Croatian Proverbs

B

* Bez muke nema nauke.
o Translation: Without suffering, there is no learning.
o English equivalent: No pain, no gain.

* Bog je prvo sebi bradu stvorio.
o Translation: God first created a beard for himself.

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

* Bolje spriječiti nego liječiti.
o Translation: Better to prevent than to have to cure.
o English equivalent: Prevention is the best medicine.

* Bolje vrabac u ruci, nego golub na grani.
o Translation: A sparrow in your hand is better than a pigeon on the branch.
o English equivalent: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

C

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

* Čovjek snuje, Bog određuje.
o Translation: Men wishes(dreams), but god decides.
o English equivalent: Man proposes, but God disposes.

G

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

* Gdje ima dima ima i vatre.
o Translation: Where there is smoke, there is fire too.
o English equivalent: Where there's smoke, there's fire.

I

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

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

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

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

J

* Jabuka ne pada daleko od stabla.
o Translation: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

* Jedna lasta ne čini proljeće.
o Translation: One swallow does not make a spring.
o English equivalent: One swallow does not make a spring.
o Source of original proverb: Aristotle

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

K

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

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

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

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

* Kruh bez motike.
o Translation: Bread without shovel.

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

M

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

N

* Na muci se poznaju junaci.
o Translation: In trouble you know a hero.

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

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

* Ne gledaj poklonjenom konju u zube.
o Translation: Don't look a gift horse in the teeth.
o English equivalent: Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

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

* Ne maljaj vraga na zid.
o Translation: To not paint the devil on the wall.

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

* Ne kupuj mačka u vreći.
o Translation: Don't buy a cat in a bag.
o English equivalent: Don't buy a pig in a poke.

* Ne stavljaj sva jaja u jednu košaru.
o Translation: Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

* Ne trči pred rudo.
o Translation: Don't run in front of a carriage.
o English equivalent: Don't jump the gun.

* Nesreća nikad ne dolazi sama.
o Translation: Misfortune never comes alone.
o English equivalent: When it rains, it pours.
o English equivalent: Bad luck comes in threes.
o German equivalent: Bad luck rarely comes alone. (Ein Unglück kommt selten allein.)

* Nije zlato sve što sja.
o Translation: Gold is not everything that shines.
o English equivalent: All that glistens is not gold.

* Novac se na novac lijepi.
o Translation: Money sticks to money.
o English equivalent: Money hangs around money.

O

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

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

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

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

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

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

P

* Papir trpi sve.
o Translation: Paper can withstand anything.

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

* Po jutru se dan poznaje.
o Translation: The morning shows how the day will be.

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

* Pomozi si sam pa će ti i Bog pomoći.
o Translation: First help yourself and then God will help you.
o English equivalent: God helps those who help themselves.

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

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

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

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

* Prošla baba s kolačima.
o 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.
o Translation: Many midwives, child will be lazy.
o English equivalent: Too many cooks spoil the broth.

* Prvo skoči pa reci: "hop"!
o Translation: First leap, then say: "jump"!
o English equivalent: Look before you leap.
+ First do your task, then talk about it

R

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

* Rugala se sova sjenici.
o Translation: The owl mocked the tit.
o English equivalent: The pot calls the kettle black.

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

S

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* Što možeš danas, ne ostavljaj za sutra.
o Translation: Do not leave for tomorrow, things you can do today.
o English equivalent: Better now than later.

T

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

* Tiha voda brege dere.
o Translation: Still water wears down mountains.
o English equivalent: Still waters run deep.

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

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

* Tko pod drugim jamu kopa, sam u nju pada.
o Translation: He who digs a hole under someone else will fall into it himself.

* Tko rano rani, dvije sreće grabi.
o Translation: He who wakes up early, catches two fortunes.
o English equivalent: The early bird catches the worm.

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

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

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

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

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

U

* U laži su kratke noge.
o Translation: In lies one has short legs.
o English equivalent: A lie has no legs.

* Uzdaj se u se i u svoje kljuse.
o Translation: Trust yourself and your horse.

V

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

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

Z

* Željezo se kuje dok je vruće.
o English equivalent and translation: Forge while the iron is hot.

* Žuri polako.
o Translation: Hasten slowly.
o English equivalent: Slowly but carefully.
o Latin equivalent: Festina lente.