Thai proverbs

From Wikiquote

• นานาจิตตัง
  • Transliteration: Na na jit tung
  • Literal: All sorts of mind.
  • Meaning: Everyone to his taste; up for grasp.

• ใส่หน้ากาก
  • Transliteration: sai na kak
  • Literal: Wear a mask.
  • Meaning: Faking; putting up a face.

• หมาขี้ไม่มีใครยกหาง
  • Transliteration: mah kee mai mee krai yok hahng
  • Literal: Nobody lifts a dog's tail when it defecates.
  • Meaning: Self praise is not recommended.

• น้ำลดตอผุด
  • Transliteration: Num lod tor pud
  • Literal: When the water level is low, the stump speaks.
  • Meaning: Deeds (negative) can't be hidden from view forever.

• • กาคาบพริก
  • Transliteration: ka kab prik
  • Literal: A crow holds the chilli in its mouth.
  • Meaning: Evaluate yourself well before putting on that glaring red dress. (Dare not putting on a red dress when you're not fair-skinned.)

• • ตำน้ำพริกละลายแม่น้ำ
  • Transliteration: tum nam prig la lai ma nam
  • Literal: Pound the hot sauce and pour it away in the river.
  • Meaning: Don't be extravagant or wasteful.

• • คิดก่อนเจรจา
  • Transliteration: kid-kon-je-ra-ja
  • Literal: Think before speaking.
  • Meaning: (straightforward)Think before making a verbal exchange.

• ต้นร้ายปลายดี
  • Transliteration: ton-rai-plai-dee
  • Literal: Bad beginning; good ending.
  • Meaning: Referring to people or situations which have a bad start but gets better towards the end.

• กบเลือกนาย
  • Transliteration: Kob Luek Nai
  • Literal: The frog picking a leader.
  • Meaning: if you change your mind too much, you'll get hurt

• กงเกวียนกำเกวียน
  • Transliteration: Kong kwean kum kwean
  • Literal: A cart's wheels fall into the track.
  • Meaning: Like karma, deeds repay.

• กระต่ายหมายจันทร์
  • Transliteration: Kra-tie' mai jhun
  • Literal: A rabbit aims for the moon.
  • Meaning: Don't aim at the impossibilities; get grounded.

• กลมเป็นลูกมะนาว
  • Transliteration: Glom pen luge mar-now
  • Literal: Round like a lime.
  • Meaning: Referring to those who's quick to run out of the problem (negative).

• กำขี้ดีกว่ากำตด
  • Transliteration: Kum khee dee kwa kum tod
  • Literal: Grabbing excrement is better than grabbing flatulence.
  • Meaning: Having something is better than having nothing.

• กำแพงมีหู ประตูมีตา
  • Transliteration: Kum-pang mee hu, pra-tu mee tar
  • Literal: Walls have ears; doors have eyes.
  • Meaning 1: Be aware when you have confidential information.
  • Meaning 2: There are doors into everything, regardless of the tight security one's set up to guard that secret.

• กิ่งทองใบหยก
  • Transliteration: Ging tong by yok
  • Literal: A gold branch with a jade leaf.
  • Meaning: A perfect couple (often use with the fiancees; in Chinese it means a princess).

• กิ้งก่าได้ทอง
  • Transliteration: King-khar dhai thong.
  • Literal: A chameleon acquires gold.
  • Meaning: Those who like to call for the other's attention by showing their belongings.

• กินบนเรือนขี้รดบนหลังคา
  • Transliteration: Kin bon ruen, khee bon lung kar
  • Literal: Eat in a house then excrete on the roof.
  • Meaning: Referring to those who are ungrateful to who did good things to them.

• แกว่งตีนหาเสี้ยน
  • Transliteration: Kwang teen har siean.
  • Literal: Swing a foot into thorns.
  • Meaning: Those who like to court trouble.

• รักฉันต้องรักหมาฉันด้วย
  • Transliteration: Rak chan tong rak maa chan duay
  • Literal: Love me, love my dog.
  • Meaning: If you love me, love me with all my faults.

• ขี่ช้างจับตั๊กแตน
  • Transliteration: Kee chang jahb thak-a-thaen
  • Literal: Ride an elephant to catch a grasshopper.
  • Meaning 1: Don't make something easy difficult.
  • Meaning 2: Use the correct tool for the correct job.

