Czech proverbs

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A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - R - S - T - U - V - Z

[edit] A

[edit] B

• "Bez práce nejsou koláče."
  • Translation: There are no cakes without work.
• "Boží mlýny melou pomalu, ale jistě."
  • Translation: God's mills mill slowly, but surely.
• "Bez peněz do hospody nelez."
  • Translation: Never go to a pub without money.
  • Meaning: Never enter into an activity with a price, without that price.

[edit] C

• "Co na srdci, to na jazyku."
  • Translation: What in the heart that on the tongue.
  • English Equivalent: "Dutch uncle"
  • Meaning: One is too frank.

• "Co můžeš udělat dnes, neodkládej na zítřek."
  • Translation, English equivalent: Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

• "Co oči nevidí, srdce nebolí."
  • Translation:What eyes don´t see, heart doesn´t hurt.

• "Co se doma uvaří, to se doma sní."
  • Translation: What is cooked home is eaten home.

• "Co se v mládí naučíš, ve stáří jako když najdeš."
  • Translation: What have you learned young, you'll find useful when you are old.

• "Čistota půl zdraví."
  • Translation: Cleanliness is half of health.
  • English: Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

[edit] D

• "Dvakrát měř, jednou řež."
  • Translation: Measure twice, cut once.
• "Darovanému koni na zuby nekoukej"
  • Translation: Don't look at a gift horse's teeth.
  • English equivalent: Never look a gift horse in the mouth.
• "Devatero řemesel - desátá bída."
  • Ennead of trade - tenth misery.
  • Meaning: If somebody knows a lot of things, he knows nothing well.
• "Důvěřuj, ale prověřuj."
  • Translation: Trust, but verify

[edit] E

[edit] F

[edit] G

[edit] H

• "Hlad je nejlepší kuchař."
  • Translation: Hunger is the best cook.
  • English equivalent: Hunger is the best spice.

• "Host a ryba třetí den smrdí."
  • Translation: A guest and a fish stink on the third day.
  • English equivalent: Guests and fish stink after three days.

• "Host do domu, bůh do domu."
  • Translation: Guest in the house, god in the house.

[edit] I

[edit] J

• "Jablko nepadá daleko od stromu."
  • Translation: "An apple does not fall far from the tree."

• "Jak kdo zaseje, tak také sklidí."
  • Translation: As one sows, so shall he reap.
  • English equivalent: As you sow, so shall you reap.

• "Jak se do lesa volá, tak se z lesa ozývá."
  • Translation: The way you yell into a forest, the way it echoes out.
  • Meaning: You get what you give.

• "Jak si kdo ustele, tak si také lehne."
  • Translation: As one makes his bed, that way he shall lie down.
  • English equivalent: As you make your bed, so you must lie in it.

• "Jedna vlaštovka jaro nedělá."
  • One swallow doesn't make a spring

[edit] K

• "Kdo dřív přijde, ten dřív mele."
  • Translation: He who comes sooner shall mill/grind sooner.
  • English equivalent: First come, first served.

• "Kdo chce, hledá způsoby, kdo nechce, hledá důvody."
  • Translation: He who really wants looks for solutions, he who doesn't want looks for pleas.

• "Kdo je (moc) zvědavý, bude brzy starý."
  • Translation: He who is (too) curious shall grow old soon.
  • English equivalent: Curiosity killed the cat.

• "Kdo neumí, ten čumí."
  • Translation: He who doesn't know how just stares.

• "Kdo neumí, učí."
  • Translation: He who doesn't know teachs other ones. (It is a parody of previous proverb.)

• "Kdo jinému jámu kopá, sám do ní padá."
  • Translation: He who digs a pit trap for someone falls into it himself.

• "Kdo se směje naposledy, ten se směje nejlépe."
  • Translation, English equivalent: He who laughs last laughs best.

• "Kdo si počká, ten se dočká."
  • Translation: He who waits shall live to see.
  • English equivalent: All things come to him who waits.

• "Kdo šetří, má za tři."
  • Translation: He who saves shall have as [much as] three [people].
  • English equivalent: A penny saved is a penny earned.

• "Kdo zaváhá, nežere."
  • Translation: He who's late won't get the grub.
  • English equivalent: First come, first served.

• "Kolik řečí znáš, tolikrát jsi člověkem."
  • Translation: You are as many times a human as many languages you know.

• "Komu se nelení, tomu se zelení."
  • Translation: He who is not lazy shall get much green.
  • Meaning: Who is not lazy will be successful.

• "Kovářovic kobyla chodí bosa."
  • Translation: The blacksmith's mare walks without horseshoes.
  • English equivalent: It's the cobbler's children that go barefoot.
  • Meaning: You never serve yourself what you serve the others.

• "Kdo chce psa bít, hůl si vždycky najde"
  • Translation: He who wants to beat the dog will always be able to find the stick"
  • Meaning: You can always somehow justify your actions after you've already decided on something.

[edit] L

• "Láska hory přenáší."
  • Translation: Love goes over the mountains.

• "Láska prochází žaludkem."
  • Translation: Love goes through a stomach.

• "Lépe pozdě než nikdy."
  • Translation, English equivalent: Better late than never.

• "Lepší vrabec v hrsti než holub na střeše."
  • Translation: Better a sparrow in the hand than a pigeon on the roof.
  • English equivalent: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

• "Lež má krátké nohy."
  • Translation: A lie has short legs.
  • English equivalent: A lie has no legs.

