Yiddish proverbs

Proverbs in the Yiddish language.

Proverbs

  • .(אַכט איז ניט קיין אמת) זיבן איז אַ ליגן
    • Zibn iz a lign (akht iz nit keyn emes).
    • Seven is a lie (eight is not the truth).
    • Source: Bernstein, Ignaz (1988). Jüdische Sprichwörter und Redensarten. Fourier Verlag. p. 98. ISBN 3-925037-25-X. 
    • To many this seems like a very puzzling proverb; however, it turns out to be one of the most powerful proverbs that is applicable to today. Mr. Leopold Kosiner (now deceased), the father-in-law of Barry Kaplan, explained it to him. He told him that it means that, much more often than expected, when the numbers, such as 7, 17, 27, 70, 77, 700, etc. are stated or appear in print, they are not correct. This fact seems to apply to all societies and cultures worldwide and almost no persons, newspapers, newscast, advertisers, etc. seem to be aware of this and do not make the effort to determine the correct number.


  • .אַ קלוגער פֿאַרשטײט פֿון אײן װאָרט צװײ
    • A kluger farshteyt fun eyn vort tsvey.
    • A wise man hears one word and understands two.
    • Source: Stutchkoff, Nahum (1950). דער אוצר פֿון דער ייִדישער שפּראַך. YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. p. 304. ISBN 0-914512-46-3. 
    • German gloss (unattested): Ein Kluger versteht von einem Wort zwei.
  • .אַחרי מות קדושים
    • Akhre moys kdoyshim. (direct quote from Hebrew title of two sequential Torah portions)
    • After death, [a person is] holy.
    • English equivalent: Speak well of the dead.
    • Meaning: After a person's death, one should speak only of his virtues. Do not speak ill of the dead.
    • Meaning when used ironically: After death, even the most ordinary person becomes a saint.
    • Source: Bernstein, Ignaz (1988). Jüdische Sprichwörter und Redensarten. Fourier Verlag. p. 10. ISBN 3-925037-25-X. 
    • Latin equivalent: De mortuis nihil nisi bonum. (About the dead, nothing but good [should be said].)
  • .‎אױף אײן שלאָג פֿאַלט קײן בױם ניט אום
    • Af eyn shlog falt keyn boym nit um.
    • A tree doesn't fall with one blow.
    • English equivalent: Little strokes fell great oaks.
    • Source: Bernstein, Ignaz (1988). Jüdische Sprichwörter und Redensarten. Fourier Verlag. p. 279. ISBN 3-925037-25-X. 
    • German gloss (unattested): Auf (Mit) einen Schlag fällt kein Baum (nicht) um.
  • .אױף פֿײַער זאָל מען קײן בױמל ניט גיסן
    • Af fayer zol men keyn boyml nit gisn.
    • Don't pour oil on fire.
    • English equivalent: Don't add fuel to the fire.
    • Meaning: Don't make a bad situation worse by making an injudicious remark.
    • Source: Stutchkoff, Nahum (1950). דער אוצר פֿון דער ייִדישער שפּראַך. YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. p. 454. ISBN 0-914512-46-3. 
    • German equivalent: Man soll kein Öl ins Feuer gießen.
    • German gloss (theoretical): Auf Feuer soll man kein (Baum-) Öl (nicht) gießen.
  • ‎אַמאָל איז די רפֿואה ערגער פֿאַר דער מכּה‫.‬
    • Amol iz di refue erger far der make.
    • Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.
    • Source: Stutchkoff, Nahum (1950). דער אוצר פֿון דער ייִדישער שפּראַך. YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. p. 423. ISBN 0-914512-46-3. 
    • German gloss (theoretical): Einmal (Manchmal) ist die Refue ärger für (als) die Macke.
  • .אַז דער שטײן ליגט אױף אײן אָרט װערט ער אױך באַװאַקסן מיט גראָז
    • Az der shteyn ligt af eyn ort vert er oykh bavaksn mit groz.
    • If a stone stays in one place, it becomes overgrown with grass.
    • Source: Bernstein, Ignaz (1988). Jüdische Sprichwörter und Redensarten. Fourier Verlag. p. 271. ISBN 3-925037-25-X. 
    • German gloss (unattested): Als (wenn) der Stein liegt auf einem Ort wird er auch bewachsen mit Gras.
    • English proverb expressing the converse: A rolling stone gathers no moss.
  • .אַז מען לעבט, דערלעבט מען
    • Az men lebt, derlebt men.
    • When one lives, one experiences.
    • Meaning: If you live long enough, you live to see surprising things.
    • Source: Furman, Israel (1968). ייִדישע שפּריכװערטער און רעדנסארטן. Hamenora Publishing House. p. 219. 
