Russian proverbs
From Wikiquote
Русские пословицы и поговорки
Russian proverbs gained popularity in the West thanks to Ronald Reagan, who supposedly was a fan of Russian folklore. Russians have possibly thousands of proverbs. Below is a very short list of Russian proverbs with translation.
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А
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Б
- Баба с возу — кобыле легче
- Transliteration: Baba s vozu — kobyle legche
- Translation: It is easier for the horse when a woman is off the cart.
- Moral: The work is easier when one does not get in its way.
- Без кота мышам раздолье.
- Transliteration: Bez kota mysham razdolye
- Translation: Without a cat mice have no limits.
- English version: "When the cat is away, the mice will play"
- Бережёного бог бережёт.
- Transliteration: Berezhyonogo bog berezhyot
- Translation: God keeps safe those who are kept safe.
- English version: "The Lord helps those who help themselves"
- Бешеной собаке семь верст не крюк.
- Transliteration: Beshenoy sobakye syem' vyerst nye kryuk
- Translation: For a mad dog seven miles is not a detour.
- Moral: If you are passionate (or unreasonably driven) about something you will do all the extra work without noticing it
- Богу молись, а добра-ума держись
- Transliteration: Bogu molis', a dobra-uma derzhis'
- Translation: Pray to God, but be level-headed.
- English version: "Trust in God, but steer away from the rocks"
- Большому кораблю — большое плавание.
- Transliteration: Bol'shomu korablyu — bol'shoye plavaniye
- Translation: Big voyage for a big ship
- English version: "A great ship asks deep waters"
- Бодливой корове бог рог не даёт
- Transliteration: Bodlivoy korove bog rog ne dayot
- Literally: God does not give horns to a cow that likes to gore
- Moral: Overzealous people often don't have means to do what they would like to
- Была не была.
- Transliteration: Byla ne byla
- Translation: There was - there wasn't
- English version: "Sink or swim"
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В
- В гостях хорошо, а дома лучше.
- Transliteration: V gostyakh khorosho, a doma luchshe.
- Translation: Visiting is good, but home is better.
- English version: "There is no place like home."; "East or West, home is best"
- В семье не без урода.
- Transliteration: V sem'ye ne bez uroda.
- Translation: No family is without an ugly member.
- English version: "There is a black sheep in every flock"
- В тихом омуте черти водятся.
- Transliteration: V tikhom omute cherti vodyatsa.
- Translation: Devils inhabit still waters.
- English version: "The devil lurks behind the cross"; "Always the one you least expect"; "Wolf in sheep's clothing"
- Moral: The bad tends to hide itself in the guise of the good.
- В Тулу со своим самоваром (не ездят).
- Transliteration: V Tulu so svoim samovarom (ne yezdyat).
- Translation: "Going to Tula with your own samovar" (Tula is famous as city were the best Russian samovars are made)
- English version: "Carrying coals to Newcastle" (Newcastle being a mining town.)
- В чужой монастырь со своим уставом не ходят.
- Transliteration: V chuzhoy monastyr' so svoim ustavom ne khodyat.
- Translation: Do not go to another monastery with your own charter.
- English version: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"
- Век живи — век учись.
- Transliteration: Vek zhivi — vek uchis'.
- Translation: "Live for a century — learn for a century."
- English version: "Live and learn"
- Вкруте и вяз переломишь
- Transliteration: Vkrute i vyaz perelomish
- Translation: "Together it is possible to break even an elm"
- English version: "There is strength in numbers."
- Волков бояться — в лес не ходить.
- Transliteration: Volkov boyat'sa — v les ne khodit'.
- Translation: If you're afraid of wolves, don't go to the forest.
- English version: "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen."
- Вот в чём загвоздка
- Transliteration: Vot v chyom zagvozdka
- Translation: "That's the snag!"
- English version: "That’s where the shoe pinches. That’s the crux (the rub)"
- Вот где собака зарыта.
- Transliteration: "Vot gde sobaka zaryta"
- Translation: "That's where the dog is buried"
- English version: "That’s where the shoe pinches. That’s the crux (the rub)"
- Всё хорошо, что хорошо кончается.
- Transliteration: Vsyo khorosho, chto khorosho konchayetsa.
- Translation: "All is well that ends well"
- English version: "All is well that ends well"
- Всяк кулик своё болото хвалит.
- Transliteration: "Vsyak kulik svoyo boloto khvalit"
- Translation: "Every sandpiper praises his own swamps"
- English version: "Every cook praises his own broth"
- Всякому овощу своё время.
