Bengali Proverbs

Proverbs in the Bengali language, is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam.

* অগভীর জলে সফরী ফরফরায়তে
o Translation: A small fry bustles in shallow water.
o English equivalent: An empty vessel sounds much.

* অতি দর্পে হতা লঙ্কা।
Oti dôrpe hôta Lôngka
o Translation: [King Ravana's] excessive vanity was Lanka's fall.
o Meaning: Pride will have a fall.

* অতিবাড় বেড়ো নাকো ঝড়ে পড়ে যাবে।
Otibaŗ beŗo nako jhôŗe poŗe jabe
o Translation: Don't grow too high lest a storm makes you tumble down.
o Meaning: Pride will have a fall.

* অর্ধ সত্য মিথ্যা অপেক্ষা ভয়ঙ্কর।
Ôrdho shotto mittha ôpekkha bhôeongkôr
o Translation: Half truth is more frightening than falsehood.

* আঁস্তাকুড়ের পাত কখনও স্বর্গে যায় না।
Ãstakuŗer pat kôkhono shôrge jae na.
o Translation: The dustbin's dropping never goes to heaven.
o Meaning: An ignoble person can never continue in a noble company.

* আপনার পায়ে কুড়ল মারা।
Apnar pa'e kuŗol mara
o Translation:
o English equivalent: To dig one's own grave/To shoot oneself in the foot.

* উঠন্ত মুলো পত্তনে চেনা যায়।
Uţhônto mulo pôttone chena jae
o Translation: Morning
o English equivalent: Morning shows the day.

* উলুবনে মুক্তো ছড়ানো।
Ulbone mukto chôŗano
o Translation: Scattering pearls in a forest of reeds.
o English equivalent: Pearls before swine.

* কণ্টকে কণ্টকোদ্ধার করা। / কাঁটা দিয়ে কাঁটা তোলা।
Kônţoke kônţokoddhar / Kãţa die kãţa tola
o Translation: Using a thorn to remove a thorn.

* যেমন কর্ম তেমন ফল।
Jêmon kôrmo têmon fôl
o Translation: As the act so the result.
o Meaning: As you sow so you reap.

* রাজায় রাজায় যুদ্ধ হয়, উলুখাগড়ার প্রাণ যায়।
Rajae rajae juddho hôe, ulukhagŗar pran jae
o Translation: Kings war with one another; the ulu reed loses its life.
o Meaning: While the kings make war, the civilians die.

* ধান ভানতে শিবের গীত।
Dhan bhante Shiber git
o Translation: Songs of Shiva while husking rice.
o Meaning: Saying something totally irrelevant to the present occasion.

* কানা গরুর ভিন্ন পথ।
Kana gorur bhinno pôth
o Translation: The different path of the one-eyed cow.
o Meaning: The fool strays from the safe path.

* কারও পৌষ মাস, কারও সর্বনাশ।
Karo Poush mash, karo shôrbonash.
o Translation: One's harvest month, is another's complete devastation.

* বারো মাসে তেরো পার্বণ।
Baro mashe têro parbon
o Translation: In twelve months, thirteen festivals.
o Meaning:A superabundance of occasions for celebrations.

* বামুন গেল ঘর তো লাঙল তুলে ধর।
Bamun gêlo ghôr to langol tule dhar
o Translation: The Brahmin left the house so put away the plough
o English Equivalent: The cat's away, the mice will play.

* মানুষ মানুষের কাছে অচেনা ভাবে আসে, চরিত্রের গুণে মানুষ সবার চোখে বাসে।
Manush manusher kache ôchena bhabe ashe, choritrer gune manush shôbar chokhe bashe
o Translation: People approach people without prior knowledge; it is in the quality of one's character that a person remains in everyone's eyes.

* সময় বহিয়া যায় নদির স্রোতের প্রায়।
Shômoe bohia jae nodir sroter prae
o Translation: Time flows along like the river's current.
o English Equivalent: Time is money.

* ভাবিয়া করিও কাজ, করিয়া ভাবিও না।
Bhabia korio kaj, koria bhabio na
o Translation: Think before acting, don't act before thinking.
o English Equivalent: Look before you leap.

* ভালবাসার নৌকা পাহাড় বইয়ে যায়।
Bhalobashar nouka pahaŗ boie jae
o Translation: The boat of affection ascends mountains.

* চোখ মনের আয়না।
Chokh moner aena
o Translation: Eyes are the mirror of mind.

* ডাঙায় বাঘ জলে কুমির।
Ðangae bagh jôle kumir
o Translation: (There's) a tiger on the land, (and) a crocodile in the water.
o English equivalent: Between a rock and a hard place.

* না মামা থেক কানা মামা ভাল।
Na mama theke kana mama bhalo
o Translation: A one-eyed uncle is better than no uncle.
o English Equivalent: Something is better than nothing.

* অধিক সন্যাসিতে গাজন নষ্ট।
Ôdhik shonnashite gajon nôshţo
o Translation: With too many ascetics, the gajon festival is ruined.
o English Equivalent: Too many cooks spoil the broth.

* কম পানির মাছ বেশ পানিতে উঠলে ও মাছে বেশ লাফালাফি করে।
Kôm panir machh besh panite uţhle o machhe beshi lafalafi kôre
(Sylheti version) Khom fanir mas besh fanit utle o mase beshi falafali khore
o Translation: If a fish of little water moves to a lot of water, that fish will jump around a lot.
o Meaning: One will always stand out if they move to a place to which they don't belong.

* Hagor Loge Hag Nai Rounor Biromana (Sylheti Dialect)
o Meaning: Being unnecessarily flashy is pointless

* শিকার সময় কুট্টি আগায় না
o Shikar Shomoi Kutti Agayo Na (Sylheti Dialect)
o Meaning: Don't call me for no reason

* শাক দিয়ে মাছ ঢাকা
Shak die machh đhaka
o Translation: Covering fish with greens.
o English Equivalent: To try to hush something up, when it already known to many.

* লোভে পাপ, পাপে মৃত্যু
Lobhe pap, pape mrittu
o Translation: In greed is sin, in sin is death.

* যত দোষ নন্দ ঘোষ
Joto dosh Nondo Ghosh
o Translation: Blame everything on Nondo Ghosh.
o English Equivalent: Whatever I do you blame on me.

* েয যায় লঙ্কায় েসই হয় রাবণ
Je jay lankae sei hoy rabon
o Translation: He who mixes with bad company becomes bad.
o English Equivalent: Spoiled apples spoil the good ones.