• เส้นผมบังภูเขา
  • Transliteration: Senn pom bang puu khao
  • Literal: A hair hides a mountain.
  • Meaning 1: Sometimes the problem is not as big as you think it is.
  • Meaning 2: You can't see something clearly even when it's huge and right in front of you, because of that little something that obscures it.

• จับปลาสองมือ
  • Transliteration: Jahb plaa song mue
  • Literal: To catch fish in each hand.
  • Meaning 1: Try not to multitask if that compromises the success of any single thing.

• ช้างตายทั้งตัวเอาใบบัวปิดไม่มิด
  • Transliteration: Chang tie tung tua ow bai buor phid mai mid
  • Literal: A dead elephant cannot be covered by a lotus leaf.
  • Meaning: Don't try to hide a big mistake/problem, once it's out in the open.

• ปิดทองหลังพระ
  • Transliteration: Phid thong lhang phra
  • Literal: Cover the back of an image of Buddha with gold leaf.
  • Meaning: Referring to those who help others behind the scene, not desiring credits or recognition.

• งมเข็มในมหาสมุทร
  • Transliteration:Ngom kem nai mahaa-sa-mut
  • Literal: Looking for a pin in the ocean.
  • Meaning: Don't try the impossible.

• รักวัวให้ผูกรักลูกให้ตี
  • Transliteration: Rak wua hy puuk rak luuk hy dtee
  • Literal: If you love your cow, tie it up. If you love your child, punish him/her.
  • Meaning: If you love your child, you must discipline them.

• ความลับไม่มีในโลก
  • Transliteration: Kwan lub mai mee nai loke
  • Literal: There are no secrets in the world.
  • Meaning: There is no such thing as secret; try not to hide what can't be hidden.

• น้ำขึ้นให้รีบตัก
  • Transliteration: Narm khuen hai reeb thug
  • Literal: When the river is filled, be quick to fetch some into your bucket.
  • Meaning: Seize the opportunity.

• กันไว้ดีกว่าแก้
  • Transliteration: Gan wy dtee gwaa gae
  • Literal and meaning: Preventive measure is better than curative measure.

• ไฟลนก้น
  • Transliteration: Fai lhon kon
  • Literal: Having your buttocks on fire.
  • Meaning: Describing the manner in which one is pressured by something, usually a deadline.

• เตี้ยอุ้มค่อม
  • Transliteration: Tear um khom
  • Literal: The short carrying the hunchback.
  • Meaning: Watch out for yourself if you know you're already disadvantaged.

• แกะดำ
  • Transliteration: Kare dum
  • Literal: Black sheep.
  • Meaning: The different one; the weird one.

• เข็นครกขึ้นภูเขา
  • Transliteration: Khen krok kheun phu kao
  • Literal: Push the stone to the top of the mountain.
  • Meaning: To perform a Herculean task.

• งามแต่รูปจูบไม่หอม
  • Transliteration: Ngam tae rup, jub mai horm
  • Literal: Great look but bad breath.
  • Meaning: Those who have good apperance, but do not behave nicely or have no manner.

• หัวล้านได้หวี
  • Transliteration: Hua laan dy wee
  • Literal: A bald man bestowed with a comb.
  • Meaning: A person sometimes wants something that is useless to him/her.

• หนีเสือปะจระเข้
  • Transliteration: Nee sua pa' jorakeh
  • Literal: Escape from a tiger to be eaten by a crocodile.
  • Meaning: To escape a danger only to meet another.
  • English version: Out of the frying pan, into the fire.

• ไก่ได้พลอย
  • Transliteration: Kai die' ploy
  • Literal: A chicken gets a gem.
  • Meaning: A person who has a good thing, but he doesn't know about value.

• ไก่เห็นตีนงู งูเห็นนมไก่
  • Transliteration: Kai hen teen ngu, ngu hen nom kai
  • Literal: A chicken sees the snake's foot and a snake sees the chicken's breast.
  • Meaning: Two parties who know each other secret.

• กบในกะลา
  • Transliteration: Khob nai ka la
  • Literal: Frog in a coconut shell.
  • Meaning: Referring to those who's insular but ignorant, like a frog living in a coconut shell.

• กระต่ายตื่นตูม
  • Transliteration: Kra tay teun toom
  • Literal: Like a shocked and frenzied bunny.
  • Meaning: When you are excited, you cannot see the real issue.

