Közmondások, szólások

Aki á-t mond, mondjon bé-t is
He that says a, should also say b

Ha adnak, vedd el, ha ütnek, szaladj el
If something is given to you then take it, if you are beaten, then run away

Jobb adni, mint kapni
It is better to give than to receive

Kétszer ad, aki gyorsan ad
He gives twice who gives quickly

Amilyen az adjonisten, olyan a fogadjisten
Like greeting, on arrival, like answer

Hátrább az agarakkal
Backwards with the greyhounds Be more modest

Ki mint veti ágyát, úgy alussza álmát
As one makes his bed, so he sleeps his dream

Ágyúval lő verebekre
He shoots at sparrows with a, high calibre, gun

Ajándék lónak ne nézd a fogát
Do not look at the tooth of a gift horse

Ajtóstul ront be a házba
He rushes into the houses together with the door
He tells, does something to somebody without announcement

Ha kidobják az ajtón, bemegy az ablakon
If he is thrown out through the door, he enters through the window

Nem amint akarnánk, hanem amint lehet
One should act as he may, not as he would like to

Csak akasztásra való istrángot sem érdemelne
He would not deserve even the rope for hanging

Kinek akasztófa helye, nem hal a Dunába
A bűnöst eléri méltó büntetése
He whose place is on the gallows, will not die in the Danube

Akasztott ember házában kötelet emleget
He names a rope in the house of a man that was hanged

Alkalom szüli a tolvajt
Opportunity bears the thief

Felkavarta az állóvizet
Követ dobott az állóvzbe
He has stirred up, or threw a stone into, still water.
He brought motion in a quiet life

Nem esik messze az alma a fájától
The apple does not fall far from its tree

Nem vagyunk angyalok
We are not angels

Amilyen az anya, olyan a leánya
Like mother, like daughter

Nézd meg az anyját, vedd el a lányát
Have a close look at the mother and then marry her daughter

Ár ellen nehéz úszni
It is difficult to swim against the stream

Aki nem tud arabusul, ne beszéljen arabusul
He who cannot speak Arabic, should not speak Arabic
He who has no knowledge, understanding of something, should not engage in, or interfere with, it

Az arany a sárban is arany
Gold is gold even in the mud

Hallgatni arany beszélni ezüst
To be silent is golden, to speak is silvern

Nem mind arany, ami fénylik
All is not gold that glitters

Ki korán kel, aranyat lel
He who gets up early finds gold

Nem fog aranyon a rozsda
Rust cannot do any harm to gold
A man of character is resistant to temptation

Aranykulcs minden ajtóba beillik
A golden key fits every door

Nem mindig az arat, aki vet
Not always that reaps who sows

Ez nem az én asztalom
This is not my table
This is not my duty, responsibility concern
A refusal of doing, dealing with something

Három asszony egy lúd, két asszony, egész vásár
Three women, a goose and two women make a whole fair

Jó asszony a háznak koronája
A good wife is the crown of the house

Serény asszonynak rest a lánya, rest asszonynak serény a lánya
A busy women has a lazy daughter, a lazy women has a busy daughter

Higgy az asszonynépnek, mint az áprilisi időjárásnak
Believe in women as in the weather in April

Könnyű az asztag alatt, mellett kalászt szedni
It is easy to collect ears of corn under, beside a stack

Nem játszunk, Add vissza a babaruhát
We do not play, Return the dolls clothes
I do not agree to cancel a promise, agreement or to return a present given by him

Sok bába közt elvész a gyerek
Among many midwives the child is lost

Nem babra megy a játék
The stake of the play is not beans
It is a serious matter

A bagoly is bíró barlangjában
Even an owl is a judge in her cave

Bagoly mondja verébnek, hogy nagyfejű
The owl tells the sparrow that her head is big

A baj nem jár egyedül
Trouble does not come alone

Mindenkinek megvan a maga baja
Everyone his own trouble

Ugyanazon bakot nyúzza
He is flaying the same bock

A régi nótát fújja
Hi sings the same old song

Mindenkit érhet baleset
Accidents may happen to anyone

Elcsúszott egy banánhéjon
He has slipped on a banana-peel
By making a small error his secret, illegal activity came into the open

