Proverbs (Peribahasa) Fine feathers make fine birds

A pleasant appearances and good manners give good impressions.

A friend in need is a friend indeed Forbidden fruit is the sweetest

A friend who helps and gives support when one is facing difficulties is a true People tend to do what is forbidden and try what is taboo.
friend.
Fortune knocks once at everyone’s door
An apple a day keeps the doctor away In everyone’s life, a good opportunity comes at least once.
It is believed that eating healthily keeps you from getting sick.
God helps those who help themselves
Beauty is only skin deep Rather than wait for heavenly help, one should work hard on achieving
Awkward appearances are not as important as the inner qualities of a one’s goals.
person or a thing.
Great minds think alike
Better late than never People who have similar personalities think in the same way.
Something done late is better than not having it done at all.
Haste makes waste
Charity begins at home When a person does something in a hurry without careful thought, he might
One should help one’s family members who are in need first, before caring make lots of mistakes.
for outsiders.
Honesty is the best policy
Cut your coat according to your cloth One should always speak the truth.
One must spend within he/she’s means.
If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again
Don’t judge a book by its cover One should not be discouraged if his first attempts but instead must try
One should not to jump on a conclusion based on what can be seen or several more times in order to succeed.
outside qualities.
It’s no use crying over spilt milk
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket It’s no use feeling sorry for things that have happened and to continue
One should not rely on a single route for success but rather take several wishing it had not happened.
routes or opportunities to lead success.
Joy shared is double joy; grief shared is half grief
Easier said than done Happiness when shared brings more happiness, whereas grief when shared
Something that seems easy to talk about is often rather difficult to do or helps ease one’s pain.
achieve.
Knowledge is power
Every cloud has a silver lining A person who is well-informed has great influence over others.
Every unpleasant or sad situation will not last long, something good will
comes out of the situation eventually.
Learn to walk before you run Seeing and believes
In order to gain knowledge, one must start from the simple steps before It’s hard to believe something until you’ve seen it with your own eyes.
attempting the harder ones.
Silence is golden
Love makes the world go round When one is not sure of something, it is better to be quiet.
Love is essential for the world to continue.
The apple never falls far from the tree
Money cannot buy happiness Children usually seem to inherit bad traits from their parents.
Money is important to sustain life but it doesn’t guarantee a happy life.
The pen is mightier than the sword
Money does the talks Writers, scientists, artists and academicians will make a bigger mark in
Money can be used to persuade people. history compared to warriors and soldiers who fought and die in bloody
wars.
Near neighbor is better than a distant relative
Someone who lives nearby or next door is easier to rely on than a relative United we stand, divided we fall
who lives far away. When people join together for a shared purpose, they have more power
than an individual acting on their own.
No rose without a thorn
Pure happiness or pleasure cannot be found without some disadvantages Variety is the spice of life
and discomfort. Having several interests make life very interesting.

Out of sight, out of mind Walls have ears too

When something or someone is not seen regularly, it is soon forgotten. Things spoken in confidence will leak out if one is not careful about who is
around to hear it.
Once bitten twice shy
A person who has gone through a bad experience once will be more careful When in Rome, do as the Romans do
in the future or try to avoid it. When you are new in a foreign place, it is best to follow their rules,
regulations and cultural practices.
Poverty is not a crime
Being poor does not automatically make one a law-breaker. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail
One must plan well to be successful. Without a plan, things tend to fall out
Prevention is better than cure of place.
To stop something from happening is more efficient than to allow it happen
and finding ways to improve the conditions later. You are never too old to learn
When one wants to gain knowledge, one’s age should not prevent him from
Rome was not built in a day doing so.
It takes time to accomplish something.
Exercises B. Choose the best word to complete the proverb.

1. Charity begins ________ (in / at) home.

A. Fill in the crossword puzzle with the correct words.
2. It’ no use crying ________ (over / on) spilt milk.
4 10 2
3. Haste ________ (made / makes) waste.
1 3 4. If at first you ________ (do / don’t) succeed, try and try again.
5. ________ (Find / Fine) feathers make fine birds.
7 6 9 6. Knowledge ________ (are / is / was / were) power.
7. Cut your ________ (cloth / coat) according to your ( coat / cloth).

