Finnish proverbs

Proverbs from all Finnish speaking parts of the world.

E

  • Ei kaikki kultaa mikä kiiltää eikä kaikki hopeata kuin mikä hohtaa.
    • Translation: All that shines is not gold, nor is all silver that gleams.
    • Meaning: Outward appearances can be deceiving.
    • English equivalent: All that glisters is not gold.
    • Source: Strauss, Emmanuel (1998). Dictionary of European Proverbs. Routledge. p. 77. ISBN 0415160502. 
  • Ei kannata mennä merta edemmäs kalaan.
    • Literal translation: "One should not go farther than the sea to fish."
    • Notes: One should only do what's necessary, or one should not search high and low for something that is in front of them.
    • Meaning: Do not do things in a needlessly laborious way.
    • English equivalent: "No use on carrying coals to Newcastle"
    • Seura (1984). Virittäjä. Kotikielen Seura.. p. 264. 
  • Ei omena kauas puusta putoa.
    • Idiomatic translation: The apple does not fall far from the tree.
    • Meaning: Children observe daily and — in their behaviour — often follow the example of their parents.
    • Source for proverbs and meaning: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 259. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 
  • Ei pie tehhä kärpäsest härkkää.
    • Translation: Don't make an ox out of a fly.
    • English equivalent: Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.
    • Meaning: Don't make something momentous out of a trifle.
    • Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 409. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 
  • Ei savua ilman tulta.
    • Translation: "There's no smoke without fire."
    • Meaning: Said when something cannot be seen, but its implications can.
    • English equivalent: "Where there's smoke, there's fire"
    • Kallio (2002). Ei savua ilman tulta: runoja ja kuvia. A. M. Kallio. 
  • Ei vahinko tule kello kaulassa.
    • Literal translation: "An accident won't arrive with a bell on its neck."
    • Translation: "Accidents happen unexpected."
    • Granger (2010). ELexicography in the 21st Century: New Challenges, New Applications : Proceedings of ELex 2009, Louvain-la-Neuve, 22-24 October 2009. Presses Univ. de Louvain. p. 184. 
  • Ei vanha koira valetta hauku.'
    • Idiomatic translation: ”An old dog barks not in vain.”
    • Strauss, Emanuel (1998). Concise Dictionary of European Proverbs (Abbreviated ed.). Routledge. p. 55. ISBN 0415160502. 
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H

  • Haukkuva koira ei pure.
    • Translation: "A barking dog does not bite."
    • Source: Strauss, Emmanuel (1998). Dictionary of European Proverbs. Routledge. p. 5. ISBN 0415160502. 
  • Helposti saatu on helposti menetetty
    • Translation: "What is acquired easily is lost easily"
    • English equivalent: "Easy come, easy go."
    • Waltari (1956). Turms, kuolematon: hänen mainen elämänsänoin 520-480 e. Kr. kymmenenäkirjana. W. Söderström. p. 172. 
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I

  • Isoja kaloja kannattaa pyytää vaikkei saisikaan.
    • Translation: "Big fish are worth of fishing even if you don't catch one"
    • Meaning: When the expectable profits are big enough, risk is worth of taking even if it fails
    • Fyysikkoseurs, Yhdistys (1987). Arkhimedes. Helsingin Liikekirjapaino Oy.. p. 185. 
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J

  • Joka menneitä muistelee, sitä tikulla silmään.
    • Translation: "A poke in the eye for those, who dwell on the past"
    • Notes: there is no use in dwelling old grudges
    • English equivalent: "Forgive and forget."
    • Kukkola. Peruspelia Johtaja, Peruspelia. BoD - Books on Demand. p. 81. 
  • Joka paljon lupaa, se vähän antaa.
    • Translation: "Who promises a lot, gives a little"
    • Meaning: If you are promised a lot, have small expectations.
    • English equivalent: He that promises too much means nothing.
    • Hunfalvy (1861). Finn Olvasó-Könyv: (Finnisches Lesebuch.) A' Magyar Akademia Kiadása. Kalevala. p. 172. 
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K

  • Kun menee sutta pakoon, tulee karhu vastaan.
    • Literal translation: "When you flee from a wolf, you run into a bear."
    • Idiomatic translation: "Jump out of the frying pan into the fire."
    • Meaning: While trying to avoid a a bad situation one might end up in an even worse one.
    • University, Vermont, bi-Yerushalayim (1999). Proverbium. Ohio State University in cooperation with the University of Vermont and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. p. 73. 
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M

