German proverbs

B

• Besser spät als nie
  • "Better late than never"

• "Besser ein Spatz in der Hand, als eine Taube auf dem Dach."
  • Translation: A sparrow in the hand is better than a pigeon on the roof"
  • Meaning: "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
  • multilingual.

C

E

• "Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt."
  • "Not all that glitters is gold."
  • Meaning: You can't tell a book by its cover.

• "Es ist noch kein Meister vom Himmel gefallen."
  • "No master has fallen from heaven yet"

• Erst kommt das Fressen, dann kommt die Moral.
  • Translation: "First comes the gorging, then the moral."
  • Meaning: "A hungry man has no conscience."

• Einmal ist keinmal.
  • Literally, "Once is never."

• Eine Schwalbe macht noch keinen Sommer!
  • Literally, "One swallow doesn't make summer."
  • Meaning: "It takes more evidence to prove this true"

• Ende gut, alles gut.
  • "All's well that ends well."

• Ein Unglück kommt selten allein.
  • Translation: "A disaster seldom comes alone."
  • Meaning: "It never rains but it pours."

• Eile mit Weile.
  • Translation: "Hurry with leisure."
  • Meaning: "Slower is faster."

H

• "Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall."
  • Literal Translation: "Arrogance comes before the fall."
  • Correct meaning: "People become arrogant before their downfall"

I

• Iss, was gar ist, trink, was klar ist, und sprich, was wahr ist.
  • Translation: "Eat what's been well cooked, drink spirits that are clear, and speak what is true."

• In der Not frisst der Teufel Fliegen
  • Translation: If in need, the devil eats flies.

• In der Nacht sind alle Katzen grau
  • Translation: In the night all cats are gray
  • Meaning: If women dress up to go out at night, it is used to tell them that no one will notice anyway. (this is the policial correct one)
  • other Meaning: If it is late enough and I am drunk enough I don´t care how my one-night-stand looks like. (this is the political incorrect one)

J

K

• "Kümmere dich nicht um ungelegte Eier."
  • Literally: "Don't care for eggs that haven't been laid."
  • Meaning: "Don't cross your bridges until you come to them."
  • English proverb: "Don't count your chickens before they hatch".

• Kommt Zeit, kommt Rat.
  • Literally: "If time comes, advice comes."
  • Meaning: "With time comes insight."

• Kräht der Hahn auf dem Mist, ändert sich's Wetter oder 's bleibt wie's ist.
  • Literally: "If the cock crows on the dung heap, the weather will change or it stays the way it is."
  • Meaning : "Do not rely upon proverbs!" or "The opinion of loud but insignificant people has no influence on the world."

• "Kehre vor Deiner eigenen Tür."
  • Translation: "Clean the ground ahead of your own door."
  • Meaning: "Don´t mess with other peoples business."

L

• Lust und Liebe zu einem Ding macht alle Mühe und Arbeit gering.
  • "Desire and love for a thing makes all the effort and work of slight importance."

M

• "Man soll das Fell des Bären nicht verkaufen, bevor man ihn erlegt hat."
  • Translation: "One shouldn't sell the bear's fur before it has been killed."
  • Meaning: "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched."

• Translation: "One shouldn't praise the day before the evening."
• Meaning: "There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip."

N

• "Neue Besen kehren gut ..." (Part 1 often used without part 2)
  • Translation: "New brooms clean good..."
  • Meaning: "New things may look good on the first glimpse..."

• "...aber der Alte kennt die Ecken." (Part 2)
  • Translation:"...but the old one knows the corners."
  • Meaning:"...but old things can still be better on the second look."

O

• ''Ohne Fleiß kein Preis."
  • Lit.: "No diligence, no prize."
  • "No pain, no gain."
  • "No sweet without sweat."

P

• "Papier ist geduldig.
  • Translation: Paper is patient.
  • Meaning: It is often easier to write things down, than to tell them other people.
  • Meaning: You can write down everything, but it doesn't have to be true.

Q

S

• ''Sind die Hühner flach wie ein Teller, war der Traktor sicher schneller."
  • Lit.: "If the chickens are flat like a plate, the tractor surely was faster."
  • A proverb pulling the leg of farmer's rules.

• Schuster, bleib bei deinen Leisten.
  • "A shoemaker sticks to his last."
  • Meaning: "Just do what you can do best."

• Setz nicht alles auf eine Karte.
  • "Don't put all your eggs in the same basket."

• Stadtluft macht frei.
  • "The City air makes you free."
  • Meaning: In medieval times peoples living in free cities were free from a sovereign. They were not bond-slaves like the people in rural areas. So living in a city - ´breathing citiy air´- meant to be free from bond-slavery to a sovereign. People living in cities could express their own opinion without being harased.

T

• "Taten statt Worte!" or "Taten sagen mehr als Worte"
  • Translation: "Actions instead of words!" or "Actions say more than words"
  • Meaning: A little less conversation - a little more action.

• "Träume sind Schäume."
  • Translation: Dreams are foam.
  • Meaning: A dream has nothing to do with reality.

U

• Unter Blinden ist der Einäugige König.
  • "Among the blind, a one-eyed man is king."

• "Über den Löffel balbieren".
  • Translation: "To shave somebody using a spoon." (?!?)
  • Meaning: "To fool somebody, to doublecross somebody."

• "Über einen Kamm scheren."
  • Translation: "To cut over one comb."
  • Meaning: "To make no differences."

• "Über die Stränge schlagen."

• • Translation: "To kick over the rope."
  • Meaning: "To be high spirited." or "to be careless, because of too much courage"

V

• Vertrauen ist gut, aber Kontrolle ist besser
  • "Trust is good, but control is better"
  • "It´s good to trust, but to verify is better"

• Viele Köche verderben den Brei.
  • "(Too) Many cooks spoil the broth."

