Estonian proverbs

Proverbs from all Estonian speaking parts of the world.

A

 * Aeg parandab haavad, aga jätab armid. (EVS)
 * Time heals the wounds but leaves the scars.
 * Armastusel on kakskümmend paari silmi peas. (EVS)
 * Love has twenty pairs of eyes.


 * Au maksab raha. (EVS)
 * Honour costs.

E

 * Ega suu sarvest ole. (EVS)
 * Mouth is not made of horn.
 * Ega vana koer valet ei haugu.
 * Translation and English equivalent: An old dog barks not in vain.


 * Ela ise, lase teisi ka elada. (EVS)
 * Live yourself, let others live also.
 * English equivalent: Live and let live.


 * Ema pilli tantsib pere. (EVS)
 * The family dances to the mother's tune.

H

 * Hea laps kasvab vitsata. (EVS)
 * Good child grows up without caning.


 * Hea laps, kes hästi tantsib, parem veel, kes paigal seisab. (EVS)
 * Good is the child who dances well, even better who's at a standstill.


 * Hirmul on suured silmad. (EVS)
 * Fear has big eyes.


 * Hommikune töö kuld, õhtune muld. (EVS)
 * Morning work gold, evening work soil.
 * Hunt hunti ei murra.
 * A wolf will not break a wolf.
 * English equivalent: Crows do not pick out crows eyes.
 * Hungarian Equivalent: Varjú nem vájja ki varjúnak a szemét.
 * "One belonging to a group having common interests is not likely to act against or find fault with another member of the same group. Solidarity may prevail over law, justice or truth."


 * Hunt murrab ka loetud lambad.
 * The wolf breaks the counted sheep.

I

 * Inimene on loodud tööd tegema, lind laulma. (EVS)
 * Human is made to work, bird to sing.


 * Inimene õpib niikaua kui elab. (EVS)
 * Human learns as long as lives.


 * Isa , pea kübar peas, kuni elad laste seas! (EVS)
 * Father, put the hat on your head when you are among the children!

J

 * Jaan viskab kuuma kivi merre, Jaak jahe ja Mihkel külma. (EVS)
 * Jaan throws the hot stone into the sea, Jaak the cool and Mihkel the cold one.

K

 * Kel püksid jalas, küll see naise saab. (EVS)
 * Who wears trousers will get a woman for sure.
 * Kes ei tööta, see ei söö. (EVS)
 * Who doesn't work shall not eat.
 * Kes viimasena naerab, naerab paremini. (EVS)
 * Who laughs last laughs better.
 * Kes võib ilmasuu ja rahva keel kinni panna? (EVS)
 * Who could shut up folks' expression and language?
 * Quand celui à qui l'on parle ne comprend pas et celui qui parle ne se comprend pas, c'est de la métaphysique.


 * Kotkas kärbseid ei püüä.
 * English equivalent: Eagles don't catch flies.
 * Meaning: "People of high rank are considered – or consider themselves – too important to deal with trivial things or lowly folk."
 * Source for meaning of English equivalent:


 * Kõik ei ole kuld, mis hiilgab.
 * Translation and English equivalent: All that glimmers is not gold.


 * Variant translations:
 * Liberality consists rather in giving seasonably than much.
 * Generosity lies less in giving much than in giving at the right moment.
 * Source:


 * Kõik pilved ei anna vett. (EVS)
 * All clouds don't give water.


 * Kui kassid kodus ei ole, siis hiired tantsivad.
 * English equivalent: If the cat is away, the mice play.
 * Meaning: "In the absence of the person in authority those under his control will often neglect the duties/rules imposed on them."
 * Source for meaning of English equivalent:


 * Kuidas ema, nõnda tütar.
 * 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 daily."
 * Source for meaning and proverb:


 * Kus saun, seal eestlased. (EVS)
 * Where's sauna, there are the Estonians.

L

 * Lubaja hea mees, pidaja veel parem. (EVS)
 * Promiser a good man, who keeps the promise even better.
 * Lõpeb üks töö, algab teine töö. (EVS)
 * When one work ends, begins another.

M

 * Ma tahan sind kiita tühjas kirikus ja kuivas kõrtsis (EVS)
 * I want to thank you in an empty church and dry saloon.


 * Magaja kassi suhu hiir ei jookse.
 * Translation: No dreaming cat catches mice.
 * English equivalent: Birds fly not into our mouth ready roasted.
 * Meaning: "One cannot (or should not) expect to benefit without making some effort."
 * Source for meaning:


 * Mida kõrtsis kõneled, seda külas kuuled. (EVS)
 * What you talk in the pub you'll hear in the village.
 * Mida varem, seda parem. (EVS)
 * The sooner, the better.

N

 * Naine on maja lukk. (EVS)
 * Woman is the lock of the house.
 * Naist ära vali silmadega, vaid kõrvadega! (EVS)
 * Don't choose a woman by eyes but ears!


 * Neli silma näevad rohkem kui kaks. (EVS)
 * Four eyes see more than two.


 * Nälg on kõige parem kokk. (EVS)
 * Hunger is the best cook.

O

 * Oma maa maasikas, võõras maa mustikas. (EVS)
 * Own land is strawberry, other land blueberry.


