Finnish proverbs

Proverbs from all Finnish speaking parts of the world.

E

• Ei kaikki kultaa mikä kiiltää eikä kaikki hopeata kuin mikä hohtaa.
  • Translation: "Not all that shines is gold, nor all that glows is silver."
  • English equivalent: All that glitters is not gold.
  • "An attractive appearance may be deceptive. It may cover or hide a much less favourable content."
  • Source for meaning: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). "19". European proverbs: in 55 languages, with equivalents in Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese. Veszprémi Nyomda. p. 125. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 
  • Source: Strauss, Emmanuel (1998). Dictionary of European Proverbs. Routledge. p. 77. ISBN 0415160502. 

• Ei kannata mennä merta edemmäs kalaan.
  • Translation: "Not worth it to go further than the sea for fish."
  • Swedish equivalent: Do not cross the brook for water.
  • Seura (1984). Virittäjä. Kotikielen Seura.. p. 264. 

• Ei omena kauas puusta putoa.
  • English equivalent and translation: The apple does not fall far from the tree.
  • Meaning: "Children observe daily and — in their behaviour — often follow the example of their parents."
  • Hungarian equivalent: Az alma nem esik messze a fájától.
  • Source for meaning: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). "48". European proverbs: in 55 languages, with equivalents in Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese. Veszprémi Nyomda. p. 259. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 

• Ei pidä tehdä kärpäsestä härkää.
  • Translation: "One shouldn't make a bull out of a fly."
  • English equivalent: Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.
  • Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 409. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 

• Ei savua ilman tulta.
  • Translation: "No smoke without fire."
  • English equivalent: Every why hath its wherefore.
  • "There is no effect without some cause." or "It is supposed that if there is a rumour, there must be some truth behind it."
  • Paczolay, Gyula (1997). "1". European proverbs: in 55 languages, with equivalents in Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese. Veszprémi Nyomda. p. 33. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 
  • Kallio (2002). Ei savua ilman tulta: runoja ja kuvia. A. M. Kallio. 

• Ei vahinko tule kello kaulassa.
  • Translation: "An accident won't arrive with a bell on its neck."
  • Meaning: Accidents (or misfortune) happen without warning.
  • Granger (2010). ELexicography in the 21st Century: New Challenges, New Applications : Proceedings of ELex 2009, Louvain-la-Neuve, 22-24 October 2009. Presses Univ. de Louvain. p. 184. 

• Ei vanha koira valetta hauku.
  • Translation: "An old dog doesn't bark lies."
  • English equivalent: An old dog barks not in vain.
  • Strauss, Emanuel (1998). Concise Dictionary of European Proverbs (Abbreviated ed.). Routledge. p. 55. ISBN 0415160502. 

H

• Haukkuva koira ei pure.
  • Translation: A barking dog does not bite.
  • Source: Strauss, Emmanuel (1998). Dictionary of European Proverbs. Routledge. p. 5. ISBN 0415160502. 

• Helposti saatu on helposti menetetty
  • Translation: What is acquired easily is lost easily.
  • English equivalent: Easy come, easy go.
  • "Things that are easily acquired, especially money, are just as easily lost or spent."
  • Source for meaning of English equivalent: Martin H. Manser (2007). The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs. Infobase Publishing. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5. Retrieved on 7 September 2013. 
  • Waltari (1956). Turms, kuolematon: hänen mainen elämänsänoin 520-480 e. Kr. kymmenenäkirjana. W. Söderström. p. 172. 

I

• Isoja kaloja kannattaa pyytää vaikkei saisikaan.
  • Translation: Big fish are worth of fishing even if you don't catch one.
  • Fyysikkoseura, Yhdistys (1987). Arkhimedes. Helsingin Liikekirjapaino Oy.. p. 185. 

J

• Joka menneitä muistelee, sitä tikulla silmään.
  • Translation: A poke in the eye for those, who dwell on the past.
  • English equivalent: Forgive and forget.
  • Kukkola. Peruspelia Johtaja, Peruspelia. BoD - Books on Demand. p. 81. 

