German Proverbs

“A country can be judged by the quality of its proverbs.” – German Proverb. Proverbs are ancient words of wisdom that are passed down through the generations. They are not only fun to know and recite but also give important insights into various cultures. Proverbs, generally, are witty and concise with a hidden meaning that is best understood in their original language. When literally translated into other languages, these precious sayings lose their sheen. Hence, knowing and using the proverbs in their original language becomes vital. There are a few wise sayings that have been repeated in many languages. Even as we go through German proverbs, we find many which have the same or similar meaning in English. Even if you don’t know the German language, memorising the proverbs in German and knowing their meaning in English will get you the desired impact in your peer groups. By including more proverbs in your daily conversation you will start appearing wiser in no time. Though there are hundreds of quotes in German, few of the best have been assembled below. So here is a collection of German proverbs that you can read and enjoy.

German Sayings

German	English
Alte Liebe rostet nicht.	Old love does not rust.
Zeit ist Geld.	Time is money.
Wer rastet, der rostet.	He who rests will be rusting.
Wenn zwei sich streiten, freut sich der Dritte.	When two quarrel, the third rejoices.
Alter schützt vor Torheit nicht.	Age does not protect from foolishness.
Beiß nicht in die Hand, die dich füttert.	Do not bite into the hand which feeds you.
Anfangen ist leicht, beharren eine Kunst.	To begin is easy, to persist is art.
Besser einäugig als blind.	Better one-eyed than blind.
Der erste Eindruck zählt.	The first impression counts.
Der Lauscher an der Wand hört nur die eigene Schand.	The eavesdropper at the wall hears only his own dishonor.
Blut ist dicker als Wasser.	Blood is thicker than water.
Der Weg ist das Ziel	The path is the destination. / The destination is not important, but the path that leads there.
Ende gut, alles gut.	All’s well that ends well.
Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt.	All that glitters is not gold.
In der Kürze liegt die Würze.	Brevity is the soul of wit.
Sich nicht um ungelegte Eier kümmern.	Don’t count your eggs before they have been laid.
Kleider machen Leute.	Clothes make the man.
Du siehst den Wald vor lauter Bäumen nicht.	You fail to see the forest because of all the trees.
Lieber das Messer ablecken als den Löffel abgeben.	Better to lick the knife than to give up the spoon.
Mit solchen Freunden braucht man keine Feinde mehr.	With friends like these, who needs enemies?
Du bist, was du isst.	You are what you eat.
Nur tote Fische schwimmen mit dem Strom	Only dead fish swim with the stream.
Papier ist geduldig.	Paper is patient.
Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist Gold	Talking is silver, Silence is gold.
Setz nicht alles auf eine Karte.	Don’t put your bet on only one card.
Was Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr.	You can't teach an old dog, new tricks.
Der Knochen kommt nicht zum Hund, sondern der Hund zum Knochen.	The bone does not come to the dog, the dog goes to the bone.
Deutsche Sprache, schwere Sprache.	He, who laughs last, laughs the best.

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