German proverbs Quotes and Quotation

B

• Besser spät als nie
  • "Better late than never"

• "Besser ein Spatz in der Hand, als eine Taube auf dem Dach."
  • Translation: A sparrow in the hand is better than a pigeon on the roof"
  • Meaning: "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
  • multilingual.

C

E

• "Egal ist 88"*
  • Translation: 88 is equal.

• "Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt."
  • "Not all that glitters is gold."
  • Meaning: You can't tell a book by its cover.

• Erst kommt das Fressen, dann kommt die Moral.
  • Translation: "First comes the gorging, then the moral."
  • Meaning: "A hungry man has no conscience."

• Einmal ist keinmal.
  • Literally, "Once is never."

• Eine Schwalbe macht noch keinen Sommer!
  • Literally, "One swallow doesn't make summer."
  • Meaning: "It takes more evidence to prove this true"

• Ende gut, alles gut.
  • "All's well that ends well."

• Ein Unglück kommt selten allein.
  • Translation: "A disaster seldom comes alone."
  • Meaning: "It never rains but it pours."

• Eile mit Weile.
  • Translation: "Hurry with leisure."
  • Meaning: "Slower is faster."

F

H

• "Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall."
  • Literal Translation: "Arrogance comes before the fall."
  • Correct meaning: "People become arrogant before their downfall"

I

• Iss, was gar ist, trink, was klar ist, und sprich, was wahr ist.
  • "Eat what's been well cooked, drink that which is clear, and speak what is true."

• "In der Not frisst der Teufel Fliegen"
  • Translation: If in need, the devil eats flies.

J

• Jacke wie Hose.
  • Meaning: "Six of one, half a dozen of the other."

K

• "Kümmere dich nicht um ungelegte Eier."
  • Literally: "Don't care for eggs that haven't been laid."
  • Meaning: "Don't cross your bridges until you come to them."
  • English proverb: "Don't count your chickens before they hatch".

• Kommt Zeit, kommt Rat.
  • Literally: "If time comes, advice comes."
  • Meaning: "With time comes insight."

• Kräht der Hahn auf dem Mist, ändert sich's Wetter oder 's bleibt wie's ist.
  • Literally: "If the cock crows on the dung heap, the weather will change or it stays the way it is."
  • Meaning : "Do not rely upon proverbs!" or "The opinion of loud but insignificant people has no influence on the world."

L

• Lust und Liebe zu einem Ding macht alle Mühe und Arbeit gering.
  • "Desire and love for a thing makes all the effort and work of slight importance."

M

• "Man soll das Fell des Bären nicht verkaufen, bevor man ihn erlegt hat."
  • Translation: "One shouldn't sell the bear's fur before it has been killed."
  • Meaning: "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched."

• Translation: "One shouldn't praise the day before the evening."
• Meaning: "There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip."

N

P

• "Papier ist geduldig.
  • Translation: Paper is patient.
  • Meaning: Just because it is printed or written, it doesn't mean it is the truth.

Q

S

• ''Sind die Hühner flach wie ein Teller, war der Traktor sicher schneller."
  • Lit.: "If the chicken are flat like a plate, the tractor surely was faster."
  • "A proverb pulling the leg of farmer's rules."

• Schuster, bleib bei deinen Leisten.
  • "A shoemaker sticks to his last."

• Setz nicht alles auf eine Karte.
  • "Don't put all your eggs in the same basket."

T

• "Taten statt Worte!" or "Taten sagen mehr als Worte"
  • Translation: "Actions instead of words!" or "Actions say more than words"

• "Träume sind Schäume."
  • Translation: Dreams are foams.

U

W

• Was nicht ist, kann noch werden.
  • Translation: "What isn't yet can still become."
  • Meaning: "'It hasn't' doesn't mean 'it won't'."

• Was man sich eingebrockt hat, das muss man auch auslöffeln.
  • "What one dishes out, he must also eat."

• Was Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr.
  • Translation: "What Hänschen (small Hans) doesn't learn, (grown-up) Hans will never learn."
  • "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."

• Wenn der Reiter nichts taugt, ist das Pferd schuld.
  • Translation: If the horseman is bad, it's the horse's fault.
  • English equivalent: "A bad workman blames his tools."

• Wer A sagt, muss auch B sagen. (Plattdeutsche Variante: De A seggt, mut ok B seggen")
  • Translation: If you say A, you have to say B as well.
  • Meaning: You must finish what you started.

• Wer nicht will, hat schon
  • Translation: He who does not want something already has enough.
  • Meaning: Used in situations where somebody who desires something must make himself heard, or lose some benefit ("Who wants the last slice of pizza?")

• Wer zuletzt lacht, lacht am besten.
  • "He who laughs last, laughs best."

• Wer nicht wagt, der nicht gewinnt.
  • "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

• Wer anderen eine Grube gräbt, fällt selbst hinein.
  • Translation: "Who digs a pit for others falls into it himself."
  • Meaning: "Harm set, harm get."

• Wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst.
  • Translation: "Who comes first, grinds (his grain) first."
  • Meaning: "First come, first served."

• Wes' Brot ich ess, des' Lied ich sing.
  • Translation: "Whose bread I eat, whose song I sing."
  • Meaning: "He who pays the piper calls the tune."

• Wer die Wahl hat, hat die Qual.
  • Literally, "Who has the choice has the pain."

• Wein auf Bier, das rat' ich dir. Bier auf Wein, das lass sein.
  • Translation: "Wine on beer, I advise you. Beer on wine, leave alone."
  • Meaning: "Cider on beer, never fear; beer upon cider, makes a bad rider."

• Wer den Pfennig nicht ehrt, ist den Taler nicht wert
  • "Who doesn't care about cents isn't worthy to keep a dollar"

• Wer den Cent nicht ehrt, ist den Euro nicht wert
  • "Who doesn't care about cents isn't worthy to keep a euro"

• Wie man in den Wald hineinruft, so kommt es zurück
  • Meaning: "One good turn deserves another"

• ''Wo gehobelt wird, fallen Späne."
  • Lit.: "Where you plane splinters fall."
  • "You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs."

X

• Zeit ist Geld.
  • Translation: Time is money.

• "Drei Z sind gern beieinander: Zechen, Zänker, Zungenschmied"
  • Translation: Three Z like to be together: to tipple, to quarrell, ______ .

• (unknown original version)
  • Translation: "The eyes believe themselves; the ears believe other people."