• ไก่งามเพราะขน คนงามเพราะแต่ง
  • Transliteration: Kai ngam pror khon, kon ngam pror thang
  • Literal: Chicken are beautiful because of their feathers; women are beautiful because of their make-up.
  • Meaning: Beauty comes after one grooms her appearance and puts on cosmetics.

• สอนจระเข้ว่ายน้ำ
  • Transliteration: Son jarakeh wai-naam
  • Literal: Teach a crocodile to swim.
  • Meaning: Don't teach an expert.

• เดินตามผู้ใหญ่ หมาไม่กัด
  • Transliteration: Dern tarm phu-yai mha mai khud
  • Literal: When you follow the old man, the dog will not bite.
  • Meaning: Follow the wiseman and you will be safe from harm.

• รำไม่ดีโทษปี่โทษกลอง
  • Transliteration: Rarm mai dee, tose phee tose klong
  • Literal: Those who dance poorly yet blame the musician (direct meaning: flutes and drums).
  • Meaning: Referring to one who blames others for his own shortcomings or failures.

• ชิงสุกก่อนห่าม
  • Transliteration: Shing suek khorn harm
  • Literal: Get overripe before partly ripe.
  • Meaning: A person who did something before appropriate time (usually means unmarried sex.)

• กว่าถั่วจะสุกงาก็ไหม้
  • Transliteration: Kwar thua ja suek, nga kor mai
  • Literal: Before the nut is cooked, a sesame is burnt.
  • Meaning: Don't let issues hang for too long until they're all burnt.

• เข้าหูซ้ายทะลุหูขวา
  • Transliteration: Khao hu sai, ta-lu' hu khwa
  • Literal: In the left ear, out the right ear.
  • Meaning: Referring to an oblivious attitude; referring to people's ignorance, in letting others' cautionary/instructional words slip off.

• มือไม่พายเอาเท้าราน้ำ
  • Transliteration: Meue mai pie ou tao ra narm
  • Literal: Not paddling, even hang feet in the water.
  • Meaning: A person who doesn't help but only hinders progress.

• จับเสือมือเปล่า
  • Transliteration: Jub sua mue paol
  • Literal: Catch a tiger with bare hands.
  • Meaning: Being ill-equipped in tasks that require methodical preparations.

• งงเป็นไก่ตาแตก
  • Transliteration: Ngong pen kai tar-taec
  • Literal: Confused like a chick with shattered eyes.
  • Meaning: So confused or surprised because of some events that happened really fast.

• เข้าเมืองตาหลิ่ว ต้องหลิ่วตาตาม
  • Transliteration: Khao mueng tar-lew, tong lew-tar tarm
  • Literal: When in the city of the slanted-eyed, do squint your eyes.
  • Meaning: Follow the majority, if you are minority; adapt to situations and people around you.
  • English version: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

• เห็นกงจักรเป็นดอกบัว
  • Transliteration: Heng gong jak pen dok bua
  • Literal: Mistaking blades for a lotus.
  • Meaning: Being blind as to view a threatening person/thing as lovely.

• ปั้นน้ำ้เป็นตัว
  • Transliteration: Pann nam pen tua
  • Literal: Mold water into a shape.
  • Meaning: Building fanciful stories out of thin air.

• โง่เง่าเต่าตุ่น
  • Transliteration: Ngoh ngow tow toon
  • Literal: Dumb like a turtle.
  • Meaning: Obtuse.

• ช้างเผือกเกิดในป่า
  • Transliteration: Chang puak gird nai pa
  • Literal: White elephants are born in the forest.
  • Meaning: The best thing is difficult to find.

• ไม้อ่อนดัดง่ายไม้แก่ดัดยาก
  • Transliteration: Mai on dat gnai mai gae dat yak.
  • Literal: Young trees are easier to cut than aged trees.
  • Meaning: You cannot teach an old dog new tricks.

• พบไม้งามเมื่อยามขวานบิ่น
  • Transliteration: Pob mai ngarm muea yam kwan bin.
  • Literal: Find a nice tree when your axe is broken.
  • Meaning: Find a pretty woman when you are older.

• ฆ่าควายอย่าเสียดายพริก
  • Transliteration: Ka kwai ya sia die prig
  • Literal: Don't lament over a chilli when killing a buffalo.
  • Meaning: Don't mind little things when grand tasks/responsibilities/achievements are at hand.

