Английские пословицы и их значения

A proverb  is a short, traditional saying in general use. It usually expresses some obvious truth or familiar experience. Here are some proverbs that are well known in English, though some of them come from other languages.

"The best things in life are free." "The best things in life are free." We don't have to pay for the things that are really valuable, like love, friendship and good health. "Live and let live." This proverb suggests that we should not interfere in other people's business. We should live our own lives and let others live their lives. The title of the famous James Bond story Live and Let Die was a play on this proverb.

"A stitch in time saves nine." "A stitch in time saves nine." Repair something as soon as it is damaged. That's a small repair job. If not, you will have a much bigger and more expensive repair job later. Do it now and you'll need one stitch. Do it later and you'll need 9 stitches! (Why nine and not eight or ten? Because "nine" rhymes, approximately, with "time".) stitch (noun): a link made with thread in sewing in time: not late "It was the last straw that broke the camel's back.“ There is a limit to everything. We can load the camel with lots of straw, but finally it will be too much and the camel's back will break. And it is only a single straw that breaks its back - the last straw. This can be applied to many things in life. People often say "That's the last straw!" when they will not accept any more of something. straw (noun): dried stalk of grain (like dry piece of grass) camel (noun): large long-necked animal used for riding and carrying goods in the desert

"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Many women have won a man's love by cooking delicious meals for him. They fed his stomach and found love in his heart. "One tongue is enough for a woman." Some people think that women talk too much. If they already talk too much, they don't need another tongue. One tongue is sufficient. This proverb is another way of saying that women talk too much. tongue (noun): large, movable fleshy part in the mouth that we use for talking and tasting

"If you wish good advice, consult an old man." "If you wish good advice, consult an old man." Old people have a lot of experience. If you want to have good advice or recommendations, ask an old person, not a young one. wish (verb): want, desire advice (noun): recommendation as to what to do consult (verb): ask; go to for advice or information "Don't cross your bridges before you come to them.“ Don't worry about problems before they arrive. "Still waters run deep." Some rivers have rough surfaces with waves. That's usually because the water is shallow and there are rocks near the surface. But deep rivers have no rocks near the surface and the water is smooth and still. "Still waters run deep" means that people who are calm on the outside, often have a strong, "deep" personality.

"He teaches ill, who teaches all." "He teaches ill, who teaches all." A good teacher lets students discover some things for themselves. So it means that the teacher who teaches students everything, does not teach well. The unusual structure of this proverb may make it difficult to understand. It becomes easier if we change the structure to "He who teaches all teaches ill. " The word "ill" here means "badly". "Better untaught than ill taught." It's better not to learn something than to learn it badly. ill taught: badly taught "Soon learnt, soon forgotten." Something that is easy to learn is easy to forget.

"The best advice is found on the pillow." "The best advice is found on the pillow." If we have a problem, we may find the answer after a good night's sleep. People also often say: "I'll sleep on it." advice (noun): recommendation as to what to do pillow (noun): cushion that you rest your head on while you sleep "You can't tell a book by its cover." We need to read a book to know if it's good or bad. We cannot know what it's like just by looking at the front or back cover. This proverb is applied to everything, not only books. "No news is good news." If we are waiting for news about someone, it's probably good if we hear nothing because "bad news" would arrive quickly.

"Birds of a feather flock together." "Birds of a feather flock together." "Birds of a feather" means "birds of the same type". The whole proverb means that people of the same type or sort stay together. They don't mix with people of another type. feather (noun): part of the soft, light covering of a bird's body flock (verb): gather in a crowd "Tell me who you go with and I'll tell you who you are." Similar to "Birds of a feather...", this proverb suggests that like minds stick together.