- Transliteration: Vsyakomu ovoshchu svoyo vremya.
- Translation: "Every vegetable has its time"
- English version: "Everything is good in its season"
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Г
- Где тонко — там и рвётся.
- Transliteration: Gde tonko — tam i rvyotsya.
- Translation: Where it is thinnest - there it snaps.
- English version: "The chain is no stronger than its weakest link"
- Голод не тётка(, пирожка не поднесёт).
- Transliteration: Golod ne tyotka, pirozhka nye podnyesyot.
- Translation: Hunger is not your aunt(, it will not bring you a pie).
- Moral: If you are in need, help yourself and don't count on situation improving by itself
- Голодный, как волк.
- Transliteration: Golodny, kak volk.
- Translation: "As hungry as a wolf"
- English version: "Hungry like a wolf."
- Голь на выдумку хитра.
- Transliteration: Gol' na vydumku khitra.
- Translation: Poverty is crafty.
- English version: "Necessity is the mother of invention"
- Горбатого могила исправит.
- Transliteration: "Gorbatogo mogila ispravit"
- Translation: "Only death will change the hunchback"
- English version: "The leopard cannot change his spots"
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Д
- Дарёному коню в зубы не смотрят.
- Transliteration: "Daryonomu konyu v zuby ne smotryat"
- Translation: "You should not look a gift horse in the mouth"
- English version: "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth"
- Делить шкуру неубитого медведя.
- Transliteration: Delit' shkuru neubitovo medvedya.
- Translation: Distributing the skin of an unkilled bear.
- English version: "To cook a hare before catching him", "Don't count the chickens before they hatch"
- До свадьбы заживёт.
- Transliteration: Do svad'by zazhivyot.
- Translation: "[It] will heal before marriage."
- English version: "You will manage"
- До Бога высоко, до Царя далеко
- Transliteration: Do Boga vysoko, do Tsarya dalyeko.
- Translation: God is up high, the Tsar is far away.
- English version: ""
- Доброе братство — лучшее богатство
- Transliteration: Dobroye bratstvo — luchsheye bogatstvo
- Translation: "Good brothership is the better wealth."
- English version: ""
- Доверяй, но проверяй.
- Transliteration: Doveryay, no proveryay.
- Translation: "Trust, but verify."
- English version:
- Долг платежом красен.
- Transliteration: Dolg platezhom krasen.
- Translation: Debt is beautiful when repaid.
- English version: "One good turn deserves another"
- Дружба дружбой, а служба службой.
- Transliteration: Druzhba druzhboy, a sluzhba sluzhboy.
- Translation: Friendship is friendship and business is business.
- Moral: Friendship is one thing, business another.
- Друзья познаются в беде.
- Transliteration: Druzya poznayutsa v bede.
- Translation: "Friends are known in times of trouble"
- Moral: When you are in hard times, your true friends will be the ones that help you.
- Дуракам закон не писан.
- Transliteration: Durakam zakon ne pisan.
- Translation: "There is no law for fools"
- English version: "There is no law for fools"
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Е
- Если бы да кабы да во рту росли грибы.
- Transliteration: "Yesli by da kaby da vo rtu rosli griby"
- Translation: "If mushrooms grew in the mouth"
- English version: "If ifs and buts were candy and nuts", "If wishes were horses, beggars might ride"
- Если хочется работать — ляг, поспи, и всё пройдёт.
- Transliteration: "Yesli khochetsya rabotat', lyag, pospi, i vsyo proydyot."
- Translation: "If you feel the need to work, take a nap and the need will pass."
- English version:
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Ж
- Жизнь коротка.
- Transliteration: Zhizn' korotka.
- Translation: "Life is short."
- English version: "Life is short."
- Жизнь прожить — не поле перейти.
- Transliteration: Zhizn' prozhit' — ne pole pereyti.
- Translation: "To live life is not to walk through a meadow."
- English version: "Life was never meant to be easy."
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З
- За одного битого двух небитых дают.
- Transliteration: Za odnovo bitogo dvukh nebityh dayut.
- Translation: In exchange for a beaten one they give two unbeaten ones.
- English version: "Experience is worth it"
- Занятой (трудолюбивый), как пчела.
- Transliteration: Zanyatoy (trydolyubivy), kak pchela.
- Translation: "As busy as a bee"
- English version: "As busy as a bee"
- Заставь дурака Богу молится, так он себе и лоб расшибёт.
