Ukrainian proverbs

Proverbs from all Ukrainian speaking parts of the world.

I

• If every fool wore a crown, we should all be kings.
  • English equivalent: If the beard were all, the goat might preach.
  • "Philosophy, like charity, begins at home; but also, like charity, I should wish it to extend, and become the more beneficial the more it expands."
  • Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Romance and Reality, Vol I. Chapter 17 (1831)
  • Sawhney, Clifford (2004). The Book of Common and Uncommon Proverbs. Pustak Mahal. p. 135. ISBN 8122308546. 

В

• В каламутній воді легко рибу ловити.
  • Translation: It is good fishing in muddy water.
  • English equivalent: It is good fishing in troubled waters.
  • Meaning: "In taking advantage of chaotic conditions one can easily serve one's own purposes."
  • Source for proverbs and meaning: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 391. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 

Я

• Яблуко від яблуньки не далеко.
  • Translation: An apple is never far from the apple tree.
  • English equivalent: 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.