 * Oma silm on kuningas. (EVS)
 * Own eye is king.
 * English equivalent: Seeing is believing.
 * "If one tells the truth, one is sure, sooner or later, to be found out."
 * Oscar Wilde, "Phrases and Philosophies for the use of the young", in The Chameleon (December 1894).


 * Oma tuba, oma luba. (EVS)
 * Own house, own permission.
 * Finnish equivalent: Oma tupa, oma lupa.
 * Oras ei kasva külvamata.
 * English equivalent: What you reap is what you sow.




 * Õun ei kuku iial puust kaugele.
 * The apple never falls far from the tree.
 * 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."
 * Source for proverbs and meaning:

P

 * Paha mees, parem õnn. (EVS)
 * Bad man, better luck.
 * Parem elav väeti laps kui surnud kuningas. (EVS)
 * A living weak child is better than a dead king.


 * Parem pool muna kui tühi koor. (EVS)
 * Half an egg is better than an empty shell.
 * Parem päeva kuumus kui vihma vilu. (EVS)
 * The heat of the day is better than the coldness of rain.
 * Parem sõna hammaste taga kui keele peal. (EVS)
 * Better word behind teeth than on the tongue.
 * Piip ligem kui naine. (EVS)
 * Pipe is nearer to woman.


 * Pisuke kala on suurema söömaeg.
 * Translation: A little fish is supper for a large fish.
 * English equivalent: Men are like fish; the great ones devour the small.
 * Meaning: "Small organizations or insignificant people tend to be swallowed up or destroyed by those that are greater and more powerful."
 * Source for meaning:


 * Puhas suu, puhas käsi käib kõige maailma läbi. (EVS)
 * The clean mouth, the clean hand travel through all the world.


 * Puusepa naine tõlvata, sepa naine kirveta.
 * Translation: The carpenter's wife has no batler, the smith's wife has no hatchet.
 * English equivalent: The cobbler's wife is the worst shod.
 * Meaning: "Working hard for others one may neglect one's own needs or the needs of those closest to him."
 * Source for proverbs and meaning:

S

 * Seisev vesi läheb haisema. (EVS)
 * Standing water begins to smell.
 * Silm kuningas, käsi tegija. (EVS)
 * Eye is king, hand the worker.
 * Silmad näevad enam kui silm. (EVS)
 * Eyes see more than an eye.
 * Sogases vees on hea kalu püüda.
 * English equivalent: It is good fishing in troubled waters.
 * Meaning: "In taking advantage of chaotic conditions one can easily serve one's own purposes."
 * Source for proverbs and meaning:
 * Surm jala all iga päev. (EVS)
 * Death is under the feet every day.
 * Suu on südame tulk (mõõt). (EVS)
 * Mouth is heart's interpreter.
 * Suu suurem kui mees ise. (EVS)
 * The mouth is bigger than the man himself.


 * Suvel silmad, talvel hambad. (EVS)
 * Summer has eyes, winter teeth.
 * Suvine tund enam kui talvine päev. (EVS)
 * An hour in summer is more than a day in winter.

T

 * Täna kuld, homme muld. (EVS)
 * Gold today, soil tomorrow.
 * Täna kümme paari härgi, homme ei ühtki. (EVS)
 * Ten pairs of oxen today, not a single one tomorrow.
 * Täna mulle, homme sulle. (EVS)
 * For me today, for you tomorrow.

U

 * Unustamine parem kui kättemaksmine. (EVS)
 * To forget is better than to seek revenge.

V

 * Vana arm ei kustu.
 * English equivalent: Old love does not rust.


 * Vana hobune, varsa mõtted.
 * English equivalent: Wisdom goes not always by years.


 * Valel on lühikesed jalad.
 * Translation: A lie has short legs.


 * Valgus naerab pimeduse tööd. (EVS)
 * Light laughs to the works of darkness.
 * Vanasõnad on kuldsed sõnad. (EVS)
 * Proverbs are the golden words.
 * Viinaklaasi upub enam inimesi kui merre. (EVS)
 * Glass of booze drowns more people than sea.
 * Viinapudel põrgu pass. (EVS)
 * A bottle of booze is the passport to hell.

Ü

 * Üks käsi ei pese üksi. (EVS)
 * A hand doesn't wash alone.

Ä

 * Ära enne solgivett maha viska, kui puhas käes on.
 * English equivalent: Cast no dirt into the well that gives you water.




 * Ära kanna vett merre! (EVS)
 * Don't carry water to the sea!


 * Ära karu nahka enne ära müü, kui karu käes on.
 * English equivalent: Sell not the bear's skin before you have caught him.


 * Ära tee sääsest härga.
 * Translation: Don't make an ox out of a fly.
 * English equivalent: Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.

Ö

 * Öö ees, surm selja taga. (EVS)
 * Night ahead, death behind back.


 * Öö ei ole kellegi sõber. (EVS)
 * Night is nobody's friend.
 * Öö on varga vari. (EVS)
 * Night is the shadow of the thief.

EVS = Eesti vanasõnad, suurest korjandusest kokku põiminud M. J. Eisen, Eesti Kirjanduse Seltsi kirjastus Tartus, 1929, üle 2 500 eesti vanasõna, e-raamat, järjestanud Risto Rekola 2021 (ISBN 978-952-804-9807).