- Transliteration: Zastav' duraka Bogu molyitsya, tak on syebye i lob rasshibyot.
- Translation: If you force a fool to pray to God, he will do it so enthusiasticaly that he will hurt his head while bowing to the floor [as required by formal Orthodox prayer].
- Moral: Blind following of poorly understood results or conclusions could be worse then not doing anything in first place. Better to understand underlying reasons, and make your own educated decisions.
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И
- И на старуху бывает проруха
- Transliteration: I na starukhu byvayet prorykha
- Translation: Even an old lady makes mistakes.
- English version: "Everyone makes mistakes"
- И хочется и колется
- Transliteration: I khochetsya i koletsya
- Translation: It is wanted and repellent.
- English version: "The cat would eat fish and would not wet her feet"
- Исподволь и ольху согнёшь
- Transliteration: Ispodvol' i ol'khu sognyosh'.
- Translation: "You can bend an alder-tree, if you do it gradually."
- English version: "Time conquers all"
- Ищи ветра в поле
- Transliteration: Ishchi vetra v pole.
- Translation: Look for wind in a field.
- English version: "The wind cannot be caught in a net"
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К
- Как аукнется — так и откликнется.
- Transliteration: Kak ayknetsya — tak i otkliknetsya.
- Translation: How [echo] is prompted, it will bounce back.
- English version: "People get what they deserve"
- Как дважды два — четыре.
- Transliteration: "Kak dvazhdy dva — chetyre"
- Translation: "As twice two is four"
- English version: "As sure as eggs is eggs"
- Как две капли воды.
- Transliteration: Kak dve kapli vody.
- Translation: Like two drops of water.
- English version: "As alike as two peas in a pod"
- Как нажито, так и прожито.
- Transliteration: Kak nazhito, tak i prozhito.
- Translation: As earned, spent.
- English version: "Easy come, easy go"
- Капля в море.
- Transliteration: Kaplya v more.
- Translation: A drop in the sea.
- English version: "A drop in the bucket"
- Кашу маслом не испортишь.
- Transliteration: "Kashu maslom ne isportish"
- Translation: Porridge cannot be spoiled with butter.
- English version: "You can’t spoil a good thing. Plenty is no plague"
- Клин клином вышибают.
- Transliteration: Klin klinom vyshibayut.
- Translation: One uses a wedge to knock out a wedge.
- English version: "Fight fire with fire. One nail drives out another"
- Когда деньги говорят, тогда правда молчит
- Transliteration: Kogda dengi govoryat, togda pravda molchit
- Translation: When money talks, then truth is silent
- Кому на месте не сидится, тот добра не наживёт.
- Transliteration: Komu na meste ne siditsya, tot dobra ne nazhivyot.
- Translation: Those who are discontent to remain in one place will not accumulate much.
- English version: "A rolling stone gathers no moss"
- Кто рано встаёт, тому бог подаёт.
- Transliteration: Kto rano vstayot, tomu bog podayot.
- Translation: God gives to those who wake up early.
- English version: "The early bird catches the worm"
- Куй железо, пока горячо.
- Transliteration: Kuy zhelezo, poka goryacho.
- Translation: Strike while the metal is hot.
- English version: "Strike while the iron is hot. Make hay while the sun shines"
- Курам на смех.
- Transliteration: Kuram na smekh.
- Translation: To make the hens laugh
- English version: "It is enough to make a cat laugh"
- Курица не птица, баба не человек
- Transliteration: Kurnitsa nye ptyitsa, baba nye chelovyek.
- Translation: A chicken isn't a bird, a woman is not a human being.
- English version: ""
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Л
- Лбом стенку не расшибёшь
- Transliteration: Lbom stenku ne rasshibyosh'.
- Translation: You cannot break a wall with your forehead.
- English version: "Use the correct tool for the job."
- Лес рубят — щепки летят.
- Transliteration: Les rubyat — shchepki letyat.
- Translation: They chop down a wood—woodchips fly.
- English version: "You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs"
- Лиха беда начало.
- Transliteration: Likha beda nachalo.
- Translation: Trouble is the beginning of disaster.
- English version: "A good beginning makes a good ending. The first step is the hardest"
- Ложка дёгтя в бочке меда.
- Transliteration: Lozhka dyogtya v bochke meda.
- Translation: A spoonful of tar in a barrel of honey.
- English version: "A fly in the ointment", "The rotten apple spoils the barrel."
- Лучшее — враг хорошего.
- Transliteration: Luchsheye — vrag khoroshego.
