A - B - D - E - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - R - S - T - V - W - Z

A

• Aller Anfang ist schwer.
  • Translation: "Every beginning is difficult."
  • Equivalent: "The first part is the worst part."

• Alter schützt vor Torheit nicht.
  • Translation: "Age does not protect from foolishness."

• Andere Länder, andere Sitten.
  • Translation: "Other countries, other customs"
  • Equivalent: "When in Rome, do as the Romans."

• Auf jeden Regen folgt auch Sonnenschein.
  • Translation: "There is sunshine after every rainfall."
  • Equivalent: "Every cloud has a silver lining."

• Alles neu macht der Mai.
  • Translation: "The May makes everything new."
  • Similar equivalent: "April showers bring May flowers."

B

• Besser spät als nie
  • "Better late than never"

• Besser ein Spatz in der Hand, als eine Taube auf dem Dach.
  • Translation: A sparrow in the hand is better than a pigeon on the roof"
  • Meaning: "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
  • Proverb: Ein Spatz in der Hand multilingual.

• Blut ist dicker als Wasser
  • "Blood is thicker than water"

C

D

• Da kommt man vom Regen in die Traufe.
  • Translation: "Coming out of the rain under the eaves."
  • Meaning: "Out of the frying pan, into the fire."

• Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm.
  • Translation: "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
  • Meaning: "Like father, like son."

• Der Appetit kommt beim Essen
  • Lit.: "The appetite comes while eating"
  • Meaning.: "Just do it. You will find out that its fun while doing it."

• Deutsche Sprache, schwere Sprache.
  • Literally, "German language, hard language."
  • 1. Meaning: "German language is hard to learn"
  • 2. Meaning: "You just made an embarrassing German grammar mistake."

• Die Tat wirkt mächtiger als das Wort.
  • Translation: "The action has a mightier impact than the word."
  • Meaning: "Stop brabbling and do something."
  • Equivalent: "You talk the talk, now walk the walk."

• Das Eisen schmieden, solange es heiß ist.
  • "Strike while the iron is hot / Make hay while the sun shines."

• Die dümmsten Bauern ernten die dicksten Kartoffeln.
  • Literally, "The most stupid farmers harvest the biggest potatoes."
  • Meaning: "Dumb people are often very lucky."
  • Equivalent: "The sun shines on a dog's tail sometimes." from Sam Sneed, golfer

• Die Katze im Sack kaufen.
  • Translation: "To buy a cat in a bag."
  • Meaning: "To pay for something you haven´t seen or you know nothing about."

• (Zusammen oder mit XY) Durch Dick und Dünn gehen.
  • Translation: "To go through thick an thin (together or with XY)."
  • Meaning: "To stay together no matter what comes."
  • Equivalent: "They travelled through thick and thin."

• Das letzte Hemd hat keine Taschen.
  • Translation: "The last shirt has no pockets."
  • Meaning: "Piling up money is not everything in life."
  • Equivalent: "Money isn't everything."

• Den Säufer und den Hurenbock frierts im wärmsten Winterrock.
  • Translation: "The boozer and the customer of prostitutes are cold even in warm clothes."
  • Meaning: "You shiver because you drank and **** last night." Used to embarass people who are shivering.

• Der Blinde erklärt dem Einäugigen die Farben.
  • Translation: "The blind man explains the colors to the one-eyed man."
  • Meaning: "Somebody tries to explain something he knows nothing about."
  • Similar equivalent: "Blind leading the blind."

E

• Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt.
  • "Not all that glitters is gold."
  • Meaning: You can't tell a book by its cover.

• "Es ist noch kein Meister vom Himmel gefallen."
  • Literally: "No master has fallen from heaven yet"
  • Meaning: No one is an expert rightaway without any practice

• Erst kommt das Fressen, dann kommt die Moral.
  • Translation: "First comes the gorging, then the moral."
  • Meaning: "A hungry man has no conscience."

• Einmal ist keinmal.
  • Literally, "Once is never."

• Eine Schwalbe macht noch keinen Sommer!
  • Literally, "One swallow doesn't make summer."
  • Meaning: "It takes more evidence to prove this true"

• Ende gut, alles gut.
  • "All's well that ends well."

