Hungarian proverbs native speakers use often
In my opinion, beginners (A1-A2) shouldn't bother with proverbs. Do Hungarians use them every day? Not at all. But if you want to enjoy conversations and understand written texts from A to Z, you'll have to get to know some of the frequently used proverbs. Luckily, many of them exist in most languages, so you'll find them similar to what you already know. Here are the ones I recommend learning, because I hear people saying them often enough. You can learn some of them to impress your friends and family, to sound like a native speaker but it is more important to know the meaning behind each sentence. Enjoy! :)
A proverb is a short popular saying that gives advice about how people should behave or that expresses a belief that is generally thought to be true.
(www.britannica.com)
20 Hungarian proverbs native speakers use often:
1. A kivétel erősíti a szabályt. [ɒ ˈkiveːtɛl ˈɛrøːʃiːti ɒ ˈsɒbaːjt]
Literally, “the exception strengthens the rule”.
English equivalent: the exception that proves the rule.
2. A türelem rózsát terem. [ɒ ˈtyrɛlɛm ˈroːʒaːtːɛrɛm]
Literally: "patience produces roses".
English equivalent: good things come to those who wait/patience is a virtue.
3. Ajándék lónak ne nézd a fogát! [ˈɒjaːndeːk ˈloːnɒk ˈnɛ neːzd ɒ ˈfoɡaːt]
Literally, “don’t look at the teeth of a gift horse”. (If you receive a gift, you should appreciate it.)
English equivalent: don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
4. Aki mer, az nyer. [ˌɒki ˈmɛr ɒz ˈɲɛr]
Literally, “he who ventures, wins”.
English equivalent: nothing ventured, nothing gained.
5. Amelyik kutya ugat, az nem harap. [ˌɒmɛjik ˌkucɒ ˈuɡɒt ɒz ˈnɛm hɒrɒp]
Literally: "the dog that barks doesn't bite". (Loud, vociferous people look scary but they rarely cause actual harm.)
English equivalent: barking dogs seldom bite.
6. Ha nincs ló, jó a szamár is. [hɒ ˈnint͡ʃ ˈloː ˈjoː ɒ ˈsɒmaːriʃ]
Literally: “if there’s no horse, a donkey will also do”. (If you can't get the best/exactly what you want, then you can put up with the second option.)
7. Ismétlés a tudás anyja. [ˈiʃmeːtleːʃ ɒ ˈtudaːʃ ˈɒɲːɒ]
Literally: “repetition is the mother of knowledge”.
English equivalent: practice makes perfect/experience is the best teacher.
8. Jobb későn, mint soha. [ˈjobː ˈkeːʃøːn mint ˈʃoɦɒ]
Literally: "better late than never".
English equivalent: better late than never.
9. Ki korán kel, aranyat lel. [ˌki ˈkoraːŋkɛl ˈɒrɒɲɒtlɛl]
Literally: "who gets up early, finds gold". (Work diligently and you'll be able to enjoy the fruit of your hard work.)
English equivalent: the early bird gets the worm.
10. Kutyából nem lesz szalonna. [ˈkucaːboːl ˈnɛm lɛs ˈsɒlonːɒ]
Literally: "out of a dog there will be no lard". (One can swear he'll change for the better, but that will never happen. People simply do not change.)
English equivalent: a leopard cannot change its spots.
11. Lassan járj, tovább érsz. [ˈlɒʃːɒn ˌjaːrʝ ˈtovaːbː ˌeːrs]
Literally: "walk slower, you will get farther".
English equivalent: haste makes waste/more haste, less speed.
12. Bal lábbal kelt fel. [ˈbɒlːaːbːɒl kɛlt fɛl]
Literally: "he got out of the bed with the left leg". (We usually say this about people who are grumpy in the morning or all day.)
English equivalent: to get out of the bed on the wrong side.
13. Minden kezdet nehéz. [ˈmindɛn ˌkɛzdɛt ˈnɛɦeːz]
Literally: "every beginning [is] difficult".
Latin equivalent: omne initium difficile est.
14. Minden rosszban van valami jó. [ˈmindɛn ˌrozbɒn ˈvɒɱvɒlɒmi ˈjoː]
Literally "there is something good in every bad". (Look at the bright side!)
English equivalent: every cloud has a silver lining.
15. Mindenütt jó, de legjobb otthon. [ˈmindɛnytː ˈjoː dɛ ˈlɛɡjobː ˈothon]
Literally: "it is good everywhere, but it is the best at home".
English equivalent: there's no place like home.
16. Ne igyál előre a medve bőrére. [ˈnɛjiɟaːl ˈɛløːrɛ ɒ ˈmɛdvɛ ˈbøːreːrɛ]
Literally: "do not drink in advance on the hide of a bear ". (Don't rejoice just yet, it can still go wrong.)
English equivalent: don't count your chickens before they're hatched.
17. Olcsó húsnak híg a leve. [ˈolt͡ʃoː ˈhuːʃnɒk ˈhiːɡ ɒ ˈlɛvɛ]
Literally: "cheap meat has thin gravy". (If you buy something cheap, you might be disappointed in the quality.)
English equivalent: you get what you pay for.
18. Rossz pénz nem vész el. [ˈrospeːnz ˈnɛɱveːsɛl]
Literally: "bad money is not lost". (Unpleasant, unwelcome people usually show up again and again. They won't just disappear, even though you'd like that...)
English equivalent: a bad penny always turns up.
19. Tévedni emberi dolog. [ˈteːvɛdni ˈɛmbɛridoloɡ]
Literally: “to err is a human thing”. (Everyone makes mistakes.)
English equivalent: to err is human.
20. Több szem többet lát. [ˈtøbː ˌsɛm ˈtøbːɛtlaːt]
Literally: “more eyes see more”. (It is more productive if more people work on the same project.)
English equivalent: two heads are better than one.
Are you interested in learning Hungarian for free? Then check out my Instagram, Youtube channel, Facebook group, Facebook page, Podcast and Newsletter too!