- Translation: The best is the enemy of the good.
- English version: "The best is oftentimes the enemy of the good."
- Лучше один раз увидеть, чем сто раз услышать
- Transliteration: Luchshe odin raz uvidet', chem sto raz uslishat'
- Translation: It's better to see once than hear a hundred times
- English version: A picture is worth a thousand words
- Лучше поздно, чем никогда.
- Transliteration: Luchshe pozdno, chem nikogda.
- Translation: Better late than never.
- English version: "Better late than never"
- Лучше синица в руках, чем журавль в небе.
- Transliteration: "Luchshe sinitsa v rukakh, chem zhuravl' v nebe"
- Translation: Better a titmouse in the hand than a crane in the sky.
- English version: "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush", "Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow."
- Любишь кататься, люби и саночки возить.
- Transliteration: Lyubish' katat'sya, lyubi i sanochki vozit'.
- Translation: If you enjoy riding, enjoy pulling the sleigh.
- English version: "He that would eat the fruit must climb the tree", "No pains, no gains", "After dinner comes the reckoning."
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М
- Мир да лад — большой клад
- Transliteration: Mir da lad — bol'shoy klad
- Translation: "Peace is great treasure"
- English version: "Plenty is no plague"
- Много будешь знать, скоро состариться.
- Transliteration: Mnogo budesh' znat', skoro sostaritsya.
- Translation: If you learn a lot, you'll age soon.
- English version: "Too much knowledge makes the head bald"
- Много шума из ничего.
- Transliteration: Mnogo shuma iz nishego.
- Translation: Much noise from nothing
- English version: "Much ado about nothing"
- Мягко стелет — жёстко спать.
- Transliteration: Myagko stelet — zhyostko spat'.
- Translation: Makes bed soft but hard to sleep.
- English version: "Iron fist in a velvet glove"
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Н
- На безрыбье и рак — рыба.
- Transliteration: Na bezryb'ye i rak — ryba.
- Translation: On a fishing lull, even a lobster is considered fish.
- English version: "Something is better than nothing"
- На воре шапка горит.
- Transliteration: Na vore shapka gorit.
- Translation: A thief's hat burns.
- English version: "A guilty mind betrays itself"
- На всех не угодишь.
- Transliteration: Na vsekh ne ugodish.
- Translation: You cannot please everybody.
- English version: "He who pleased everybody died before he was born"
- На всякого мудреца довольно простоты.
- Transliteration: Na vsyakogo mudretsa dovol'no prostoty.
- Translation: For each wise man there is plenty of fools.
- English version: "Every man has a fool in his sleeve"
- На бога надейся, а сам не плошай
- Transliteration: Na boga nadeysya, a sam ne ploshay
- Translation: Hope for God, but do not be reliant.
- English version:
- На бога положишься — не обложишься
- Transliteration: Na boga polozhish'sya — ne oblozhish'sya
- Translation: If you rely on god, you won't fail
- English version:
- Назвался груздем — полезай в кузов.
- Transliteration: Nazvalsa gruzdem — polezay v kuzov.
- Translation: Call yourself a milk-mushroom —get into the basket!
- English version: "In for a penny, in for a pound" [?], "If you undertook some thing, do it (see it through)"; "If the shoe fits, ..."
- Нашла коса на камень.
- Transliteration: Nashla kosa na kamen'.
- Translation: The scythe has hit a stone.
- English version: "Diamond cut diamond", "You have met your match"
- Не буди лиха, пока лихо спит.
- Transliteration: Ne budi likha, poka likho spit.
- Translation: Don't wake up trouble while trouble is sleeping.
- English version: "Don’t trouble trouble till trouble troubles you", "Let sleeping dogs lie"
- Не было у бабы хлопот, так купила порося.
- Transliteration: Ne bylo u baby khlopot, tak kupila porosya.
- Translation: A woman farmer had no trouble, so she bought a piglet.
- English version: "You are asking for trouble"
- Не всё золото, что блестит.
- Transliteration: Ne vsyo zoloto, chto blestit.
- Translation: All that gliters is not gold.
- English version: "All that glitters is not gold"
- Не имей сто рублей, а имей сто друзей
- Transliteration: Ne imey sto rubley, a imey sto druzey.
- Translation: Don't have a hundred rubles, but have a hundred friends.
- English version:
- Не клади все яйца в одну корзину.
- Transliteration: Ne kladi vsye yaytsa v odnu korzinu.