• Ein Unglück kommt selten allein.
  • Translation: "A disaster seldom comes alone."
  • Equivalent 1: "It never rains but it pours."
  • Equivalent 2: "Bad luck comes in threes."

• Eile mit Weile.
  • Translation: "Hurry with leisure."
  • Meaning: "Slower is faster."
  • Equivalent: "Slow and steady wins the race."

G

• Gebranntes Kind scheut das Feuer.
  • Translation: "The burned kid avoids the fire."
  • "Once bitten, twice shy."

• Gleich und gleich gesellt sich gern.
  • Translation: "Like and like like to join."
  • "Birds of a feather flock together."

H

• Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall.
  • Literal Translation: "Arrogance comes in front of the fall."
  • Correct meaning: "People become arrogant before their downfall"
  • Equivalent: "Pride cometh before the fall."

I

• Iss, was gar ist, trink, was klar ist, und sprich, was wahr ist.
  • Translation: "Eat what's been well cooked, drink spirits that are clear, and speak what is true."

• In der Not frisst der Teufel Fliegen
  • Translation: If in need, the devil eats flies.

• In der Nacht sind alle Katzen grau
  • Translation: In the night all cats are gray
  • Meaning: If women dress up to go out at night, it is used to tell them that no one will notice anyway. (this is the politically correct one)
  • other Meaning: If it is late enough and I am drunk enough I don´t care how my one-night-stand looks like. (this is the politically incorrect one)

J

• Jacke wie Hose.
  • Translation: "Jacket like pants."
  • Meaning: "Six of one, half a dozen of the other."

• Jeder Jeck ist anders. Used mainly in the Rheinland (Cologne etc.).
  • Translation: "Every loony is different."
  • Meaning: Be liberal. You yourself are different too.

K

• Kümmere dich nicht um ungelegte Eier.
  • Literally: "Don't care for eggs that haven't been laid."
  • Meaning: "Don't cross your bridges until you come to them."
  • English proverb: "Don't count your chickens before they hatch".

• Kommt Zeit, kommt Rat.
  • Literally: "If time comes, advice comes."
  • Meaning: "With time comes insight."

• Kräht der Hahn auf dem Mist, ändert sich's Wetter oder 's bleibt wie's ist.
  • Literally: "If the cock crows on the dung heap, the weather will change or it stays the way it is."
  • Meaning : "Do not rely upon proverbs!" or "The opinion of loud but insignificant people has no influence on the world."

• "Kehre vor Deiner eigenen Tür."
  • Translation: "Sweep the ground in front of your own door."
  • Meaning: "Don´t mess with other peoples business."

• Kleider machen Leute
  • "Clothes make(th) the man."

L

• Lust und Liebe zu einem Ding macht alle Mühe und Arbeit gering.
  • "Desire and love for a thing makes all the effort and work of slight importance."

• Leiche im Keller.
  • Translation, "Bodies in the basement."
  • English equivalent, "Skeletons in the closet."

M

• Man soll das Fell des Bären nicht verkaufen, bevor man ihn erlegt hat.
  • Translation: "One shouldn't sell the bear's fur before it has been killed."
  • Meaning: "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched."

• Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben.
  • Translation: "One shouldn't praise the day before the evening."
  • Meaning: "There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip."

• Mit solchen Freunden braucht man keine Feinde mehr.
  • Lit. Translation: "With such friends, one doesn't need enemies anymore."
  • English Proverb: "With friends like these, who needs enemies?"
  • Meaning: "Said if people considered to be friend behave in reality as the worst enemies."

• Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund. or Der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm
  • Translation: "Morning hour has gold in the mouth." and "The early bird catches the worm."
  • Meaning: "The early bird gets the worm."

• Man schlägt den Sack und meint den Esel.
  • Translation: You hit the bag and mean the donkey.
  • Meaning: You are afraid to criticize what disturbs you, so you criticize something different.

• Man ist was man isst.
  • English Proverb: "You are what you eat." (This is a funny word play in German because "isst" and "ist" are pronounced the same.

