begets money.

If you believe you can do something, you

will be able to do it
If you delay your decision too long, you
may miss a good opportunity.
It's not good to do too many things at the
same time.
If you behave in a risky way, you are likely
to have problems.
It's better to be in good health than to be
rich.
It's always better to be honest.
You can obtain more cooperation from
others
by being nice.
All food tastes good when you are hungry.
When two people do something together,
one will be the leader and the other will be
the subordinate.
Friendship must be reciprocal.
The most difficult time is just before the
problem is solved.
Don't express regret for something that
has happened and cannot be remedied.
If you are kind to someone, they will return
your kindness.
It is easier to make progress or be
successful if you are educated or possess
a lot of information.
Laughter makes people feel good.
Don't rush into doing something before you
know how to do it.
Let's forgive and forget past quarrels.
An unusual event is not likely to occur
again in exactly the same circumstances.
A son's character can be expected to
resemble his father's.
Consider possible consequences before
taking action.
Sharing work makes the task easier.
Women give a house its comfort and
character.
If you have money you can make more
money.

Money doesn't grow on trees.

Never say die.
Never trouble troubles until troubles
trouble you.
Nobody is perfect.
No losers, no winners.
No man is an island.
No smoke without fire.

Once bitten, twice shy.

Opportunity seldom knocks twice.
People who live in glass houses
should not throw stones.
Practice makes perfect.
Prevention is better than cure.

Put all your eggs in one basket.

Rome was not built in a day.

Saying is one thing, doing is
another.
Silence gives consent.
Speech is silver, silence is golden.
The best things in life are free.
The early bird catches the worm.
The first step is the hardest.
The more haste, the less speed.
The more you have, the more you want.
The pen is mightier than the sword.

You should not waste money because it is

not plentiful or obtained easily.
Never give up.
Don't look for problems in advance; deal
with them when they arise.
It is understandable not to be perfect or to
make occasional mistakes.
If there were no losers, there could be no
winners.
We are all interdependent and need other
people.
There could be some truth in the rumour ...
After an unpleasant experience, people are
careful to avoid something similar.
Don't miss opportunities that come along.
One should not criticize others for faults
similar to one's own and risk retaliation.
Doing something repeatedly is the only
way to become good at it.
It is easier to prevent something from
happening than to repair the damage or
cure the disease later.
Risk everything by relying on one plan
(e.g. by putting all one's money into one
business).
It takes time to a job properly. You should
not expect to do it quickly.
People don't always do what they
announce.
If you don't object something, it is assumed
that you agree with it.
Speaking is good, but discretion can be
better.
You don't have to pay for what is important:
happiness, friendship, good health.
If you want to do something successfully,
you should do it as soon as you can.
The most difficult part of an action is the
beginning.
A person makes more progress if they take
time to do things carefully.
People have a constant desire to possess
more.
Words and communication have a greater

The tongue wounds more than a lance.

Time and tide wait for no man.
Time has wings.
Time is money.
A tree is known by its fruit.
Two wrongs don't make a right.

Union is strength
Waste not, want not.
When in Rome, do as the Romans
do.
Where there's life there's hope.
Where there's a will there's a way.
Wisdom is better than strength.
You are never too old to learn.
You can lead a horse to water but
you can't make it drink.
You can't teach an old dog new
tricks.
You never know what you can do
until you try.
You scratch my back and I'll scratch
yours.

effect than war and fighting.

Insults can be more hurtful than physical
injuries.
Delaying a decision will not prevent events
from taking place.
Time goes by quickly.
Time is valuable and should not be
wasted.
A person is judged by their actions.
It is wrong to harm someone because they
have harmed you.
A group has more force than an individual.
If you never waste anything, you will have
is when you need it.
You should adopt the customs of the
people or country you are visiting and
behave in the same way.
As long as a person is breathing, there is
hope for recovery.
If you are determined to do something, you
will find a way to do it.
It is preferable to use one's intelligence
than one's physical strength.
You can always learn something new, no
matter how old you are.
You can offer somebody an opportunity to
do something but you can't force them to
do it.
A person who is used to doing things a
certain way cannot change.
Try first before deciding not to do
something.
You help me and I'll help you.