• Viel Feind, viel Ehr'.
  • "Many enemies, much honor"
  • Common proverb attributed to Georg von Frundsberg (1473-1528), a German Landsknecht commander

• Vier Augen sehen mehr als zwei.
  • "Four eyes see more than two."

W

• Was nicht ist, kann noch werden.
  • Translation: "What isn't yet can still become."
  • Meaning: "'It hasn't' doesn't mean 'it won't'."

• Was man sich eingebrockt hat, das muss man auch auslöffeln.
  • "What one dishes out, he must also eat."

• Was Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr.
  • Translation: "What Hänschen (small Hans) doesn't learn, (grown-up) Hans will never learn."
  • "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."

• Wenn der Reiter nichts taugt, ist das Pferd schuld.
  • Translation: If the horseman is bad, it's the horse's fault.
  • English equivalent: "A bad workman blames his tools."

• Wer A sagt, muss auch B sagen. (Plattdeutsche Variante: De A seggt, mut ok B seggen")
  • Translation: If you say A, you have to say B as well.
  • Meaning: You must finish what you started.

• Wer nicht will, hat schon
  • Translation: He who does not want something already has enough.
  • Meaning: Used in situations where somebody who desires something must make himself heard, or lose some benefit ("Who wants the last slice of pizza?")

• Wer zuletzt lacht, lacht am besten.
  • "He who laughs last, laughs best."

• Wer nicht wagt, der nicht gewinnt.
  • "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

• Wer anderen eine Grube gräbt, fällt selbst hinein.
  • Translation: "Who digs a pit for others falls into it himself."
  • Meaning: "Harm set, harm get."

• Wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst.
  • Translation: "Who comes first, grinds (his grain) first."
  • Meaning: "First come, first served."

• Wes' Brot ich ess, des' Lied ich sing.
  • Translation: "Whose bread I eat, whose song I sing."
  • Meaning: "He who pays the piper calls the tune."

• Wer die Wahl hat, hat die Qual.
  • Literally, "Who has the choice has the pain."

• Wein auf Bier, das rat' ich dir. Bier auf Wein, lass es sein.
  • Translation: "Wine on beer, I advise you. Beer on wine, leave alone."
  • Meaning: "Cider on beer, never fear; beer upon cider, makes a bad rider."

• Wer den Pfennig nicht ehrt, ist den Taler nicht wert
  • "Who doesn't care about cents isn't worthy to keep a dollar"

• Wer den Cent nicht ehrt, ist den Euro nicht wert
  • "Who doesn't care about cents isn't worthy to keep a euro"

• Wie man in den Wald hineinruft, so kommt es zurück
  • Meaning: "One good turn deserves another"

• Wie man sich bettet, so liegt man
  • Lit.: You will rest as good as you beded.

• ''Wo gehobelt wird, fallen Späne."
  • Lit.: "Where you plane splinters fall."
  • "You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs."

• "Wenn zwei sich streiten, freut sich der Dritte"
  • Lit.: "When two quarrel, the third rejoices."

• "Wenn es Nachts im Bette kracht - der Bauer seine Erben macht."
  • Translation:"When the bed makes noise in the night - the farmer makes his heirs."
  • Meaning: This one pulls a leg on farmers rules.

• "Wer nicht hören will muß fühlen."
  • Translation: "He who deosn´t listen will have to feel."
  • Meaning: "If you don´t da what I tell you to do, I´ll have to beat you." (as a menace for children)
  • Other Meaning: "I told you better but you didn´t listen. Now you have a problem."

• "Wer zuletzt kommt, den beißen die Hunde."
  • Translation: "He who is too late is bitten by the dogs."
  • Meaning: "You are too late and missed it."

• "Wenn das Wörtchen ´wenn´ nicht wär, wär mein Vater Millionär."
  • Translation: "If there wasn´t the little word ´if´, my father would be a millionaire."
  • Meaning: "There is no use in thinking about impossible possibilities. Concentrate on reality." also used as an answer on an excuse meaning "That is a lame excuse!"

X

• Zeit ist Geld.
  • Translation: Time is money.

• "Drei Z sind gern beieinander: Zecher, Zänker, Zungenschmied"
  • Literal translation: Three Z like to be together: drinker, quarreller, tongue-smith.
  • Meaning: Drinking leads to arguments and loose talk.

Others

• (unknown original version)
  • Translation: "The eyes believe themselves; the ears believe other people."

• Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt. Not all is gold, which gleams. -- "All that glitters is not gold."
• Lieber den Spatz in der Hand als die Taube auf dem Dach. Rather the sparrow in the hand than the pigeon on the roof. -- "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
• Kümmere dich nicht um ungelegte Eier. Don't worry about unlaid eggs. -- "Don't cross your bridges until you come to them."
• Andere Länder, andere Sitten. -- Other countries, other customs. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
• Taten sagen mehr als Worte. Actions say more than words. -- "Actions speak louder than words."
• Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall. Arrogance comes before the fall. -- "Pride goeth before a fall." (paraphrase of Proverbs 16:18)
• Ein Unglück kommt selten allein. One mishap rarely comes alone. -- "It never rains but it pours."
• Gleich und gleich gesellt sich gern. Same and same like to convene. -- "Birds of a feather flock together."
• Eile mit Weile. Haste with a rest. -- "More haste, less speed."
• Das Eisen schmieden, solange es heiss ist. Forge the iron, as long as it is hot. -- "Strike while the iron is hot / Make hay while the sun shines."
• Was nicht ist kann noch werden. That which isn't yet, could still be later. -- "'It hasn't' doesn't mean 'it won't'."
• Die Suppe, die man sich eingebrockt hat, muss man auch auslöffeln. -- You've got to eat all the bread you poured into your soup. (roughly)