Czech proverbs

D

• Dvakrát měř, jednou řež.
  • Literal translation: Measure twice, cut once.
  • Idiomatic translation: Look before you leap.
    • Quoted in collected works of Karolina Světlá, p 155 (1903).: "Measure twice, cut once; before you speak, think over again at least once what you intend to say."
• Darovanému koni na zuby nekoukej.
  • Literal translation: Don't look at a gift horse's teeth.
  • Idiomatic translation: Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
    • Quoted in collected works of Jan Evangelista Purkyně, p 55 (1968): "Einem geschenkten Gaul - a variant of the Czech proverb: Don't look at a gift horse's teeth".

J

• Jablko nepadá daleko od stromu.
  • Literal translation: An apple does not fall far from the tree.
  • Idiomatic translation: Like father, like son. / Like mother, like daughter.
    • Quoted by Gulland Daphne M. in Anglické obrazné fráze a idiomy (English figurative phases and idioms), p 85 (Czech edition 2011).

K

• Kdo dřív přijde, ten dřív mele.
  • Literal translation: He who comes sooner, grinds sooner.
  • Idiomatic translation: First come, first served.
    • Quoted by Božena Němcová in Babička (1855) (p 39 in 1950 reedition).

• Kdo se směje naposled, ten se směje nejlépe.
  • Literal translation: He who laughs last [is] the one who laughs best.
  • Idiomatic translation: He laughs best who laughs last.
    • Quoted by Emanuel Strauss in Concise dictionary of European proverbs, p167 (1998)

• Kolik jazyků znáš, tolikrát jsi člověkem.
  • Translation: As many languages you know, as many times you are a human being.
  • Meaning: The more languages you know, the broader is your mentality.
    • Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (1850-1937), co-founder and first president of Czechoslovakia. Quoted in Český jazyk a literatura (Czech Language and Literature), Volume 56, Issues 1-5, p 54 (2006): "Masaryk's As many languages you know, as many times you are a human being does not refer only to the ability to communicate in different languages, but also the ability to share in various spiritual spheres of different cultures."

• Kovářova kobyla chodí bosa.
  • Translation: The blacksmith's mare walks barefoot.
  • Idiomatic translation: The cobbler's children have no shoes.
    • Quoted by Karel Poláček in Hedvika a Ludvík (1931) (p 41 in 1993 reedition)

L

• Lepší vrabec v hrsti než holub na střeše.
  • Literal translation: Better [is] a sparrow in the hand than a pigeon on the roof.
  • Idiomatic translation: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
    • Quoted in correspondence between Josef Florian and Staša Jílovská (1919-1922, published 1993, p 82).

N

• Na každém šprochu pravdy trochu.
  • Literal translation: In every piece of gossip [is] a bit of truth.
  • Idiomatic translation: There is no smoke without fire.
    • Quoted by Jan Cimický in Trápení lásky, p 29 (2007): "Why, in every piece of gossip is a bit of truth! Such a stupid affair! Is it possible at all to explain that it isn't true, that they are only writing it as they need something to write about, so as to earn more by banner headlines and sell the biggest possible print run of the tabloid?"

O

• Oko za oko, zub za zub.
  • Literal translation: An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
  • Idiomatic translation: An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
    • Matthew 5:38. In the Bible of Kralice (first translation of the Bible into Czech) appears as "Oko za oko, a zub za zub", but the proverb is usually used without the conjuction "and". Quoted in Český časopis historický ("The Czech Historical Review"), Volume 101, p 302 (2005).

R

• Ranní ptáče dál doskáče.
  • Literal translation: An early bird hops farther.
  • Idiomatic translation: The early bird catches the worm.
    • Quoted by Robert Tilley in Fit for Business English, p 65 (2005).

• Ráno moudřejší večera.
  • Translation: Morning is wiser than evening.
  • Meaning: It's best to sleep on it.
    • Quoted by Miloslav Rechcígl in Czechmate: From Bohemian Paradise to American Haven, p 53 (2011)

• Ryba smrdí od hlavy.
  • Literal translation: A fish stinks from the head.
  • Idiomatic transaltion: A fish rots from the head down.
    • Quoted by Ota Šik in Jarní probuzení - a skutečnost: iluze (1989) (p 152 in 1990 reedition): "I often phrased it so that the reader could make out who I meant and that - according to a Czech proverb - "a fish stinks from the head"."

T

• Tak dlouho se chodí se džbánem pro vodu, až se ucho utrhne.
  • Translation: One goes to fetch water with a jug for so long, until the handle breaks away.
  • Meaning: One keeps doing something risky until the risk actually happens.
    • Quoted in Literární měsíčník (Literary Monthly), Volumes 1-5, p 111 (1988): "Pavel Pípal kept trying to persuade the landlady that one day it would surely come out and argued using the popular slogan that one goes to fetch water with a jug for so long, until the handle breaks away."

• Tichá voda břehy mele.
  • Translation: Silent water grinds the banks.
  • Meaning: Inconspicuous people may one day surprise us by their acts.
    • Quoted in Volume 14 of Collected Works of Josef Kajetán Tyl, p 60 (1859): " 'But silent water grinds the banks,' the maid butted in, 'and I bet anything that Mr Vencl doesn't go to church so early each Sunday without a cause.' "

• Trpělivost růže přináší.
  • Literal translation: Patience brings roses.
  • Idiomatic translation: Patience is the best remedy.
    • Quoted by Roman Chmel in Otázky a odpovědi o porodu (Questions and answers about childbirth), p 107 (2nd, amended and updated edition, 2008): "They say that patience brings roses. Remember this proverb when pre-induction seems long to you."