Hey there, curious soul! 🌟 Ready to pick up some Hebrew proverbs? These proverbs are known to most Hebrew speakers, some are used more often than others, but this is a great way to enrich your Hebrew vocabulary.
- ואהבת לרעך כמוך. (Ve’ahavta lere’acha kamocha) – Love your neighbor as yourself
- כל הפוסל במומו פוסל. (Kol ha-posèl be-mumò posèl) – Whoever criticizes others for a flaw they possess criticizes themselves for the same flaw.
- אין חכם כבעל ניסיון. (Ein cha-cham Ke-ba-al nisa-yon) – There is no wisdom like experience.
- סוף מעשה במחשבה תחילה. (Sof ma’aseh be-mach-sha-vat tch-la) – The end of an action lies in its beginning thought.
- מי שטרח בערב שבת יאכל בשבת. (Mi she-tarach be-erev Shabbat yo-chal be-Shabbat) – Whoever works hard on the eve of Shabbat will eat on Shabbat.
- לא כל הנוצץ זהב. (Lo kol ha-notsètz zahav) – All that glitters is not gold. (Literally: Not everything that shines is gold)
- הכל לטובה(HaKol le-tova) – Everything happens for a reason. (Literally: Everything is for the good.)
- לא נולדתי אתמול(Lo noladti etmol) – I wasn’t born yesterday. (Meaning: I am not easily fooled.)
- לכל זמן, ועת לכל חפץ תחת השמים (Le-chol zman, ve-et lkol cheftz ta-chat ha-shamayim) – There is a season for everything under heaven. (Meaning: Everything has its time and place.)
- הכל בראש(Ha-kol ba-rosh) – It’s all in the head. (Meaning: Your mindset and attitude can significantly impact your experience.)
- אל תדחה למחר – מה שאתה יכול לעשות היום(Al tid-che le-ma-char – ma she-ata yachol la-asot hayom) – Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. (Meaning: Procrastination can lead to missed opportunities.)
- סוף טוב – הכל טוב(Sof tov – ha-kol tov) – A good ending makes everything good. (Meaning: A positive outcome can make up for difficulties along the way.)
- על טעם וריח אין מה להתווכח-Al Ta-am Va-rae-ach, Ein Ma Le-hit-va-ke-ach –No point in arguing over taste or smell.
- אָדָם לְאָדָם זְאֵב– Adam Le-adam -Ze-ev- A . Literally means a man to man wolf. The meaning is that a person is usually suspicious and egocentric in his interactions.
- תפסת מרובה לא תפסת- (Tafasta merube lo tafasta) – If you have grasped much, you have not grasped, Don’t bite off more than you can chew
- עָבַרְנוּ אֶת צַּרְעהֹ, נַעֲברֹ גַּם אֶת זֶה-(Avarnu et Par’oh, Na’avor gam et zeh) – We survived Pharaoh, we will survive this too- If you’re going through though times remember that we survived worst. .
- דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים בְּנַחַת נִשְׁמָעִים- Divrei chachamim b’nachat nishma’im- The words of the wise are heard [when spoken] softly
- התפוח לא נופל רחוק מהעץ-Ha’tapuach lo nofel rachok me’ha’etz – The apple does not fall far from the tree.
- אין הנחתום מעיד על עיסתו-Ein hanachtom me’id al isato – The potter does not testify about his own work.
- סערה בכוס תה-Se’arah b’kos teh –A storm in a teacup. This refers to a lot of unnecessary anger and worry about a matter that is not important.
- הוסִיף שֶׁמֶן לַמְּדוּרָה- Hosif shemen la’medurah – Add oil to the fire. It means to worsen a situation by adding to the anger or hostility.
- הלְבִּין פני חברו בָּרַבִּים-Halebin pnei chaveiro barabim –To whiten someone’s face in public. To humiliate someone.
- הדשא של השכן ירוק יותר-Hadeshe shel hashachen yarok yoter –The grass is always greener on the other side.
- דִּין פרוּטָה כּדִּין מֵאָה- Din prutah kedeen me’ah –A penny’s worth is also a hundred’s worth. It suggests that the law applies equally to small and large matters.
- איזהוא העשיר השמח בחלקו -Eizehu ashir – hasameach b’chelko – Who is rich? He who rejoices in his portion. This implies that true wealth comes from being content with what one has.
- מָותֶ וחְַיִּים בְּידַ הַלָּשׁון- Mavet v’chayim b’yad halashon – Life and death are in the power of the tongue. This means that words have the power to create positive or negative outcomes.
- נִכְנַס ייַןִ יצָָא סוד- Nichnas yayin yatza sod – When wine enters, secrets come out. It suggests that alcohol can make people reveal their true thoughts and feelings. .
- על ראש הגנב בוער הכובע- Al rosh haganav bo’er hakova – The hat burns on the thief’s head. This means that a guilty person often reveals their guilt through their behavior.
- טָמַן ראֹשׁו בַּחול- Taman rosho bachol- He buried his head in the sand. This refers to someone who is ignoring reality or avoiding facing a problem.
- מצא מין את מינו- Matza min et mino- Like two peas in a pod. when there’s a good match/connection between people.
Start practicing and using these Hebrew proverbs! Got questions? Leave a comment below