Késõ bánat ebgondolat
A late repentance is a dogs idea
After death the doctor

Barátot szerencse hoz, szükség próbál
Luck brings friends, need tries them

Mondd meg, ki a barátod megmondom ki vagy
Tell me who your friends is, I'll tell you who you are

Nem mind barátod, aki rád mosolyog
All are not your friends who smile at you

Inába szállt a bátorsága
His courage sank to his sinews
He got frightened

Bátraké a szerencse
Luck belongs to the brave

A béka feneke alatt van
It is below the bottom of a frog
It is of inferior quality

Lenyeli a békát
He swallows the frog
He swallows the bitter pill

Hagyj békét másnak, magadra viselj gondot
Leave others in peace, care for yourself

Jobb a békesség
Peace is better
It is better to refrain from quarrels, contradictions or raising, forcing an argument

Kapkod, mint Bernát a mennykõhöz
Like Barnard, he tries to catch the heavens stone
He acts in confusion, inconsistently

Nyert benne, mint Bertók a csíkban
He succeeded like Bertok with the loach

Mindent elvesztett
He lost everything

Sok beszédnek sok az alja
In much talk there is much bottom, inferior matter

A betyárból lesz a legjobb pandúr
The former highwayman men are the best gendarmes

Beletört a bicskája
His pocket knife opens in my pocket
He tried but failed in a achieving something

Kinyílik a bicska a zsebemben
Something has caused anger, despair but one was compelled to stand idly by

Aki bírja marja
He who is strongest, ablest can devour it
The strongest, ablest wins

Sorba mégy, mint a falusi bíróság
It is taken by turns like village headmanship

Ki hol bízik, ott hízik
Where one trusts, there he gets fat

Magyarázza a bizonyítványát
He explains away his report
He tries hard to explain or justify his action or behaviour

Szegénységi bizonyítványt állít ki magáról
He issues a certificate of poverty of himself
He proves his incapacity

Bocskorbőr az orcája
Vastag bőr van a képén
There is thick sandal leather on his face
He is bluntly shameless

Mást beszél, mint Bodóné, mikor a bor árát kérik
Like Mrs Bodo he talks about something else when asked to pay for the wine
Side-stepping an issue

Bolond lyukból bolond szél fúj
Out of a foolish hole a foolish wind blows
A fool can tell only foolish things

Bolond ütközik kétszer egy kőbe
A fool stumbles twice at the same stone

Bolondnak kedvez, jár a szerencse
Fortune favours the fool

Egy bolond beledobja a kútba a követ, száz okos se veszi ki
A fool may throw a stone into a well which a hundred wise cannot take out

Egy bolond százat csinál
One fool makes a hundred

Bor be, ész ki
Wine in, sense out

Jó bornak nem kell cégér
Good wine needs no signboard, bush

Bámul, mint borjú az új kapura
He stares at the new gate as a calf
He merely looks at something without taking action

Borotvaélen táncol
He dances on a razor-edge
He tries to face danger from two, more sides

Kicsi a bors, de erős
Pepper is small but strong

Borsot tör valakinek az orra alá
He crushes pepper under the nose of somebody
He annoys, irritates somebody

Falra hányt borsó
It is like peas thrown against the wall
A vain effort

Úgy illik össze, mint bot a tegezbe
They match as a stick in a quiver

Minden botnak a végén a feje
The head of each stick is at its end

Nyugtával dicsérd a napot
Praise a fair day at night

Aki bottal köszön, annak doronggal felelnek
He who greets with a stick, will be answered with a club

Bottal üthetik a nyomát
His footprints can be beaten with a stick
He managed to escape

Senki sem tud kibújni a saját bőréből
Nobody can slip out of his own skin
Nobody can abandon easily his customs, ideas

Mindenki a maga bőrét viszi a vásárra
Every one carries his own skin to the market

El van maradva egy brosúrával
He is one pamphlet behind, the others
He still thinks, speaks, acts according to the previous guidelines

Nem egy nap alatt épült Buda vára
The castle of Buda was not built in one day

Egyszer volt Budán kutyavásár
These was a dog-market in Buda only once
This favourable opportunity was a one-time occasion only

Felfelé bukott
He stumbled upwards
After failing in a job he was moved to higher position