  • Maassa maan tavalla.
    • Literal translation: "In a country according to its customs."
    • English equivalent: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
    • Hannula (2011). Maassa maan tavalla: maahanmuuttokritiikin lyhyt historia. Otava. 
  • Millane emo, sellane tytär.
    • Translation: Such mother, such daughter.
    • English equivalent: Like mother, like daughter.
    • Meaning: Daughters may look and behave like their mothers. This is due to inheritance and the example observed closely and rarely.
    • Source for meaning and proverb: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 137. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 
  • Minkälainen isä, sen lainen poikakin.
    • Translation: Such father, such son.
    • English equivalent: Like father, like son.
    • Meaning: Sons may look and behave like their fathers. This is due to inheritance and the example observed closely and daily.
    • Source for meaning and proverb: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 137. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 
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N

  • Niin makaa, kuin petaa.
    • Literal translation: "One sleeps like one makes his bed."
    • Translation: "Actions have consequences."
    • English equivalent: "As you sow, so shall you reap."
    • Kara. Orvokkini tummasilmä. Marita Kaatrala. p. 150. 
  • Niin metsä vastaa kuin sinne huudetaan.
    • Literal translation: "The forest answers in the same way one shouts in it."
    • English equivalent: "The world you get is the world you give away" or "What comes around, goes around".
    • Lehtinen (2006). Postcolonialism, multitude, and the politics of nature: on the changing geographies of the European north. University Press of America. p. x. ISBN 1. 
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O

  • Oma apu paras apu.
    • Literal translation: Own help [is the] best help.
    • Translation: Helping yourself is the best way to help yourself.
    • English equivalent: Heaven helps those who help themselves.
    • Meaning: When in trouble first of all every one himself should do his best to improve his condition.
    • Source for meaning: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 150. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 
    • Sanderson, Parviainen (2004). Oma apu paras apu. Harlequin. 
  • Omena ei kauas puusta putoa.
    • Idiomatic translation: The apple does not fall far from the tree.
    • Meaning: Children observe daily and — in their behaviour — often follow the example of their parents.
    • Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 488. ISBN 0415096243. 
    • Source for meaning: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 259. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 
  • On taottava silloin kun rauta on kuuma.
    • Translation: "Iron must be forged when it is hot."
    • English equivalent: "You should hammer your iron, while it is glowing hot," and "Strike while the iron's hot"
    • Meaning: You should employ the opportunity when you notice one.
    • Willstedt (2011). Iran. Books on Demand. p. 16. ISBN 1. 
  • On vähäkin tyhjää parempi.
    • Translation: "Little is better than nothing."
    • English equivalent: "Beggars can't be choosers."
    • Schellbach-Kopra (2011). Zwei Finnen brauchen keinen Dolmetscher: Finnische Sprichwörter. Frank \& Timme. p. 183. ISBN 1. 
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P

  • Paha saa palkkansa.
    • Translation: "Evil will get its share(/pay)."
    • Meaning: Evil acts quite often punish themselves..
    • English equivalent: "What goes around, comes around."
    • Bolte, Krohn, Olrik, Tiedeakatemia, Sydow, Fellows (1985). FF Communications. Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia.. p. 187. ISBN 1. 
  • Parempi karvas totuus kuin makea valhe.
    • Translation: "Better a bitter truth than a sweet lie."
    • Swedish equivalent: "An honest 'no' is better than an insincere 'yes'."
    • Schellbach-Kopra (2011). Zwei Finnen brauchen keinen Dolmetscher: Finnische Sprichwörter. Frank \& Timme. p. 188. ISBN 1. 
  • Parempi pyy pivossa, kuin kymmenen oksalla.
    • Literal translation: "Better one hazel grouse in the bag, than ten on the branch."
    • English equivalent: "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
    • Proverb: A bird in the hand multilingual.
    • Burger (2007). Phraseologie: Ein Internationales Handbuch Zeitgenössischer Forschung. W. de Gruyter. p. 749. ISBN 1. 
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S

  • Sitä niittää mitä kylvää
    • Translation: "You reap what you sow"
    • English equivalent: "As ye sow shall ye reap"
    • Olesen (2004). The Cold War and the Nordic countries: historiography at a crossroads. University Press of Southern Denmark. p. 76. ISBN 1. 
  • Suu valehtelee, silmät puhuvat totta.
    • Translation: "The mouth lies, but the eyes tell the truth."
    • Schellbach-Kopra (2011). Zwei Finnen brauchen keinen Dolmetscher: Finnische Sprichwörter. Frank \& Timme. p. 217. 
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T

  • Tyvestä puuhun noustaan.
    • Translation: "A tree is climbed from its base."
    • Meaning: Learn the basics of any subject first.
    • English equivalent: Learn to walk before you can run.
    • Internal Logic: Foundations of Mathematics from Kronecker to Hilbert. Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2002. p. 1096. 
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See also

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Last modified on 24 May 2013, at 16:30