• Joka paljon lupaa, se vähän antaa.
  • Translation: Who promises a lot, gives a little.
  • English equivalent: He that promises too much means nothing.
  • Hunfalvy (1861). Finn Olvasó-Könyv: (Finnisches Lesebuch.) A' Magyar Akademia Kiadása. Kalevala. p. 172. 

K

• Kun menee sutta pakoon, tulee karhu vastaan.
  • Translation: When you flee from a wolf, you run into a bear.
  • English equivalent: Jump out of the frying pan into the fire.
  • "This Proverb would teach us, not to give up one situation for another, let the first be ever so disagreeable, if the second be not a better."
  • Trusler, John (1790). Proverbs exemplified, and illustrated by pictures from real life. p. 110. 

,

L

• Lukea kuin piru raamattua.
  • Translation: Read like the devil reads the Bible.
  • Explanation: To deliberately look for loopholes in order to follow the letter without following the spirit. Note: Based on the Bible (Luke 4:1-13, Matthew 4:1-11 and Psalms 91:11-12).
  • English equivalent: The devil can cite scripture for his purpose. (Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice act 1, scene 3)

M

• Maassa maan tavalla.
  • Translation: In a country according to its customs.
  • English equivalent: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
  • Hannula (2011). Maassa maan tavalla: maahanmuuttokritiikin lyhyt historia. Otava. 

• Millane emo, sellane tytär.
  • Translation: Such mother, such daughter.
  • English equivalent: Like mother, like daughter.
  • Meaning: "Daughters may look and behave like their mothers. This is due to inheritance and the example observed closely and rarely."
  • Source for meaning and proverb: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 137. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 

• Minkälainen isä, sen lainen poikakin.
  • Translation: Such father, such son.
  • English equivalent: Like father, like son.
  • Meaning: "Sons may look and behave like their fathers. This is due to inheritance and the example observed closely and daily."
  • Source for meaning and proverb: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 137. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 

N

• Niin makaa, kuin petaa.
  • Translation: One sleeps like one makes his bed.
  • Translation: Actions have consequences.
  • English equivalent: As you sow, so shall you reap/You reap what you sow. You've made your bed, now lie in it.
  • Kara. Orvokkini tummasilmä. Marita Kaatrala. p. 150. 

• Niin metsä vastaa kuin sinne huudetaan.
  • Translation: The forest answers in the same way one shouts at it.
  • English equivalent: "The world you get is the world you give away", "What goes around comes around" or "You reap what you sow." The proverb refers to the echo that the treeline produces.
  • Lehtinen (2006). Postcolonialism, multitude, and the politics of nature: on the changing geographies of the European north. University Press of America. p. x. ISBN 1. 

O

• Oma apu, paras apu. (often without comma)
  • Translation: One's own help [is] the best help.
  • Translation: Helping yourself is the best way to help yourself.
  • English equivalent: Heaven helps those who help themselves.
  • Meaning: "When you're in trouble, no one else but you can probably improve your situation at all or as well as you." Sometimes: "When in trouble, everyone should first of all do their best to improve their situation by themselves."
  • Source for meaning: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 150. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 
  • Sanderson, Parviainen (2004). Oma apu paras apu. Harlequin. 

• Omena ei kauas puusta putoa.
  • English equivalent: The apple does not fall far from the tree.
  • Meaning: "Children observe daily and — in their behaviour — often follow the example of their parents."
  • Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 488. ISBN 0415096243. 
  • Source for meaning: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 259. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 

• On taottava silloin kun rauta on kuuma.
  • Translation: Iron must be forged when it is hot.
  • English equivalent: You should hammer your iron, while it is glowing hot;Strike while the iron's hot.
  • Willstedt (2011). Iran. Books on Demand. p. 16. ISBN 1. 