A cél szentesíti az eszközt
The purpose consecrates the means

Minden cigány a maga lovát dicséri
Every gypsy prises his own horse

Nem szokta a cigány a szántást
The gypsy is not accustomed to ploughing
He is compelled to do something, he was previously reluctant to do

Még ha cigánygyerekek potyognak, esnek is az égbõl
Even if gypsy children are dropped from the sky
Come hell or high water

Csáky szalmájának tekinti
He considers it as straw of, the landowner Csaky
An expression of negligence instead of due care

Csalánba nem üt a ménkű, mennykő
The sky’s stone does not strike the nettle
Weeds don’t spoil

Add meg a császárnak, ami a császáré, és az Istennek, ami az Istené
Give the emperor what is the emperors and God what is Gods
Give everyone his due
Elásták a csatabárdot
They have buried the hatchet

Sok csepp követ váj
Many drops hollow the stone

Cserép, zsindely van a háztetőn, házon. Fiatal gyerek van jelen, ill. a falnak is füle van
There is a tile on the roof
Walls have ears

Cseréptálhoz fakanál
To an earthenware dish a wooden spoon
Marry your match

Lehazudná a csillagokat az égről
He would even lie, there is no star in the sky
He is ready to deny even the most obvious truths

Ha nem csinálok semmit, abból nem lehet baj
If we do nothing, without being ordered to do, no trouble will
result from it

A sáros csizmámat sem törölném hozzá
I would not wipe my muddy boots in him
An expression of utter despise

Hogy kerül a csizma az asztalra
How could the boots get on the table
What has that got to do with it
An expression of indignant surprise

Minden csoda három napig tart
Every wonder lasts three days

Ez már lerágott csont
This is already a gnawed bone
A matter already discussed several times

Későn jövőnek csont az ebédje
He who comes late gets bones for lunch

Ha nem csordul, csurran, cseppen
If it does not trickle, it will drop
Even if it is less than expected, still there will be
something

Csöbörből vödörbe
He got out of the bucket and got into the pail
Out of the frying into the fire

Kicsiny csupor hamar felforr
A little pot quickly boils

Darázsfészekbe nyúl
He puts his hand into a wasp's nest

Elköltené a Dárius kincsét is
He would spend even the treasures of Darius

Te sem vagy jobb a Deákné vásznánál
Even you are not better than the linen of Deak's wife
You are as bad as the others

Jön még kutyára dér
The hoar-frost is still to come for the dog
Be sure your sins will find you out

Három napig dínom-dánom, holtig való szánom bánom
A three day long merry-making and regret lasting till death
A hasty marriage

A dió törve, az asszony verve jó
A nut is good if broken, a women if beaten

Hallgat, mint a süket disznó a búzában
He keeps silent, like a deaf pig in the wheat-field

Éhes disznó makkal álmodik
A hungry pig dreams of acorns

Okos disznó mély gyökeret ránt
A clever pig extracts a deep root
A clever man achieves remarkable feats

Disznóra gyömbért ne vesztegess
Do not waste your ginger on pigs

Nem erőszak a disznótor
Nobody is forced to attend the dinner given after killing a pig
You are free to refrain from accepting an offer I consider favourable to, for you

Dobbal nem lehet verebet fogni
Sparrows cannot be caught by beating a drum

Aki dolgozik, az nem ér rá pénzt keresni
He who works has no time to earn money
If a job is hard and little paid, then one cannot earn additionally in a second job

Aki nem dolgozik, ne is egyék
He that does not work, shall not eat either

Dróton rángat valakit
To pull somebody by a wire
To pull the strings

Két dudás egy csárdában nem fér meg
Two pipers cannot get on in one tavern

Akkor lészen az, mikor a Duna visszafoly vagy elszárad
It will happen when the Danube reverts its course or dries up

Dunát lehetne rekeszteni vele, velük
The Danube could be dammed by them
There are too many of them

Nehezen alkuszik meg két eb egy csonton
Two dogs can hardly agree on one bone

Az ebek harmincadjára kerül, jutott
It fell to the thirtieth of dogs
Although it is valuable nobody cares for it any more

Fogas ebnek való a csontrágás
Gnawing on bones is for dogs having teeth

Ha egy ebet bottal hajtanak a nyúl után, nem fogja az meg
If a dog is driven by a stick after a hare, he will not catch it