    • German gloss (unattested): Als (wenn) man lebt, erlebt man.
  • .בעסער הערן קללות איידער הערן נעבעך
  • .פֿאַר אַ צאַפּ האָט מען מורא פֿון פֿאָרנט, פֿאַר אַ פֿערד פֿון הינטן, פֿאַר אַ נאַר פֿון אַלע זײַטן
    • Far a tsap hot men moyre fun fornt, far a ferd fun hintn, far a nar fun ale zaytn.
    • Be wary in front of a billy goat, in back of a horse, or on any side of a fool.
    • Source: Bernstein, Ignaz (1988). Jüdische Sprichwörter und Redensarten. Fourier Verlag. p. 105. ISBN 3-925037-25-X. 
  • .‎פֿון אַ חזיר־שװענצל קען מען קײן שטרײַמל ניט מאַכן
    • Fun a khazer-shventsl ken men keyn shtrayml nit makhn.
    • You can't make a shtreimel from a pig's tail.
    • English equivalent: You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.
    • Meaning: "You cannot produce anything of good quality from poor raw material; often used of people."
    • Source for meaning of English equivalent: Martin H. Manser (2007). The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs. Infobase Publishing. p. 313. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5. 
    • Source: Bernstein, Ignaz (1988). Jüdische Sprichwörter und Redensarten. Fourier Verlag. p. 105. ISBN 3-925037-25-X. 
    • German gloss (theoretical): Von einem Chaser-Schwänzel kann man keinen Schtreimel (nicht) machen.
  • .דער מענטש טראַכט און גאָט לאַכט
    • Der mentsh trakht un Got lakht.
    • Man plans and God laughs.
    • English equivalent: Man proposes, God disposes.
    • Source: Furman, Israel (1968). ייִדישע שפּריכװערטער און רעדנסארטן. Hamenora Publishing House. p. 248. 
    • German equivalent: Der Mensch denkt und Gott lenkt.
    • German gloss (unattested): Der Mensch trachtet und Gott lacht.
  • .דאָס עפּעלע פֿאַלט ניט װײַט פֿון בײמעלע
    • Dos epele falt nit vayt fun beymele.
    • The apple doesn't fall far from (the) tree.
    • English equivalent: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
    • Meaning: Children are like their parents.
    • Source: Bernstein, Ignaz (1988). Jüdische Sprichwörter und Redensarten. Fourier Verlag. p. 193. ISBN 3-925037-25-X. 
    • German equivalent: Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm.
    • German gloss: Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Baum.
  • .אַ באַרג מיט אַ באַרג קומט זיך ניט צונױף, אָבער אַ מענטש מיט אַ מענטשן יאָ
    • A barg mit a barg kumt zikh nit tsunoyf, ober a mentsh mit a mentshn yo.
    • Two mountains can't come together, but two people can.
    • Meaning: There is always a way for people to find common ground.
    • German gloss (unattested): Ein Berg mit einem Berg kommt sich nicht zusammen, aber ein Mensch mit einem Menschen ja (schon).
    • Source: Stutchkoff, Nahum (1950). דער אוצר פֿון דער ייִדישער שפּראַך. YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. p. 30. ISBN 0-914512-46-3. 
  • .די צײַט איז טײַערער פֿון געלט
    • Di tsayt iz tayerer fun gelt.
    • Time is more precious than money.
    • Source: Bernstein, Ignaz (1988). Jüdische Sprichwörter und Redensarten. Fourier Verlag. p. 222. ISBN 3-925037-25-X. 
    • German gloss (unattested): Die Zeit ist teuerer von (als) Geld.
  • געשװיגן הײסט אױך גערעדט‪.‬
    • Geshvign heyst oykh geredt.
    • Even silence speaks.
    • Meaning: Sometimes there is eloquence in silence. Alternate meaning: Silence implies consent.
    • Source: Bernstein, Ignaz (1988). Jüdische Sprichwörter und Redensarten. Fourier Verlag. p. 265. ISBN 3-925037-25-X. 
    • German equivalent: Schweigen ist auch eine Antwort.
    • German gloss (unattested): Geschwiegen heißt auch geredet.
  • .שטיל װאַסער גראָבט טיף
    • Shtil vaser grobt tif.
    • Still water digs deep.
    • Source: Bernstein, Ignaz (1988). Jüdische Sprichwörter und Redensarten. Fourier Verlag. p. 86. ISBN 3-925037-25-X. 
    • English equivalent: Still water runs deep.
    • "Silent Men, like still Waters, are deep and dangerous."
    • Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia (1732)

See also

  • Yiddish Wit - Yiddish proverbs in Yiddish (Hebrew letters), YIVO transliteration, and English translation, with illustrations and notes.
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