Czech Proverbs

B

* "Bez práce nejsou koláče."
o Translation: There are no cakes without work.
o English equivalent: You don't work; you don't eat.
o English equivalent: There's no such thing as a free lunch.
o English equivalent: No bees, no honey; no work, no money.
* "Boží mlýny melou pomalu, ale jistě."
o Translation: God's mills grind slowly, but surely.
* "Bez peněz do hospody nelez."
o Translation: Never go to a pub without money.
o Meaning: Never enter into an activity with a price, without that price.
o English equivalent: You have to pay to play.

C

* "Co na srdci, to na jazyku."
o Translation: What's in the heart, that's on the tongue.
o English Equivalent: "Dutch uncle"
o Meaning: One is too frank.

* "Co můžeš udělat dnes, neodkládej na zítřek."
o Translation, English equivalent: Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

* "Co oči nevidí, srdce nebolí."
o Translation:What eyes don´t see, heart doesn´t hurt.
o English Equivalent: Out of sight - out of mind.

* "Co se doma uvaří, to se doma sní."
o Translation: What is cooked home is eaten home.

* "Co se v mládí naučíš, ve stáří jako když najdeš."
o Translation: What have you learned young, you'll find useful when you are old.

* "Čistota půl zdraví."
o Translation: Cleanliness is half of health.
o English: Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

D

* "Dvakrát měř, jednou řež."
o Translation: Measure twice, cut once.
* "Darovanému koni na zuby nekoukej"
o Translation: Don't look at a gift horse's teeth.
o English equivalent: Never look a gift horse in the mouth.
* "Devatero řemesel - desátá bída."
o Ennead of trade - tenth misery.
o Meaning: If somebody knows a lot of things, he knows nothing well.
o English equivalent: A jack of all trades and master of none.
* "Důvěřuj, ale prověřuj."
o Translation: Trust, but verify


H

* "Hlad je nejlepší kuchař."
o Translation: Hunger is the best cook.
o English equivalent: Hunger is the best spice.

* "Host a ryba třetí den smrdí."
o Translation: A guest and a fish stink on the third day.
o English equivalent: Fish and visitors stink after three days.

* "Host do domu, bůh do domu."
o Translation: Guest in the house, God in the house.


J

* "Jablko nepadá daleko od stromu."
o Translation: "An apple does not fall far from the tree."

* "Jak kdo zaseje, tak také sklidí."
o Translation: As one sows, so shall he reap.
o English equivalent: As you sow, so shall you reap.

* "Jak se do lesa volá, tak se z lesa ozývá."
o Translation: The way you yell into a forest, the way it echoes out.
o Meaning: You get what you give.

* "Jak si kdo ustele, tak si také lehne."
o Translation: As one makes his bed, that way he shall lie down.
o English equivalent: As you make your bed, so you must lie in it.

* "Jedna vlaštovka jaro nedělá."
o One swallow doesn't make a spring

K

* "Kdo dřív přijde, ten dřív mele."
o Translation: He who comes sooner shall mill/grind sooner.
o English equivalent: First come, first served.

* "Kdo chce, hledá způsoby, kdo nechce, hledá důvody."
o Translation: He who really wants looks for solutions, he who doesn't want looks for pleas.

* "Kdo je (moc) zvědavý, bude brzy starý."
o Translation: He who is (too) curious shall grow old soon.
o English equivalent: Curiosity killed the cat.

* "Kdo neumí, ten čumí."
o Translation: He who doesn't know how just stares.

* "Kdo neumí, učí."
o Translation: He who doesn't know teachs other ones. (It is a parody of previous proverb.)
o Comp. Shaw's: He who can does, he who can't teaches.

* "Kdo jinému jámu kopá, sám do ní padá."
o Translation: He who digs a pit trap for someone falls into it himself.
o English equivalent: What goes around comes around.
* "Kdo se směje naposledy, ten se směje nejlépe."
o Translation, English equivalent: He who laughs last laughs best.

* "Kdo si počká, ten se dočká."
o Translation: He who waits shall live to see.
o English equivalent: All things come to him who waits.

* "Kdo šetří, má za tři."
o Translation: He who saves shall have as [much as] three [people].
o English equivalent: A penny saved is a penny earned.

* "Kdo zaváhá, nežere."
o Translation: He who's late won't get the grub.
o English equivalent: First come, first served.

* "Kolik jazyků znáš, tolikrát jsi člověkem."
o Translation: The more languages you know, the more (times) you are human.
o Meaning: The more languages you know, the richer is your life.

* "Komu se nelení, tomu se zelení."
o Translation: He who is not lazy shall get much green.
o Meaning: Who is not lazy will be successful.

* "Kovářovic kobyla chodí bosa."
o Translation: The blacksmith's mare walks without horseshoes.
o English equivalent: It's the cobbler's children that go barefoot.
o Meaning: You never serve yourself what you serve the others.

* "Kdo chce psa bít, hůl si vždycky najde"
o Translation: He who wants to beat the dog will always be able to find the stick"
o Meaning: You can always somehow justify your actions after you've already decided on something.

L

* "Láska hory přenáší."
o Translation: Love transcends the mountains.
o English equivalent: Love conquers all.
* "Láska prochází žaludkem."
o Translation: Love goes through a stomach.
o English equivalent: The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
* "Lépe pozdě než nikdy."
o Translation, English equivalent: Better late than never.