Köti az ebet a karóhoz
He ties the dog to the post
He sticks to his position, plan, idea

Ebcsont beforr
A dogs broken bone will soon be healed
The wound inflicted will soon be healed

Ég és föld a különbség köztük
The difference between them is like that between sky and earth

Mint derült égből a villámcsapás
Like a thunderstroke from a clear sky

Az egészség ízét a betegség adja meg
The flavour of health is given by an illness

Szegény az eklézsia, maga harangoz a pap
The congregation is poor, the priest rings the bell himself

Elefánt a porcelánboltban
An elephant in the china shop

Nem azért élünk, hogy együnk, hanem azért eszünk, hogy éljünk
We do not live to eat, but we eat to live

Ki elbízza magát, könnyen megszégyenül
He who is conceited, will easily be ashamed

Se el ne hidd, bízd magad, se kétségbe ne essél. - Elbízza magát
Neither be conceited, nor fall into despair

Úgy szép az élet, ha zajlik
Life is beautiful if it is hectic

Az ellenségemnek se kívánom
I do not want it even for my enemy

Aki nincs ellenünk, az velünk van
He who is not against us, that is with us

Ami elmúlt, elmúlt
What’s gone, is gone
Don’t cry, over spilt milk

Ahány ember, annyi vélemény
As many men as many opinions

Az ember nem lehet elég óvatos
One cannot be cautious enough

Ember embernek farkasa
Man is a wolf to man

Ember tervez, Isten végez
Man plans, God decides

Holtig remél az ember
Man hopes until his death

Nem tudja az ember, mire virrad
One does not know what he will find tomorrow

Sok jó ember elfér kis helyen
Many good people can find room in a small space

Híres eperre nem kell kosárral menni, közelebb lakók vagy szemfülesebbek már leszedték rég
You do not needed a basket to pick well-knows strawberries, those living nearby or being quicker have already picked them

Nem szed más kosarába epret
He wont pick strawberries into the basket on somebody else

Az erdőnek füle van, a mezőnek szeme van
The forest has an ear, the field has an eye

Ahogy esik, úgy puffan
As it falls so it plumps
As the tree falls, it will lie

Eső után köpönyeg
After rain, comes raincoat
After meat, mustard

Májusi eső aranyat ér
A rain in May is golden

Többet ésszel, mint erővel
One should, could do more by wisdom than by force

Eszi, nem eszi, nem kap mást
He may eat it or not, he wont get anything else

Azt se tudja, eszik-e vagy isszák
He does not even know whether it is eaten or drunk
He has no idea about it

Sok eszkimó, kevés fóka
Many Eskimos and few seals

Nincs olyan hitvány eszköz, hogy hasznát ne lehetne venni
There is no worthless thing which could not be used something

Evés közben jön meg az étvágy
Appetite comes while eating

Ez van, ezt kell szeretni
This is, what we have, experience, this is to be liked

Amilyen a fa, olyan a gyümölcse
Like tree, like fruit

Nagy fába vágta a fejszéjét
He cut his axe into a big tree
A hard venture

Fából vaskarika
An iron ring made of wood
An absurdity

Kemény fából faragták
He was carved of hard wood
He is strong, steadfast

Jó fának is van rossz gyümölcse
Even good tree has, sometimes bad fruit

A fát nem vágják ki egy csapásra, vágásra
A tree is not felled at one stroke

Addig hajtsd a fát, míg vessző
Bend the tree while is a twig

Maga alatt vágja a fát
He cuts the tree under himself

Rossz fát tett a tűzre
He has put bad wood on the fire
He has got into mischief

Nem látja a fától az erdőt
He cannot see the wood for the trees

Nem nőnek a fák az égig
The trees do not grow up to the sky

A fakónak muszáj húzni, mert a fakót is húzzák. Akitől az elöljárói megkövetelnek valamit, az is kénytelen követelni a beosztottaitól.
The horse has to pull as the horse is also pulled
He who gets orders from his superiors, has to pass them on to
his subordinates

A falnak is füle van
Even the wall has an ear

A farkas a szőrét elhányja, de a szokását nem. Farkast emlegetnek, a kert alatt kullog, jár.
When a wolf is mentioned, he is already walking round the
garden

Nem eszi meg a farkas, kutya a telet
The wolf, dog does not eat the winter

A farok csóválja a kutyát
The tail wags the dog
The normal order is reversed
Those give orders who are expected to obey