• On vähäkin tyhjää parempi.
  • Translation: Little is better than nothing.
  • English equivalent: Better a lean jade than an empty halter.
  • Schellbach-Kopra (2011). Zwei Finnen brauchen keinen Dolmetscher: Finnische Sprichwörter. Frank \& Timme. p. 183. ISBN 1. 

P

• Paha saa palkkansa.
  • Translation: Evil will get its share(/pay).
  • English equivalent: Harm watch is harm catch.
  • Bolte, Krohn, Olrik, Tiedeakatemia, Sydow, Fellows (1985). FF Communications. Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia.. p. 187. ISBN 1. 

• Parempi karvas totuus kuin makea valhe.
  • Translation: Better a bitter truth than a sweet lie.
  • English equivalent: An honest 'no' is better than an insincere 'yes'.
  • Schellbach-Kopra (2011). Zwei Finnen brauchen keinen Dolmetscher: Finnische Sprichwörter. Frank \& Timme. p. 188. ISBN 1. 

• Parempi pyy pivossa, kuin kymmenen oksalla.
  • Translation: Better one hazel grouse in the bag, than ten on the branch.
  • English equivalent: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
  • Meaning: "Something you have for certain now is of more value than something better you may get, especially if you risk losing what you have in order to get it."
  • Source for meaning of English equivalent: Martin H. Manser (2007). The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs. Infobase Publishing. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5. Retrieved on 29 July 2013. 
  • András Dugonics (1820). Magyar példa beszédek és jeles mondások. Grünn Orbán. p. 23. Retrieved on 29 July 2013. 
  • Burger (2007). Phraseologie: Ein Internationales Handbuch Zeitgenössischer Forschung. W. de Gruyter. p. 749. ISBN 1. 

R

• Rakkaalla lapsella on monta nimeä.
  • Translation: A beloved child has many names.
  • Vaananen (2012). Finnish Proverbs. Penfield Books. ISBN 978-0-941016-73-5. 

S

• Sitä niittää mitä kylvää
  • Translation: You reap what you sow.
  • English equivalent: As ye sow shall ye reap.
  • Olesen (2004). The Cold War and the Nordic countries: historiography at a crossroads. University Press of Southern Denmark. p. 76. ISBN 1. 

• Suu valehtelee, silmät puhuvat totta.
  • Translation: The mouth lies, but the eyes tell the truth.
  • Schellbach-Kopra (2011). Zwei Finnen brauchen keinen Dolmetscher: Finnische Sprichwörter. Frank \& Timme. p. 217. 

• Suutarin akka ja sepän hevonen on aina huonossa kengässä.
  • Translation and English equivalent: The wife of the cobbler and the horse of the smith always have bad shoes.
  • Meaning: "Working hard for others one may neglect one's own needs or the needs of those closest to him."
  • Source for meaning and proverbs: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). "7". European proverbs: in 55 languages, with equivalents in Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese. Veszprémi Nyomda. p. 65. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 

T

• Tyvestä puuhun noustaan.
  • Translation: A tree is climbed from its base.
  • English equivalent: Learn to walk before you can run.
  • Meaning: "It is necessary to learn the basics before progressing to more advanced things."
  • Source for meaning of English equivalent: Martin H. Manser (2007). The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs. Infobase Publishing. p. 290. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5. 
  • Internal Logic: Foundations of Mathematics from Kronecker to Hilbert. Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2002. p. 1096. 

Ä

• Älä laita kaikkia munia samaan koriin.
  • Translation: All eggs should not be put in one basket.
  • English equivalent: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
  • Meaning: "Spread your risks or investments so that if one enterprise fails you will not lose everything."
  • Source for meaning of English equivalent: Martin H. Manser (2007). The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs. Infobase Publishing. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5. Retrieved on 18 August 2013. 
  • Ingrid Schellbach-Kopra (January 2011). Zwei Finnen brauchen keinen Dolmetscher: Finnische Sprichwörter. Frank & Timme GmbH. p. 245. ISBN 978-3-86596-303-1. Retrieved on 18 August 2013. 

See also

• Karelian proverbs
• Veps proverbs
• Votian proverbs