Greek proverbs

• "Άν δεν πάει ο Μωάμεθ στο βουνό, πάει το βουνό στο Μωάμεθ."
  • English Translation: "If Muhammad doesn't go to the mountain, then the mountain goes to Muhammad."
• "Άνθρωπος αγράμματος, ξύλο απελέκητο."
  • English translation: "The illiterate person, is like an uncarved piece of wood."
• "Από 'ξω κούκλα κι από μέσα πανούκλα."
  • English translation: "From the outside a doll, from the inside plague."
  • Used to describe a beautiful woman that has a terrible character.
• "Από την πόλη έρχομαι, και στην κορφή κανέλα."
  • English translation: "I'm coming from town, with cinnamon at the top."
  • An actual surrealist proverb!

Β

• "Βοήθα με να σε βοηθώ ν' ανεβούμε το βουνό."
  • English Translation: "Help me, so that I can help you, so that we can climb (together) the mountain."
  • Refers to cooperation.

Γ

• "Έβαλαν το λύκο να φυλάξει τα πρόβατα."
  • English translation: "They asked the wolf to guard the sheep."
  • They asked someone corrupt, to have a task of civil importance.
• "Ένας κούκος δε φέρνει την Άνοιξη."
  • English translation: "One cuckoo bird does not bring the spring."
  • If one good thing happens in your life, it does not mean it will become good.
• "Είπε ο γάιδαρος τον πετεινό κεφάλα."
  • English translation: "The donkey called the rooster bigheaded."
  • A bit similar to "Look who is talking...".

Ζ

• "Η τρέλα δεν πάει στα βουνά."
  • English translation: "Madness doesn't go to the mountains."
• "Η γριά κότα έχει το ζουμί."
  • English translation: "It's the old chicken that has the juice."
  • Commonly used as a complement to older women.
• "Ή μικρός παντρέψου, ή μικρός καλογερέψου."
  • English Translation: "Either get married early, or become a monk early."
  • Used to convince people to marry young.

Θ

• "Κακό σκυλί, ψόφο δεν έχει."
  • English translation: "Bad dogs die hard."
• "Κάλλιο αργά, παρά ποτέ."
  • English translation: "Better late than never."
• "Κάλλιο γαϊδουρόδενε, παρά γαϊδουρογύρευε."
  • English translation: "It's better to tie your donkey than to go searching for it (afterwards)."
  • This proverb contains two composite verbs that are invented especially for the phrase, and do not occur elsewhere: γαϊδουροδένω (donkey-tying) and γαϊδουρογυρεύω (donkey-searching).
• "Kάλλιο πέντε και στο χέρι, παρά δέκα και καρτέρει."
  • Equivalent to the English: "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
• "Κάλλιο να σου βγει το μάτι παρά το όνομα."
  • English translation: "It's better to loose an eye than to get a bad name."
  • Basically if you get the reputation (name) of being something, it is very hard to loose it.
• "Κόρακας κοράκου μάτι δε βγάζει."
  • English translation: "The crow does not take the eye out of another crow."
  • Bad people do not hurt each other.

Λ

• "Μ'ένα σμπάρο, δυο τρυγώνια."
  • Almost exact translation of: "To kill two birds with one stone."

Ν

• "Νηστικό αρκούδι δεν χορεύει."
  • English translation: "A hungry bear does not dance."
  • If you don't eat (get paid), you cannot function.

Ξ

• "Oι πολλές γνώμες βουλιάζουν το καράβι."
  • English translation: "Too many opinions sink the boat."
  • One the perils of democratic indecisiveness.
• "Οποιος μπλέκεται με τα πίτουρα τον τρων οι κότες."
  • English translation: "He who gets in chicken feed is eaten by the chickens."
  • On the perils of getting involved with the wrong people or with the wrong actities.
• "Ότι μικρομάθεις, δεν γερονταφήνεις."

Π

• "Παπούτσι από τον τόπο σου κι ας είναι μπαλωμένο."
  • English translation: "Shoe from your place, even if it is patched."
  • Take a spouse from the place you come from, even if she is not so great.
• "Που πας ξυπόλητος στ' αγκάθια;"
  • English translation: "How come you are going barefoot on the thorns?"
  • Why are you getting into this difficulty unprepared?
• "Πρώτα βγαίνει η ψυχή του ανθρώπου και μετά το χούι του."
  • English translation: "First comes the soul of a person and then its quirks."
  • Refers to the fact that you first get to know the good parts of the personality of someone and then their quirks (used in relationships).

Ρ

• "Σπίτι μου σπιτάκι μου και σπιτοκαλυβάκι μου."
  • Greek version of "home sweet home".
• "Στου κουφού την πόρτα, όσο θέλεις βρόντα."
  • English translation: "When at a deaf man's door, you can knock (on the door) as much as you like."
  • A proverb about the fact that some people ignore any advice or guidance that may be provided to them. In more modern Greek, there is a funny spoof of this proverb : "Στου κουφού την πόρτα, μπες απ'το παράθυρο" ("When at a deaf man's door, get in through the window").
• "Στους στραβούς κυβερνάει ο μονόφθαλμος!"
  • English equivalent: "In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king."

Τ

• "Τα ράσα δεν κάνουν τον παπά."
  • English translation: "The clothes of the priest don't make someone a priest."
  • Roughly equivalent to the Εnglish: "Clothes don't make the man."
• "Τον αράπη κι αν τον πλένεις, το σαπούνι σου χαλάς."
  • English translation: "No matter how much you wash a black person, you are wasting your soap."
  • This proverb is mainly used to express the futility of trying to change the mentality of a headstrong person (the color of a black person cannot be washed off) and it does not have racist connotations. In modern Greek, the word "αράπης" (arapis -- black man) is an offensive term but originally it is probably derived from the word "Άραβας" (Aravas -- Arab).
• "Το αίμα νερό δε γίνεται. "
  • English translation: "You can't turn blood to water."
  • You can't change the personality of someone.
• "Το μήλο κάτω απ` τη μηλιά θα πέσει."
  • English translation: "The apple falls under the tree."
• "Το 'να χέρι νήβει τ' άλλο και τα δυο το πρόσωπο."
  • English translation: "The one hand washes the other, and both wash the face."
  • Used when referring to cooperation and mutual dependency.

Υ

• "Φασούλι το φασούλι γεμίζει το σακούλι."
  • English translation: "Bean by bean, the sack gets full."
  • On the merits of saving.
• "Φύλαγε τα ρούχα σου να έχεις τα μισά."
  • English translation: "Mind your clothes so that you can keep half of them."
  • Refers to the fact that you can never be too careful, and even if you are very careful, there is still going to be some losses.

Χ

• Ψάχνεις ψύλλους στ' άχυρα.
  • English translation: "You are looking fleas in the straw."
  • You are looking for something impossible to find.
  • English equivalent: looking for a needle in a haystack

Ω