Az új fazék megtartja első szagát
A new pot retains its first scent
The cask savours of the first fill

Minden ember az õ maga fazeka mellé szít. Minden szentnek maga felé hajlik a keze
Every man kindles the fire below his own pot

Egy fecske nem csinál nyarat
One swallow does not make a summer

Akinek nincs a fejében, legyen a lábában
He who has not, enough wit in the head, should have, force, to replace it, in the leg

Fején találja a szöget
He hits the nail on the head

Összecsapnak a feje fölött a hullámok
The waves dash over his head
He is unable to cope with the situation any longer

Lehajtott fejet nem éri a kard
A bent head is not touched by the sword

Nem jó fejjel menni, rohanni a falnak
There is no point in running ones head against the wall

Veszett fejsze nyele
The helve of the lost hatchet
A little gain in a great loss

Jobb félni, mint megijedni
It is better to fear, something than to get frightened

Jobb félútról visszatérni, mint rossz útra térni
Better to return from half-way than to take a wrong road

Hadd hulljon a férgese
Let the wormy of it drop off
Let those perish, leave who are not up to the standard

Jobb a sűrű fillér, mint a ritka forint
It is better to get fillers often than forints seldom

Amíg nekünk csak fizetgetnek, addig mi is csak dolgozgatunk
Until we are only poorly paid, we shall also poorly work


Akinek a foga fáj, tartsa a nyelvét rajta. Segíts magadon
He who has a toothache, should keep, hold his tongue on it
Help yourself

Feni a fogát valamire
He whets his teeth on something
He is very eager to get something

Kimutatja a foga fehérjét
He shows the whiteness of his teeth
He shows himself in his true colours

Fogjuk meg és vigyétek
Let us take it, into our hands and then you carry it
Somebody is urging others to work without wishing to take part in it

Ott szakad a fonal, madzag, kötél, ahol a legvékonyabb
The thread, string, rope breaks where it is thinnest

Elment Földvárra deszkát árulni. Meghalt.
He left for Foldvar to sell boards
He died

Amit főztél, edd is meg
What you have cooked, you should eat as well
You have to take the responsibility for your action

Szégyen a futás, de hasznos
Running is away is a shame, but it is useful

Egyik fülén be, a másikon ki
In at one ear and out at the other

Se füle, se farka
It has neither an ear, nor a tail
It has neither rhyme nor reason
It makes no sense

Ahol füst van, ott tűz is van
Where there is smoke, there is fire

Füstbe ment
It went into smoke
Nothing was realized achieved

Nagyobb a füstje, mint a lángja
Its smoke is bigger than the flame
It is not so serious

Senkinek sem repül szájába a sült galamb
A roast pigeon will not fly into one's mouth

Ahol sok a gazda, bolond a szolga
Where there are many masters the servant becomes mad

Az okos gazda a kárt is jóra fordítja
A clever master turns even a loss into a gain

Gazda nélkül csinálja a számítást
He reckons without his host

Gazda szeme hizlalja a jószágot
The master's eye makes the animals fat

Elkapta a gépszíj
He was snatched by the belt
He could not resist the temptation of well-being in return for yielding from strict moral standards

Mással kapartatja ki a gesztenyét a tűzből, parázsból
He makes someone else get he chestnut from the fire, glowing embers

A gombhoz varrja a kabátot
He sews the jacket to the button
Something is made after having a negligible part of if only

Gúzsba kötve táncol
He danced bound hand and foot
He tries hard but has very little freedom of movement or action

Gyakorlat teszi a mestert
Practice makes the master

Gyáva népnek nincs hazája
Coward people have no country, of their own

Gyermek, részeg, bolond mondják az igazat
A child, a drunkard and a fool tell the truth

Meghalt a gyermek, oda a komaság
The child is dead the godfathership has ended

Kisgyerek - kis gond, nagy gyerek - nagy gond
Small child - small trouble, big child - big trouble

Nem kell a gyereket a fürdővízzel kiönteni
One need not throw out the child with the bathwater

Néma gyereknek az anyja sem érti a szavát
Even the mother cannot understand the words of a dumb child

Tiltott gyümölcs édesebb
Forbidden fruit is sweeter