‫ُأ‬

‫أمثال ردنية‬
‫الغرَك ان ما بيهمو البلل‬
Translation: a person who’s drowning won’t
care about getting wet
How it’s used: someone who is during a
problem won’t care about other small things.
  ‫ُع مر الَك صير ما يوكل تين‬
 Translation: A short life doesn’t feed figs
 How it’s used: to say that things won’t change or
that something is inevitable.
  ‫الُع ُم ر َم حدود والرب َم عبود‬
 Translation: Life is limited, and the Lord is
worshipped
 How it’s used: to say that something is
inevitable.
  ‫من رادك ريدو ومن طلب بعادك جافيه‬
 Translation: who wants you [to be around
them] you should in return want [to be
around them] and who asked you staying
away you cut [them] loose
 How it’s used: Treat people in the same
manner that they treat you.
  ‫من يمشي على رجليه شهود ما عليه‬
 Translation: If they have legs, they can do as
they please
 How it’s used: To express doubt or distrust in
someone, because the person who can walk
can do as they please and you’ll never know
  ‫ُم ش ُك لمن َص ف صواني حلواني‬
 Translation: Not everyone who arranged
sweets in a tray is a dessert maker
 How it’s used: Directed either at someone
who is not good at what they do or at
someone displaying pretentious behavior.
  ‫يلي ما بيعرف الصَك ر يشوي‬
 Translation: The one who doesn’t know the
eagle, grills it.
 How it’s used: The idea is that those who are
ignorant of the value of something will likely
squander it, much like a person who fails to
recognize the worth of an eagle and kills it
for food.
  ‫جاجة حفرت على راسها عفرت‬
 Translation: The chicken dug her head in
 How it’s used: For someone who dug a hole
and then fell into it, or for someone who
interferes in others' business, they are likely
to face unpleasant consequences

 Note: It’s similar in meaning to the following

proverb:
 ‫يلي بيدك عالباب بيلَك ى الجواب‬
  ‫يلي بيدك عالباب بيلَك ى الجواب‬
 Translation: If you knock on the door, you’ll
get an answer
 How it’s used: For someone who interferes
in others' business, they are likely to face
unpleasant consequences
  ‫من برى رخام ومن جوى سخام‬
 Translation: Marble on the outside and soot
on the inside
 How it’s used: For something/someone who
is beautiful on the outside but terrible on the
inside
  ‫طنجرة ولقت غطاها‬
 Translation: A pot that found its cover
 How it’s used: Said of two people who are
very similar, who understand each other, and
who get along well
  ‫ُبوُك ل من َع َر ق جبينه‬
 Translation: He eats from the sweat of his
forehead
 How it’s used: He works hard and does not
depend on others
  ‫بْر َك َبتُه عيلة‬
 Translation: He has a family around his neck
 How it’s used: He supports and responsible
for a big family.
  ‫هو بالع راديو‬
 Translation: He swallowed a radio
 How it’s used: He is extremely talkative
  ‫َبَص ْلته محروقة‬
 Translation: His onion is burnt
 How it’s used: He is always in a hurry, impatient, or
impulsive.
 It is known that when an onion is grilled over low
heat, it is completely cooked inside and out without
showing signs of burning. However, if the onion is
placed on a strong fire, it will only burn on the
outside before it oozes from the inside, and this is an
undesirable characteristic of the taste of grilled
onions. Therefore, the hasty and impatient person is
told that “your onion is burnt”.
  ‫َو ّد يه ع الَبَح ر ِبَنْش فه‬
 Translation: Take him to the sea – he will dry
it
 How it’s used: He is clumsy or believed to be
jinxed
  ‫بخاف من َخ ياله‬
 Translation: He fears his own shadow
 How it’s used: To describe a coward person
  ‫ِلِع ب الفار ِبِع ّبه‬
 Translation: The mouse played in his chest
 How it’s used: when doubting something or
feel something isn’t right
  ‫َع ْظمه َذ َهب‬
 Translation: His bones is gold
 How it’s used: He is rich and lives a luxurious
lifestyle
  ‫ُك ثر الشد بيرخي‬
 Translation: Lots of tightening up makes it
loose
 How it’s used: Meaning if you are too strict
or harsh, you invite rebellion and opposition
  ‫ياريت طلبنا مليون دينار‬
 Translation: I wish (The royal we) we
requested for a million dinar!
 How it’s used: Said when you mention
someone, and they appear. Or if think
of/desire something and it appears shortly
after the thought/desire
  ‫إذا ما خْر بت ما بتعمر‬
 Translation: If not destroyed, it will not be
rebuilt
 How it’s used: Sometimes if things/situations
don’t get to the point that can’t be fixed at
all, there is no way to fix them. So, they must
be destroyed to be fixed/rebuild.
  ‫يا ُطّخ ه يا إكسر ُم ّخ ه‬
 Translation: Either shoot him/it or crush
his/its brain
 How it’s used: Either hit the target or miss it
entirely. It's all-in or all-out—there's no room
for gray areas. For example, I must either
become a brilliant doctor or completely
abandon my studies