5 8
8. Don’t judge a ________ (magazine / book) by its cover.
9. ________ (Fairness / Beauty) is only skin deep.
10. An apple a ________ (day / week) keeps the doctors away.

CLUES

1. Don’t put all your _______ 6. ________ said than done.

in one basket.
7. Joy shared is double joy;
2. Better _______ than never. _____ shared is half _____.

3. _________ fruit is the 8. Fortune _______ once at

sweetest. everyone’s door.

4. God helps those who help 9. Every cloud has a ______

_________. lining.

5. Great minds _______ alike. 10. _______ is the best policy.

C. Rearrange the following words to make proverbs. D. There are twelve words hidden in the Word Grid. Find all the words in 5
minutes.
1. friend a indeed is friend a need in
K P C M I N D N S P I C E Z
_______________________________________________________
F O U B S F S L D W F H T R
2. than better prevention is cure T V Q A E T B P A G E K N E
_______________________________________________________ X E G C G L D R O M A N S L
3. without a rose no thorn S R J M U Z I A Q H R M Y A
_______________________________________________________ W T I K O R T E T Y S O X T
4. we united fall divided we stand O Y P L A N O L V T A N R I
R N W S I L E N C E G E S V
_______________________________________________________
D G O L D E N Y B U S Y C E
5. too never old learn you are to
_______________________________________________________
1. The pen is mightier than the _________.
6. in day a Rome not was built
2. __________ is golden.
_______________________________________________________
3. Variety is the __________ of life.
7. never apple far falls the tree from the
4. __________ is not a crime.
_______________________________________________________
5. When in Rome, do as the _________ do.
8. happiness money buy cannot
6. Near neighbor is better than a distant ___________.
_______________________________________________________
7. __________ does the talks.
9. shy bitten twice once
8. Seeing and ___________.
_______________________________________________________
9. Wall has __________ too.
10. run to learn before you walk
10. Out of sight, out of ___________.
_______________________________________________________
11. ___________ makes the world go round.
12. When you fail to ___________, you ___________ to fail.

TRADITIONAL PROVERBS
The following is a collection of traditional proverbs. Do any of these proverbs exist in
your own language?  or by its outward appearance.
 A bird in the hand is worth two
in the bush
 A friend in need is a friend
indeed.
 A stitch in time saves nine.
 Absence makes the heart grow
fonder.
 As you sow, so you shall reap.
 Beauty is only skin deep.
 Better late than never.
 better safe than sorry
 Don't count your chickens
before they're hatched.
 Don't cry over spilt milk.
 Don't judge a book by its cover.
 Don't throw the baby out with
the bath water.
 Early to bed and early to rise
makes a man healthy, wealthy
and wise.
 Every cloud has a silver lining.
 God helps those who help
themselves.
 Half a loaf is better than no
bread.
 He who laughs last laughs
longest.
EXERCISE:A
Which of the proverbs mean the same as these sentences?
1. It is not a good idea to decide if a thing is good or bad just by how it appears at first
____________________________________________________________________
 Make hay while the sun shines
 Necessity is the mother of 2. When a bad thing happens there is always a positive aspect to it.
invention.
 Never put off till tomorrow
____________________________________________________________________
what you can do today.
 One man's meat is another
3. If you don't see someone for a long time you like them better.
man's poison.
 Out of sight, out of mind.
____________________________________________________________________
 Rome wasn't built in a day.
 The best way to a man's heart
4. When you are in a strange place (temporarily) it is better to follow the local
is through his stomach.
customs.
 The end justifies the means.
 The grass is always greener
____________________________________________________________________
on the other side of the fence.
 Too many cooks spoil the
broth. 5. You should be happy with what you have got even if it is less than what you want.
 Two heads are better than
one. ____________________________________________________________________
 Waste not, want not.
 When in Rome, do as the 6. In many areas in life if you do not confront a problem when it starts it can
Romans do. deteriorate rapidly therefore it is much better to act soon.
 You can lead a horse to water,
but you cannot make him ____________________________________________________________________
drink.
 You can't make a silk purse
out of a sow's ear. 7. This proverb was probably written by someone who owns his own house and
 Let sleeping dogs lie.
doesn't stay up all night dancing.
 Hunger is the best sauce.
____________________________________________________________________
8. Don't become very upset by trivialities.
____________________________________________________________________
9. Don't take risks.
_____________________________________________________________