Talk:Croatian proverbs

This page originates from Croatian WikiQuotes page "Poslovice"

(Moved here from main page ~ MosheZadka (Talk) 12:15, 14 August 2005 (UTC))

B

• Bog je prvo sebi bradu stvorio.
  • Translation: God first created a beard for himself.
  • English equivalent: before you help others, you must help yourself.

• Bolje ikad nego nikad.
  • Translation: Better ever than never.
  • English equivalent: Better late than never.

C

• Čovjek je čovjeku vuk.
  • English equivalent: Man is man's wolf.
  • Latin equivalent: Homo homini lupus est.

G

• Glava u oblacima.
  • Translation: (To have the) head in clouds.

I

• Il' kuj, il ne mrči gaćâ!
  • English equivalent: Shit or get off the pot.

• Imati veće oči od želuca.
  • Translation: To have bigger eyes than the stomach.
  • English equivalent: Your eyes are bigger than your stomach.

• Ispalo vragu iz torbe.
  • Translation: (Something that has) fallen out of a devil's pouch.
  • English equivalent: untamed.

• Iver ne pada daleko od klade.
  • Translation: A splinter doesn't land far from the trunk.
  • English equivalent: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

J

• Jabuka ne pada daleko od stabla.
  • Translation: An apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

• Jutro je pametnije od večeri.
  • Translation: Morning is smarter than evening.

K

• Kad mačke nema, miševi kolo vode.
  • Translation: When cat is absent, mice dance.
  • English equivalent: When the cat's away the mice will play.

• Kad na vrbi rodi grožđe.
  • Translation: When willows bear grapes.
  • English equivalent: When pigs fly.

• Kako došlo, tako prošlo.
  • Translation: The way it came is the way it will go.
  • English equivalent: Easy come, easy go.

• Kao mačka oko vruće kaše.
  • Translation: Like the cat around the hot meal.
  • English equivalent: Beating around bush.

• Kruh bez motike.
  • Translation: Bread without shovel.

• Krv nije voda.
  • Translation: Blood is not water.
  • English equivalent: Blood is thicker than water.

M

• Mi o vuku, a vuk na vrata.
  • Translation: (speaking) of the wolf as the wolf (comes) to the door.
  • English equivalent: Speak of the devil.
  • Latin equivalent: Lupus in fabula.

N

• Naći iglu u plastu sijena.
  • English equivalent: Finding a needle in a haystack.

• Navika je dobar sluga, ali loš gospodar.
  • Translation: Habit is a good servant, but a poor master.

• Ne laje pas zbog sela.
  • Translation: The dog doesn’t bark because of the village.

• Ne možeš imati i ovce i novce.
  • Translation: You can’t have both money and sheep.
  • English equivalent: You can’t have a cake and eat it, too.

• Ne kupuj mačka u vreći.
  • Translation: Don't buy a cat in a bag.
  • English equivalent: Don't buy a pig in a poke.
• Novac se na novac lijepi.
  • Translation: Money sticks to money.
  • English equivalent: Money hangs around money.

O

• Od Kulina bana i dobrijeh dana.
  • Translation: Since Koohleen the prince and the good times.

• Od zla oca, od gore matere!
  • Translation: From bad father, and worse mother"

• O mrtvima sve najbolje.
  • Translation: Speak only the best of the dead.
  • English equivalent: Don't speak ill of the dead.
  • Latin equivalent: De mortuis nil nisi bonum.

• Odijelo ne čini čovjeka.
  • Translation: A suit doesn't make a man.
  • English equivalent: You can't tell a book by its cover.
  • French equivalent: L'habit ne fait pas le moine.

• Odnijeti gaće na štapu.
  • Translation: To end up with underpants on a stick. (i.e. be really poor)

• Ovca bleji, zalogaj gubi!
  • Translation: The sheep that bleats - loses it's share in food.

P

• Papir trpi sve.
  • Translation: Paper can withstand anything.
  • Latin equivalent: Epistula non erubescit.