• "Líná huba, holé neštěstí."
  • Translation: The lazy mouth, a sheer disaster.
  • If you don't ask you don't get.

[edit] M

• "Malé ryby taky ryby."
  • Translation: Even small fish are fish.
• "Mezi slepými jednooký králem."
  • Translation, English equivalent: In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is the king.
• "Mnoho psů, zajícova smrt."
  • Translation: Many dogs, rabbit's death.
• "Muž je hlavou rodiny a žena krkem."
  • Translation: Man is the family's head, woman is the neck.

[edit] N

• "Na každém šprochu pravdy trochu."
  • Translation: There's a piece of truth in every piece of gossip.

• "Nehas, co tě nepálí."
  • Translation: Don't put out a fire that isn't burning you.
  • Meaning: "Don't get involved into other peoples' problems." The underlying meaning is either not to poke one's nose into other peoples' business, but more often it is meant as a controversial advice not to waste one's effort on issues that are indifferent to one (or might even cause hardship to one).

• "Není všechno zlato, co se třpytí."
  • Translation, English equivalent: Not all that glitters is gold.

[edit] O

• "Oko za oko, zub za zub."
  • Translation, English equivalent: An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

• "Oči jsou zrcadlem duše."
  • Eyes are the mirror of soul.

[edit] P

• "Pes, který štěká, nekouše."
  • Translation: A dog that barks doesn't bite.
  • English equivalent: Barking dogs seldom bite.
• "Pivo dělá hezká těla."
  • Translation: Beer makes beautiful bodies.
  • Meaning: A warning to the misleading effects of alcohol.
  • Ironic reference to "beer belly", associated with overweight men who spend too much time in pubs eating and drinking beer.
• "Po bitvě je každý generálem."
  • Translation: After a battle everyone is a general.
  • English equivalent: Hindsight is 20-20.
• "Pod svícnem bývá největší tma."
  • Translation, English equivalent: The darkest place is under the candlestick.
• "Pořádek dělá přátele."
  • Translation: Order makes friends.
• "Pozdě bycha honiti."
  • Translation: It is too late to say: "I would"
  • English equivalent: Marry in haste, repent in leisure.
• "Pýcha předchází pád."
  • Translation: Pride goes before, and fall comes after.
  • English equivalent: Pride comes before a fall.

[edit] R

• "Ranní ptáče dál doskáče."
  • Translation: Early bird hops further.
  • English equivalent: The early bird catches the worm.

• "Ráno moudřejší večera."
  • Translation: The morning is wiser than the evening.

• "Ryba smrdí od hlavy."
  • Translation, English equivalent: The fish stinks from the head.

[edit] S

• "S chuti do toho a půl je hotovo."

• "S poctivostí nejdál dojdeš."
  • Translation: With honesty you will get the furthest.
  • English equivalent: Honesty is the best policy.

• "S úsměvem jde všechno líp."
  • Translation: Everything goes better with a smile.

• "Stokrát nic umořilo osla."
  • Translation: A hundred times nothing killed the donkey.
  • Meaning: Even the smallest chores are tiresome (if there is too many).

• "Strach má velké oči."
  • Translation: Fear has big eyes.
  • Meaning: People overestimate danger because of fear.

• "Šaty dělaji člověka."
  • Translation: Clothing makes a man.

[edit] T

• "Tak dlouho se chodí se džbánem pro vodu, až se ucho utrhne."
  • Translation: So long does one walk with a jug for water, until one day the handle breaks off."
• "Tichá voda břehy mele."
  • Translation: Silent waters wash out banks.
  • English equivalent: Still waters run deep.
• "Trpělivost ruže přináší."
  • Translation: Patience brings roses.
  • English equivalent: Patience is the best remedy.

[edit] U

[edit] V

• "V nouzi poznáš přítele."
  • Translation: When in need, you shall know a friend.
  • English equivalent: A friend in need is a friend indeed.
• "Ve dvou se to lépe táhne."

• "Vrána k vráně sedá, (rovný rovného si hledá.)"
  • Translation: A crow sits next to a crow, (one searches for an equal.)
  • English equivalent: Birds of a feather flock together.
• "Vrána vráně oči nevyklove."
  • Translation: A crow will not peck out a crow's eyes.
  • English equivalent: Dogs don't eat dogs.
• "Všechny cesty vedou do Říma."
  • Translation, English equivalent: All roads lead to Rome.
• "Všude dobře, doma nejlépe."
  • Translation: Everywhere is well, at home it's best.
  • English equivalent: East or West, home is best.
• "Všude dobře, doma manželka." (parody of previous proverb)
  • Translation: Everywhere is well, at home a wife.
• "Vyřčené slovo nevrátíš."
  • Translation, English equivalent: A word spoken is past recalling.
• "V zdravém těle zdravý duch."
  • Translation: In a healthy body a healthy spirit.
  • English equivalent: A sound mind in a sound body.
• "Výjimka potvrzuje pravidlo."
  • Translation: An exception confirms a rule.

[edit] Z

• "Zakázané ovoce chutná nejlépe."
  • Translation: Forbidden fruit tastes best.
  • English equivalent: Forbidden fruit is the sweetest.
• "Žádný učený z nebe nespadl."
  • Translation: Wise men don't fall from the sky.
  • Meaning: Knowledge doesn't come easily.