A collection of proverbs in Irish with English equivalents and translations.
Proverbs | English versions |
---|---|
Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile | It takes one to know one (A beetle recognises another beetle) |
Bíonn adharca fada ar na buaidh thar lear | The grass is greener on the other side of the fence (Cattle in faraway lands have long horns) |
Bíonn blas milis ar phraiseach na gcomharsan | The grass is greener on the other side of the fence (The neighbour's porriage tastes sweet) |
Cleachtadh a dhéanann maistreacht | Practice makes perfect ("Practice makes mastery") |
Doras feasa fiafraí | Asking is the door to knowledge |
Giorraíonn beirt bóthar | Two people shorten a road |
Is binn béal ina thost | Silence is golden ("A silent mouth sounds sweet") |
Is maith an scáthán súil charad | A friend's eye is a good mirror |
Is minic ciúin ciontach | The quiet one is often guilty |
Is minic cú mall sona | A slow hound was often lucky |
Maireann croí éadrom i bhfad | A light heart lives longest |
Maireann na daoine ar scáil a chéile | The people live in one another's shadows |
Marbh le tae agus marbh gan é | Dead with tea and dead without it |
Moladh luath agus cáineadh mall | Early praise and delayed criticism |
Níl aon leigheas ar an ngrá ach pósadh | The only cure for love is marriage |
Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin | There's no place like home ("There's no hearth like your own hearth") |
Níor bhris focal maith fiacail riamh | A good word never broke a tooth |
Tarraingíonn scéal scéal eile | One story leads on to another |
Other collections of Irish idioms and expressions
http://www.daltai.com/proverbs/cat02.htm%23section09/
http://talkirish.com/blogs/irishproverbaday/
http://www.gleg.ie/gaeilge-sa-ghno/seanfhocail/
Irish language | Gaelic script | Ogham alphabet | Phrases | Numbers | Colours | Family words | Terms of endearment | Time | Weather | Proverbs | Comparison of Celtic languages | Celtic cognates | Celtiadur | Tower of Babel | Tongue twisters | Songs | Learning materials | Books about Ogham | My podcast about Irish | Links
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
Phrases | Numbers | Numerals | Colours | Telling the time | Weather words | Family words | Terms of endearment | Language names | Country names | Idioms | Proverbs | Tongue twisters | Signs | Compass directions | UDHR | Tower of Babel | Songs | Omniglot | Seven dwarfs | Zodiac signs | Computer parts | Compass directions | Animal sounds
Why not share this page:
If you need to type in many different languages, the Q International Keyboard can help. It enables you to type almost any language that uses the Latin, Cyrillic or Greek alphabets, and is free.
If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.
Note: all links on this site to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
and Amazon.fr
are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission if you click on any of them and buy something. So by clicking on these links you can help to support this site.