• Pas koji laje, ne grize.
  • Translation: A dog that barks does not bite.
  • English equivalent: His bark is worse than his bite.
  • Latin equivalent: Canis timidus vehementius latrat quam mordet. (Curtius)

• Po jutru se dan poznaje.
  • Translation: The morning shows how the day will be.
  • Bilbo Baggins: Good morning.
    Gandalf: What do you mean? Do you wish me a good morning or do you mean that it is a good morning wheter I want it or not? Or perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning? Or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be a good on? Hm?
    Bilbo Baggins: All of them at once, I suppose.
  • J.R.R Tolkien, The Hobbit (1937)
  • Živorad Kovačević (1991). Srpsko-engleski rečnik idioma, izraza i izreka. Filip Višnjić. p. 68. 

• Počisti prvo pred svojim vratima.
  • Translation: First sweep the ground in front of your own door.

• Pomozi sirotu na svoju sramotu.
  • Translation: Help the poor one for your own shame.

• Pored takvih prijatelja što će mi neprijatelji.
  • Translation: With such friends, one doesn't need enemies anymore.
  • English equivalent: With friends like those, who needs enemies?

• Prodati rog pod svijeću.
  • Translation: To sell a horn as if it was a candle.

• Prodati mačka u vreći.
  • Translation: To sell a cat in a bag.
    • To succeed in selling something useless or of a very poor quality.

• Prošla baba s kolačima.
  • Translation: The old lady with cakes has already passed by.
    • Now it is too late to act (you have missed the opportunity to do something).

• Puno baba, kilavo dijete.
  • Translation: Many midwives, child will be lazy.
  • English equivalent: Too many cooks spoil the broth.

R

• Raditi račun bez krčmara.
  • Translation: To make the bill without the bartender.

• Ruka ruku mije.
  • Translation: One hand washes the other.
  • English equivalent: You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
  • Latin equivalent: Manus manum lavat.

S

• Sit gladnom ne vjeruje.
  • Translation: The well fed one does not believe the hungry one.

• Svakog gosta tri dana dosta.
  • Translation: Three days of any guest is plenty.
  • English equivalent: Fish and visitors stink after three days.

• Sve je dobro što se dobro svrši.
  • English equivalent and translation: All's well that ends well.

• Sve što je dobro kratko traje.
  • Translation: All that's well lasts short.
  • English equivalent: All good things come to an end.

• Svi putevi vode u Rim.
  • English equivalent and translation: All roads lead to Rome.

• Strpljen – spašen.
  • Translation: Patient – saved.
  • English equivalent: All things come to he who waits.

• Što bi gore sad je dolje, a što bi dolje sad je gore.
  • Translation: What once was up now is down and what once was down now is up
  • English equivalent: What goes around comes around.

• Što je previše, ni s kruhom nije dobro.
  • Translation: What is too much is not good even with bread.

T

• Teško žabu u vodu natjerati.
  • Translation: It is difficult to chase a frog into the water. (sarcastically)

• Tko kupuje što mu ne treba, prodavat će što mu treba.
  • Translation: He who buys what he does not need will (eventually have to) sell what he needs.

• Tko pita, ne skita.
  • Translation: He who asks, need not wander.

• Tko s malom djecom liježe, popišan se budi.
  • Translation: If one goes to bed with small kids, wakes up wet.

• Tko se zadnji smije, najslađe se smije.
  • Translation: He who laughs last has the sweetest laugh.
  • English equivalent: He who laughs last laughs best.

• Tko umije, njemu dvije.
  • Translation: He who can, gets two.

• Tko želi rata, bio mu u kući.
  • Translation: Who wishes war, may war be in his house.

• Tri loša ubiše Miloša.
  • Translation: Three bad ones killed Milosh.

V

• Vrijeme je novac.
  • English equivalent and translation: Time is money.

• Vuk dlaku mijenja, ali ćud nikada.
  • Translation: The wolf changes his hair, but never his temperament.
  • English equivalent: A fox may change its skin, but never its character.
  • Latin equivalent: Vulpes pilum mutat, non mores.