* "Lepší vrabec v hrsti než holub na střeše."
o Translation: Better a sparrow in the hand than a pigeon on the roof.
o English equivalent: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

* "Lež má krátké nohy."
o Translation: A lie has short legs.
o English equivalent: A lie has no legs.

* "Líná huba, holé neštěstí."
o Translation: The lazy mouth, a sheer disaster.
o If you don't ask you don't get.

M

* "Malé ryby taky ryby."
o Translation: Even small fish are fish.
* "Mezi slepými jednooký králem."
o Translation, English equivalent: In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is the king.
* "Mnoho psů, zajícova smrt."
o Translation: Many dogs, rabbit's death.
* "Muž je hlavou rodiny a žena krkem."
o Translation: Man is the family's head, woman is the neck.

N

* "Na každém šprochu pravdy trochu."
o Translation: There's a piece of truth in every piece of gossip.

* "Nehas, co tě nepálí."
o Translation: Don't put out a fire that isn't burning you.
o Meaning: "Don't get involved into other peoples' problems." The underlying meaning is either not to poke one's nose into other peoples' business, but more often it is meant as a controversial advice not to waste one's effort on issues that are indifferent to one (or might even cause hardship to one).

* "Není všechno zlato, co se třpytí."
o Translation, English equivalent: Not all that glitters is gold.

O

* "Oko za oko, zub za zub."
o Translation, English equivalent: An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

* "Oči jsou zrcadlem duše."
o Translation: Eyes are the mirror of the soul.
o English equivalent: The eyes are the window to the soul.

P

* "Pes, který štěká, nekouše."
o Translation: A dog that barks doesn't bite.
o English equivalent: Barking dogs seldom bite.
* "Pivo dělá hezká těla."
o Translation: Beer makes beautiful bodies.
o Meaning: A warning to the misleading effects of alcohol.
o Ironic reference to "beer belly", associated with overweight men who spend too much time in pubs eating and drinking beer.
* "Po bitvě je každý generálem."
o Translation: After a battle everyone is a general.
o English equivalent: Hindsight is 20-20.
* "Pod svícnem bývá největší tma."
o Translation, English equivalent: The darkest place is under the candlestick.
* "Pořádek dělá přátele."
o Translation: Order makes friends.
o English equivalent: Good fences make good neighbors.
* "Pozdě bycha honiti."
o Translation: It is too late to say: "I would"
o English equivalent: Marry in haste, repent in leisure.
* "Pýcha předchází pád."
o Translation: Pride preceeds the fall.
o English equivalent: Pride comes before the fall.

R

* "Ranní ptáče dál doskáče."
o Translation: Early bird hops further.
o English equivalent: The early bird catches the worm.

* "Ráno moudřejší večera."
o Translation: The morning is wiser than the evening.

* "Ryba smrdí od hlavy."
o Translation: A fish stinks from the head.
o English equivalent: A fish rots from the head down.

S

* "S chuti do toho a půl je hotovo."

* "S poctivostí nejdál dojdeš."
o Translation: With honesty you will get the furthest.
o English equivalent: Honesty is the best policy.

* "S úsměvem jde všechno líp."
o Translation: Everything goes better with a smile.

* "Stokrát nic umořilo osla."
o Translation: A hundred times nothing killed the donkey.
o Meaning: Even the smallest chores are tiresome (if there is too many).

* "Strach má velké oči."
o Translation: Fear has big eyes.
o Meaning: People overestimate danger because of fear.

* "Šaty dělaji člověka."
o English equivalent: Clothes make the man.

T

* "Tak dlouho se chodí se džbánem pro vodu, až se ucho utrhne."
o Translation: So long does one walk with a jug for water, until one day the handle breaks off."
* "Tichá voda břehy mele."
o Translation: Silent waters wash out banks.
o English equivalent: Still waters run deep.
* "Trpělivost růže přináší."
o Translation: Patience brings roses.
o English equivalent: Patience is the best remedy.

V

* "V nouzi poznáš přítele."
o Translation: When in need, you shall know a friend.
o English equivalent: A friend in need is a friend indeed.
* "Ve dvou se to lépe táhne."

* "Vrána k vráně sedá, (rovný rovného si hledá.)"
o Translation: A crow sits next to a crow, (one searches for an equal.)
o English equivalent: Birds of a feather flock together.
* "Vrána vráně oči nevyklove."
o Translation: A crow will not peck out a crow's eyes.
o English equivalent: Dogs don't eat dogs.
* "Všechny cesty vedou do Říma."
o Translation, English equivalent: All roads lead to Rome.
* "Všude dobře, doma nejlépe."
o Translation: Everywhere is well, at home it's best.
o English equivalent: East or West, home is best.
o English equivalent: There's no place like home.
* "Všude dobře, doma manželka." (parody of previous proverb)
o Translation: Everywhere is well, at home a wife.
* "Vyřčené slovo nevrátíš."
o Translation, English equivalent: A word spoken is past recalling.
* "V zdravém těle zdravý duch."
o Translation: In a healthy body a healthy spirit.
o English equivalent: A sound mind in a sound body.
* "Výjimka potvrzuje pravidlo."
o Translation: An exception confirms a rule.

Z

* "Zakázané ovoce chutná nejlépe."
o Translation: Forbidden fruit tastes best.
o English equivalent: Forbidden fruit is the sweetest.
* "Žádný učený z nebe nespadl."
o Translation: Wise men don't fall from the sky.
o Meaning: Knowledge doesn't come easily.
o English equivalent: You can't expect knowledge to hit you over the head.