• กระดังงาลนไฟ
  • Transliteration: Kra dang nga lon fai
  • Literal: A Kradanga flower (thai) is fragrant when toasted on fire.
  • Meaning: Old but hot.

• ความพยายามอยู่ที่ไหน ความสำเร็จอยู่ที่นั่น
  • Transliteration: Kwam pa-ya-yam yoo tee nhai, kwam sum-red yoo tee nun
  • Literal: Where there is a will, there is a way.
  • Meaning: Try your best, and there's success.

• ความแน่นอน คือความไม่แน่นอน
  • Transliteration: Kwam nae-norn keu kwam mai nae-non
  • Literal: The only certainty is uncertainty.
  • Meaning: Things are dual in nature: certain things are uncertain things.

• หน้าเนื้อใจเสือ
  • Transliteration: Nar nur jai saur
  • Literal: Nice face, but with the heart of a tiger.
  • Meaning: Referring to one with a nice exterior but with a cruel heart.

• วัวหายล้อมคอก
  • Transliteration: Wua hai lorm korg.
  • Literal: Building ox's pen after it was stolen.
  • Meaning: A preventive method enforced only after the disaster or mistake has occurred.

• ความงามไม่คงที่ ความดีสิคงทน
  • Transliteration Kwam ngam mai kong tii, kwam dee si kong ton
  • Literal: Beauty fades, good deeds are permanent.
  • Meaning: Don't judge people by their appearance, but their behaviour.

• เห็นช้างขี้ ขี้ตามช้าง
  • Transliteration: hen chaang khee khee dtaam chaang
  • Literal: See an elephant defecate and try to defecate as much.
  • Meaning: To keep up with the Joneses.

• ซื้อควายในหนอง
  • Transliteration: seuu khwaay nai naawng
  • Literal: Buying a water buffalo in the marsh.
  • Meaning: To purchase something unseen.
  • English version: To buy a pig in a poke.

• เสน่ห์ปลายจวักผัวรักจนตาย
  • Transliteration: saneh bplaay jawak phuaa rak john dtaay
  • Literal: A husband loves the charm of the ladles tip until dying.
  • Meaning: When a wife cooks good the husband will love her until end of life.
  • English version: The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

• กินน้ำพริกถ้วยเดี่ยว
  • Transliteration: gin nam phrik thuay diaao
  • Literal: Eat the spicy chili sauce only from one cup.
  • Meaning: Be always faithful to your wife.

• วัวแก่กินหญ้าอ่อน
  • Transliteration: wuaa gaae gin yaa aawn
  • Literal: Old bull eats soft grass.
  • Meaning: An old man loves a young woman.

• เป็นที่รักของชายชราดีกว่าเป็นทาสของชายหนุ่ม
  • Transliteration: bpen theerak khaawng chaay charaa dee gwaa bpen thaat khaawng chaay noom
  • Literal: Be darling of old man is better than be slave of young man
  • Meaning: It is better to be the darling of an old man than to be the slave of a young man.

• อย่าเปิดฝาเรือน
  • Transliteration: yaa bpeert faa reuuan
  • Literal: Don't open a wall of your house.
  • Meaning: Don't wash your dirty laundry in public.

• คับที่อยู่ได้คับใจอยู่ยาก
  • Transliteration: khap thee yuu dai khap jai yuu yaak
  • Literal: Tight residence can, tight heart presence difficult
  • Meaning: It is possible to live in a small residence if you're happy, but it is difficult to live in a big residence if you're unhappy.

• สำเนียงส่อภาษา กิริยาส่อสกุล
  • Transliteration: samniiang saaw phaasaa giriyaa saaw sagoon
  • Literal: Tone shows speech manners show lineage
  • Meaning: Your tone shows the meaning of your speech, your manners show your lineage.
  • English version: Manners maketh man (William of Wykeham).

• เพื่อนกินหาง่าย เพื่อนตายหายาก
  • Transliteration: pheuuan gin haa ngaay pheuuan dtaay haa yaak
  • Literal: Friends for a meal are easy to find, friends until end of life are difficult to find
  • Meaning: It is easy to find good-weather friends in good times but hard to find real friends who stand by you in all situations of life.
  • English version: A friend in need is a friend indeed.
  • English version: Remember man and keep in mind: A faithful friend is hard to find.