N

• Neue Besen kehren gut ... (Part 1 often used without part 2)
  • Translation: "New brooms clean good..."
  • Meaning: "New things may look good on the first glimpse..."

• ...aber der Alte kennt die Ecken. (Part 2)
  • Translation:"...but the old one knows the corners."
  • Meaning:"...but old things can still be better on the second look."

O

• Ohne Fleiß kein Preis."
  • Lit.: "No diligence, no prize."
  • "No pain, no gain."
  • "No sweet without sweat."

P

• Papier ist geduldig.
  • Translation: Paper is patient.
  • Meaning: It is often easier to write things down, than to tell them other people.
  • Meaning: You can write down everything, but it doesn't have to be true.

Q

R

• Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist Gold
  • Lit.: "Talking is Silver, Silence is Gold"
  • English Proverb: "Talk is cheap, silence is golden."

• Rom ist auch nicht an einem Tag erbaut worden.
  • "Rome wasn't built in a day."

S

• Sind die Hühner flach wie ein Teller, war der Traktor sicher schneller."
  • Lit.: "If the chickens are flat like a plate, the tractor surely was faster."
  • A proverb pulling the leg of farmer's rules.

• Schuster, bleib bei deinen Leisten.
  • "A shoemaker sticks to his last."
  • Meaning: "Just do what you can do best."

• Setz nicht alles auf eine Karte.
  • "Don't put all your eggs in the same basket."

• Stadtluft macht frei.
  • "The City air makes you free."
  • Meaning: In medieval times peoples living in free cities were free from a sovereign. They were not bond-slaves like the people in rural areas. So living in a city - ´breathing citiy air´- meant to be free from bond-slavery to a sovereign. People living in cities could express their own opinion without being harased.

T

• Taten statt Worte!" or "Taten sagen mehr als Worte.
  • Translation: "Actions instead of words!" or "Actions speak louder than words"
  • Meaning: A little less conversation - a little more action.

• Träume sind Schäume.
  • Translation: Dreams are foam.
  • Meaning: A dream has nothing to do with reality.

U

• Unter Blinden ist der Einäugige König.
  • "Among the blind, a one-eyed man is king."

• Über den Löffel barbieren.
  • Translation: "To shave somebody using a spoon." (?!?)
  • Meaning: "To fool somebody, to doublecross somebody."

• Über einen Kamm scheren.
  • Translation: "To shear over one comb."
  • Meaning: "To make no differences (although it would be necessary); to treat separate things inappropriately in the same way"

• Über die Stränge schlagen.

Über die Stränge schlagen" bezeichnete ein Verhalten übermütiger Pferde, die durch Stränge = Zugseile an den Wagen gespannt waren. Wenn sie "der Hafer stach", keilten sie aus, gerieten mit ihren Hufen über die Stränge und brachten diese Seile zwischen ihre Beine.

• • Translation: "To kick over the rope."
  • Meaning: "To be high spirited." or "to be careless, because of too much courage"

V

• Vertrauen ist gut, aber Kontrolle ist besser
  • "Trust is good, but control is better"
  • "It´s good to trust, but to verify is better"

• Viele Köche verderben den Brei.
  • "(Too) Many cooks spoil the broth."

• Viel Feind, viel Ehr'.
  • "Many enemies, much honor"
  • Common proverb attributed to Georg von Frundsberg (1473-1528), a German Landsknecht commander

• Vier Augen sehen mehr als zwei.
  • "Four eyes see more than two."
  • English equivalent: "Two heads are better than one."

W

• Was nicht ist, kann noch werden.
  • Translation: "What isn't yet can still become."
  • Meaning: "'It hasn't' doesn't mean 'it won't'."

• Was man sich eingebrockt hat, das muss man auch auslöffeln.
  • "What one dishes out, he must also eat."

• Was Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr.
  • Translation: "What Hänschen (small Hans) doesn't learn, (grown-up) Hans will never learn."
  • "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."

• Wenn der Reiter nichts taugt, ist das Pferd schuld.
  • Translation: If the horseman is bad, it's the horse's fault.
  • English equivalent: "A poor craftsman blames his tools."

