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Cool Breeze Posted 19 years ago
Culture
How do English proverbs translate into your language?
I have always wondered why the English proverb He is as poor as a church mouse is He is as poor as a church rat in Finnish. What is it in your language? Can you give us some examples of equivalents of English proverbs or sayings are in your language, please.
Here are a couple of other examples:
To carry coals to Newcastle. Finnish: To go further than the sea to fish.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Finnish: In a country in the country's way. (That's awkward in English!)
All that glitters is not gold. Finnish: The same, just a slightly different word order.
CB
Here are a couple of other examples:
To carry coals to Newcastle. Finnish: To go further than the sea to fish.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Finnish: In a country in the country's way. (That's awkward in English!)
All that glitters is not gold. Finnish: The same, just a slightly different word order.
CB
Top answer
They are really so different in Turkish too. You will be shown the door --- in Turkish you wil find yourself outside of the house or you will find yourself on the other side of the door. I have to eat loaves of bread or I have toi eat a full bakery of bread ( this may not mean anything in English) ---- in English I still have a long way to go.
- They are really so different in Turkish too.
- You will be shown the door --- in Turkish you wil find yourself outside of the house or you will find yourself on the other side of the door.
- I have to eat loaves of bread or I have toi eat a full bakery of bread ( this may not mean anything in English) ---- in English I still have a long way to go.
- Early bird eats the worm -- in Turkish, the one who gets up early will go farther
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19 Answers
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They are really so different in Turkish too.
You will be shown the door --- in Turkish you wil find yourself outside of the house or you will find yourself on the other side of the door.
I have to eat loaves of bread or I have toi eat a full bakery of bread ( this may not mean anything in English) ---- in English I still have a long way to go.
Early bird eats
You will be shown the door --- in Turkish you wil find yourself outside of the house or you will find yourself on the other side of the door.
I have to eat loaves of bread or I have toi eat a full bakery of bread ( this may not mean anything in English) ---- in English I still have a long way to go.
Early bird eats
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Yes, there are different and in many ways queer meanings of the same proverbs.
When in Rome - do as the Romans do = You shouldn't come to a convent with your own law. (Russian version)
To carry coal to Newcastle = To go to Tula with your own samovar.
The last straw that breaks the camel's back = The last drop of the full cup.
When in Rome - do as the Romans do = You shouldn't come to a convent with your own law. (Russian version)
To carry coal to Newcastle = To go to Tula with your own samovar.
The last straw that breaks the camel's back = The last drop of the full cup.
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In Italian:
He is as poor as a church mouse >> He is poor in reed. (it's not a misspelling for "red" ... it's the plant! it doesn't make sense, does it?)
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. >> Town where you go, tradition that you find.(
He is as poor as a church mouse >> He is poor in reed. (it's not a misspelling for "red" ... it's the plant! it doesn't make sense, does it?)
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. >> Town where you go, tradition that you find.(
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Hi CB. Just out of curiosity, what would be equivalent in Finnish to: charity begins at home? I can't figure out anything suitable.
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ZeroxHi CB. Just out of curiosity, what would be equivalent in Finnish to: charity begins at home? I can't figure out anything suitable.Sorry, Zerox, nor can I. If I can think of something later, I'll come back with it.
For some previous posters: The saying is to carry coals to Newcastle, not: to car
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I've always wondered why in England "One swallow does not make a summer" while in Italy it doesn't make a spring
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I think it may be because "summer", in older usage, consisted of the warmer half of the year.
"Spring" is a relatively recent term for the vernal season (14th/15th century); previously, "Lent" was used, which doesn't alliterate very well with "swallow".
Though I suppose they could have changed the bird.
("One little ringed plover doesn't make a Lent"?)
M
"Spring" is a relatively recent term for the vernal season (14th/15th century); previously, "Lent" was used, which doesn't alliterate very well with "swallow".
Though I suppose they could have changed the bird.
("One little ringed plover doesn't make a Lent"?)
M
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Nice one MrP
I guess your explanation could be more correct than mine: in fact I thought that swallows go to England i
I guess your explanation could be more correct than mine: in fact I thought that swallows go to England i
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FrancescaI've always wondered why in England "One swallow does not make a summer" while in Italy it doesn't make a spring
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FrancescaI thought that swallows go to England in summer because English spring is colder than Italian oneI have a similar notion: persistent damp + intermittent heat = many small insects.
Though I'm not sure whether our ancestors especially distinguished between hirundines; the "window swallow" is an old name for the house martin (Delic
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