- Translation: Don't put all your eggs in one basket
- English version: "Don’t put all your eggs in one basket"
- Не мытьём, так катаньем.
- Transliteration: Ne mytyom, tak katanyem.
- Translation: If not by washing, then by rolling around
- English version: "By hook or by crook"
- Не ошибается тот, кто ничего не делает.
- Transliteration: Ne oshibayetsa tot, kto nichego ne delayet.
- Translation: Only he who never does anything never makes mistakes
- English version: "He that never climbed, never fell"
- Не плюй в колодец — пригодится воды напиться.
- Transliteration: Ne plyuy v kolodets — prigoditsya vody napit'sya.
- Translation: Do not spit into a well—it may be useful to drink water.
- English version: "Actions can boomerang", "Never cast dirt into that fountain of which you have sometime drunk"
- Vulgar: "Don't sh*t where you eat."
- Не пойман — не вор.
- Transliteration: Ne poyman — ne vor.
- Translation: Weren't caught—not a thief.
- English version: "Innocent till proven guilty"
- Не рой другому яму, сам в неё попадёшь.
- Transliteration: Ne roy drugomu yamu, sam v neyo popadyosh'.
- Translation: Don't dig a hole for someone else, as you will fall into it yourself.
- English version: "Curses like chickens come home to roost"
- Не так страшен чёрт, как его малюют.
- Transliteration: Ne tak strashen chyort, kak ego malyuyut.
- Translation: The devil is not as scary as they paint him. (Note: "малюют" is a Ukrainian word. The Russian equivalent is "рисуют".)
- English version: "The devil is not so black as he is painted"
- Не учи учёного.
- Transliteration: Ne uchi uchyonogo.
- Translation: Do not teach a taught person.
- English version: "Do not teach an old dog new tricks"
- Незваный гость лучше званого
- Transliteration: Nezvany gost' luchshe zvanogo
- Translation: An unsolicited guest is better than a solicited one.
- English version:
- Незваный гость хуже татарина
- Transliteration: Nezvany gost' khuzhe tatarina
- Translation: An unsolicited guest is worse than a Tatar (the enemy).
- English version:
- Нем, как рыба.
- Transliteration: Nem, kak ryba.
- Translation: Mute as a fish
- English version: "Silent as a grave"
- Нет дыма без огня.
- Transliteration: Net dyma bez ognya.
- Translation: There is no smoke without fire
- English version: "There is no smoke without fire"
- Нет худа без добра.
- Transliteration: Net khuda bez dobra.
- Translation: There's no bad without good.
- English version: "Every cloud has a silver lining"
- Ни к селу, ни к городу.
- Transliteration: Ni k selu, ni k gorodu.
- Translation: Not for village, not for town.
- English version: "Neither here nor there"
- Ни рыба, ни мясо.
- Transliteration: Ni ryba, ni myaso.
- Translation: Neither fish nor meat.
- English version: "Neither fish nor flesh"
- Ни складу ни ладу.
- Transliteration: Ni skladu ni ladu.
- Translation:
- English version: "Neither rhyme nor reason"
- Новая метла метёт по-новому.
- Transliteration: Novaya metla metyot po-novomu.
- Translation: A new broom sweeps in a new (unique) way.
- English version: "A new broom sweeps clean"
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О
- О вкусах не спорят.
- Transliteration: O vkusakh ne sporyat.
- Translation: Tastes are not debated.
- English version: "Tastes differ"
- Овчинка выделки не стоит.
- Transliteration: Ovchinka vydelki ne stoit.
- Translation: The lambskin isn't worth the currying
- English version: "The game isn’t worth the candle"
- Один в поле не воин.
- Transliteration: Odin v pole ne voin.
- Translation: One in a field is not a warrior.
- English version: "One man, no man"
- Орешек не по зубам.
- Transliteration: Oreshek ne po zubam.
- Translation: The teeth are not match for the nut.
- English version: "A hard nut to crack"
- От добра добра не ищут.
- Transliteration: Ot dobra dobra ne ishchut.
- Translation: Do not look for (further) good from good.
- English version: "Leave well enough alone. Enough is as good as a feast"
- От любопытства кошка сдохла.
- Transliteration: Ot lyubopytstva koshka sdokhla.
- Translation: Curiosity killed the cat.
- English version: "Curiosity killed the cat"
- От сумы и от тюрмы не зарекайся.
- Transliteration: Ot sumy i ot tyurmy ne zarekaysa.
- Translation: Don't swear off of begging and jail.
- English version:
- Отсутствие новостей — хорошая новость.