• Wer A sagt, muss auch B sagen. (Plattdeutsche Variante: De A seggt, mut ok B seggen")
  • Translation: If you say A, you have to say B as well.
  • Meaning: You must finish what you started.

• Wer nicht will, hat schon
  • Translation: He who does not want something already has enough.
  • Meaning: Used in situations where somebody who desires something must make himself heard, or lose some benefit ("Who wants the last slice of pizza?")

• Wer zuletzt lacht, lacht am besten.
  • "He who laughs last, laughs best."

• Wer nicht wagt, der nicht gewinnt.
  • "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

• Wer anderen eine Grube gräbt, fällt selbst hinein.
  • Translation: "Who digs a pit for others falls into it himself."
  • Meaning: "Harm set, harm get."

• Wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst.
  • Translation: "Who comes first, grinds (his grain) first."
  • Meaning: "First come, first served."

• Wes' Brot ich ess, des' Lied ich sing.
  • Translation: "Whose bread I eat, whose song I sing."
  • Meaning: "He who pays the piper calls the tune."

• Wer die Wahl hat, hat die Qual.
  • Literally, "Who has the choice has the pain."
  • English Proverb, "Heavy is the head that wears the crown."

• Wein auf Bier, das rat' ich dir. Bier auf Wein, lass es sein.
  • Translation: "Wine on beer, I advise you. Beer on wine, leave alone."
  • Meaning: "Cider on beer, never fear; beer upon cider, makes a bad rider."
  • Alternate: "Liquor before beer, all is clear; beer before liquor, get sicker and sicker."

• Wer den Pfennig nicht ehrt, ist den Taler nicht wert.
  • "Who doesn't care about cents isn't worthy to keep a dollar"

• Wer den Cent nicht ehrt, ist den Euro nicht wert.
  • "Who doesn't care about cents isn't worthy to keep a euro"

• Wie man in den Wald hineinruft, so kommt es zurück.
  • Meaning: "One good turn deserves another"

• Wie man sich bettet, so liegt man.
  • Lit.: You will rest as good as you bedded.
  • English proverb: "You make your own bed."

• Wo gehobelt wird, fallen Späne.
  • Lit.: "Where you plane splinters fall."
  • "You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs."

• Wenn zwei sich streiten, freut sich der Dritte.
  • Lit.: "When two quarrel, the third rejoices."

• Wenn es Nachts im Bette kracht - der Bauer seine Erben macht.
  • Translation:"When the bed makes noise in the night - the farmer makes his heirs."
  • Meaning: This one pulls a leg on farmers rules.

• Wer nicht hören will muß fühlen.
  • Translation: "He who deosn´t listen will have to feel."
  • Meaning: "If you don´t da what I tell you to do, I´ll have to beat you." (as a menace for children)
  • Other Meaning: "I told you better but you didn´t listen. Now you have a problem."

• Wer zuletzt kommt, den beißen die Hunde.
  • Translation: "He who is too late is bitten by the dogs."
  • Meaning: "You are too late and missed it."

• Wenn das Wörtchen ´wenn´ nicht wär, wär mein Vater Millionär.
  • Translation: "If there wasn´t the little word ´if´, my father would be a millionaire."
  • Meaning: "There is no use in thinking about impossible possibilities. Concentrate on reality." also used as an answer on an excuse meaning "That is a lame excuse!"
  • English proverb: "If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, I'd be a millionaire."

X

Y

Z

• Zeit ist Geld.
  • Translation: Time is money.

• Drei Z sind gern beieinander: Zecher, Zänker, Zungenschmied.
  • Literal translation: Three Z like to be together: drinker, quarreller, tongue-smith.
  • Meaning: Drinking leads to arguments and loose talk.

Others

• (unknown original version)
  • Translation: "The eyes believe themselves; the ears believe other people."

• Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt. Not all is gold, which gleams. -- "All that glitters is not gold."
• Lieber den Spatz in der Hand als die Taube auf dem Dach. Rather the sparrow in the hand than the pigeon on the roof. -- "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
• Kümmere dich nicht um ungelegte Eier. Don't worry about unlaid eggs. -- "Don't cross your bridges until you come to them."
• Andere Länder, andere Sitten. -- Other countries, other customs. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
• Taten sagen mehr als Worte. Actions say more than words. -- "Actions speak louder than words."
• Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall. Arrogance comes before the fall. -- "Pride goeth before a fall." (paraphrase of Proverbs 16:18)
• Ein Unglück kommt selten allein. One mishap rarely comes alone. -- "It never rains but it pours."
• Gleich und gleich gesellt sich gern. Same and same like to convene. -- "Birds of a feather flock together."
• Eile mit Weile. Haste with a rest. -- "More haste, less speed."
• Das Eisen schmieden, solange es heiss ist. Forge the iron, as long as it is hot. -- "Strike while the iron is hot / Make hay while the sun shines."
• Was nicht ist kann noch werden. That which isn't yet, could still be later. -- "'It hasn't' doesn't mean 'it won't'."
• Die Suppe, die man sich eingebrockt hat, muss man auch auslöffeln. -- You've got to eat all the bread you poured into your soup. (roughly)

-- "You made your bed, now you'll have to sleep in it."

• Ende gut, alles gut. Ending good, everything good. -- "All's well that ends well." (of course from the comedy of the same name by William Shakespeare)
• Was Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr. That which little Johnny doesn't learn, big John won't ever learn. -- "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."
• Gebranntes Kind scheut das Feuer. Burned child shuns the fire. -- "Once bitten, twice shy."
• Zu viele Köche verderben den Brei. -- "Too many cooks spoil the broth."
• Wer zuletzt lacht, lacht am besten. -- Who laughs last, laughs the best. "He who laughs last, laughs longest."
• Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben. One shouldn't praise the day before the evening. -- "There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip."
• Wer wagt, gewinnt. Whoever dares, wins. -- "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
• Rom ist auch nicht an einem Tag erbaut worden. -- "Rome wasn't built in a day."
• Kommt Zeit, kommt Rat. Time comes, counsel comes.
• Alter schützt vor Torheit nicht. Old age doesn't save from folly. -- "There's no fool like an old fool."
• Deutsche Sprache, schwere Sprache. German language, hard language.
• Einmal ist keinmal. Once is never.
• Eine Schwalbe macht noch keinen Sommer. One swallow doesn't make a summer.
• Morgenstund' hat Gold im Mund. -- Morning hour has got gold in its mouth. "The early bird catches the worm."
• Schuster, bleib bei Deinem Leisten. -- Shoemaker, stay with your business. -- "Every man to his craft."
• Wer anderen eine Grube gräbt, fällt selbst hinein. -- "He who digs a hole for another, falls into it himself."
• Wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst. -- He who comes first, grinds (the grains) first. "First come, first served."
• Wes' Brot ich ess, des' Lied ich sing. -- I sing the song of whose bread I eat.
• Wer die Wahl hat, hat die Qual. -- Literally, "He who has the choice, has the distress."
• Erst kommt das Fressen, dann kommt die Moral. -- First comes the feeding, then come morals. "A hungry man has no conscience."
• Viel Feind', viel Ehr. -- Literally, "Many an enemy, much honour."
• Die Feder ist mächtiger als das Schwert. -- "The pen (literally: the quill) is mightier than the sword."
• In der Kürze liegt die Würze. -- In brevity lies the spice. "Brevity is the soul of wit." (although the German Polonius doesn't say that.)
• Der Ton macht die Musik. It is the melody that makes the song.
• Unter Blinden ist der Einäugige König. Among the blind, the one-eyed is king.
• Man soll das Fell des Bären nicht verteilen, bevor man ihn erlegt hat. One should not divide up the pelt of the bear [to be distributed] before one has shot it. -- "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched."
• Man schlägt den Sack und meint den Esel. One hits the bag and means [to hit] the ass. ("Esel" in German can carry the same senses as the traditional usage of English "ass"; that is, it can mean the animal, or can be used figuratively to mean "idiot" or "fool".)
• Neue Besen kehren gut. New brooms sweep well.
• Hochmut kommt selten gut. "Haughtiness is seldom good." --"The Pride goes before a fall."

See also: List of proverbs.