- Transliteration: Otsutstviye novostey — khoroshaya novost'.
- Translation: No news is good news.
- English version: "No news is good news"
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П
- Пан или пропал.
- Transliteration: Pan ili propal.
- Translation:
- English version: "Neck or nothing"
- Первый блин комом.
- Transliteration: Pervy blin komom.
- Translation: The first pancake is a blob.
- English version: "Things don’t work the first time"
- Плохая молва на крыльях летит.
- Transliteration: "Plokhaya molva na kryl'yah letit"
- Translation: A bad rumour flies on wings.
- English version: "Bad news has wings"
- Погонишься за двумя зайцами, ни одного не поймаешь.
- Transliteration: Pogonishsya za dvumya zaytsami, ni odnogo ne poymayesh.
- Translation: If you run after two hares, you will catch neither.
- English version: "If you run after two hares, you will catch neither", "Grasp all, lose all"
- Последний, но не менее важный.
- Transliteration: Posledny, no ne meneye vazhny.
- Translation: Last, but no less important.
- English version: "Last, but not least"
- После драки кулаками не машут.
- Transliteration: Posle draki kulakami ne mashut.
- Translation: You don't wave your fists after a fight.
- English version: "What’s done is done"
- Поспешишь, людей насмешишь.
- Transliteration: Pospeshish', lyudey nasmeshish'.
- Translation: If you rush, others will be only amused.
- English version: "Hasty climbers have sudden falls", "The more haste, the less speed"
- Привычка — вторая натура.
- Transliteration: Privychka — vtoraya natura.
- Translation: Custom is a second nature.
- English version: "Custom is a second nature"
- При царе Горохе.
- Transliteration: Pri tsare Gorokhe.
- Translation: "In the times of czar Goroch" (czar from fairy tales)
- English version: "Since Adam was a boy"
- Пришла беда, отворяй ворота.
- Transliteration: Prishla beda, otvoryay vorota.
- Translation: Trouble is here, so open the gates.
- English version: "Misfortunes never come alone"
- Пуганая ворона куста боится.
- Transliteration: Puganaya vorona kusta boitsya.
- Translation: A scared crow is afraid of a bush.
- English version: "Once bitten, twice shy"
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Р
- Раз на раз не приходится.
- Transliteration: Raz na raz ne prikhoditsya.
- Translation:
- English version: "You can’t expect perfection every time"
- Рука руку моет.
- Transliteration: "Ruka ruku moyet"
- Translation: One hand washes the other.
- English version: "You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours"
- Рыбак рыбака видит издалека.
- Transliteration: "Rybak rybaka vidit izdaleka"
- Translation: A fisherman sees a fisherman from afar.
- English version: "Birds of a feather flock together"
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С
- Своей тени не обгонишь
- Transliteration: Svoyey teni ne obgonish'.
- Translation: You won't speed past your shadow.
- English version: ""
- С волками жить, по-волчьи выть.
- Transliteration: "S volkami zhit', po-volch'i vyt'"
- Translation: You live with wolves, you howl like a wolf.
- English version: "Who keeps company with the wolves, will learn to howl."
"You are like the company you keep."
- Сделал дело, гуляй смело.
- Transliteration: Sdyelal dyelo, gulyay smyelo.
- Translation: Task accomplished, disport bravely.
- English version: ""
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Т
- Тише едешь, дальше будешь
- Transliteration: "Tishe yedesh', dal'she budesh'"
- Translation: The slower you go, the farther you'll get.
- English version: "More haste, less speed"; "Slow and steady wins the race."
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У
- Умный в гору не пойдёт, умный гору обойдёт.
- Transliteration: Umny v goru ne poydyot, umny goru oboydyot.
- Translation: "A clever man will not go up a mountain; a clever man will go around it."
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Ц
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Ч
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Ш
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Щ
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Э
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Ю
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Я
- Яблоко от яблони недалеко падает
- Transliteration: "Yabloko ot yabloni nedaleko padayet"
- Translation: The apple doesn't fall far from the apple-tree.
- English version: Like father like son
- Язык до Киева доведёт
- Transliteration: Yazyk do Kiyeva dovedyot
- Literally: Your tongue can get you to Kiev.
- Moral: You can achieve almost anything by asking for help from others
- Яйца курицу не учат
- Transliteration: Yaytsa kuritsu ne uchat
- Literally: Eggs cannot teach a hen.
- Moral: Do not give advice to someone more experienced than you
See also: List of proverbs.