40 Powerful Proverbs From Around The World

Proverbs can be thought of as short sayings that provide advice regarding life. Proverbs like, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” are prime examples of proverbs that have exploded in popularity and have made their way into mainstream media. These unique sayings often vary according to culture, but ultimately, all provide some sort of advice regarding life.

As a child, I was brought up in an immigrant household that spoke two languages and was able to experience two different cultures side-by-side. As a result, I was able to pick up a handful of unique proverbs and sayings from each culture and language. Over time, I realized how the values and teachings of each culture were passed down from generation to generation via these proverbs and sayings and realized the importance of sharing such teachings. With this in mind, I created a list of 40 powerful proverbs and sayings from around the world that I believe can teach us valuable life lessons.

40 Powerful Proverbs and Sayings From Around The World

1. A tree is known by its fruit. – Southern African Proverb
2. The old horse in the stable still yearns to run. – Asian Proverb
3. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. – Asian Proverb
4. A monkey in silk is a monkey no less. – American Proverb
5. Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. – English Proverb
6. Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone. – English Proverb
7. An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep – Arabic Proverb
8. Even a small star shines in the darkness. – Finnish Proverb
9. After the game, the king and pawn go into the same box. – Italian Proverb
10. God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. – Jewish Proverb
11. Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow. – Swedish Proverb
12. Words should be weighed, not counted. – Yiddish Proverb
13. Do good and throw it in the sea. – Arabic Proverb
14. Where love reigns, the impossible may be attained. – Indian Proverb
15. Truth is more valuable if it takes you a few years to find it. – French Proverb
16. There is no shame in not knowing; the shame lies in not finding out. – Russian Proverb
17. A loose tooth will not rest until it’s pulled out. – African Proverb
18. The path is made by walking. – African Proverb
19. Drop by drop you break the rock – Italian Proverb
20. The tree often hides the forest – French Proverb
21. Do not push the river, it will flow itself – Polish Proverb
22. Measure a thousand times and cut once. – Turkish Proverb
23. Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you. – Spanish Proverb
24. Don’t sail out farther than you can row back. – Danish Proverb
25. If you take big paces, you leave big spaces. – Burmese Proverb
26. Before you score, you first must have a goal. – Greek Proverb
27. Good advice is often annoying, bad advice never is. – French Proverb
28. Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone – Moroccan Proverb
29. A beautiful thing is never perfect. – Egyptian Proverb
30. Turn your face toward the sun and the shadows fall behind you. – Maori Proverb
31. Better little than too little – Cameroonian Proverb
32. Tell me who your friends are, so I can tell you who you are – Bulgarian Proverb
33. Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. – Australian Proverb
34. To be willing is only half the task. – Armenian Proverb
35. When the sun rises, it rises for everyone. – Cuban Proverb
36. No man can paddle two canoes at the same time. – Bantu Proverb
37. Age is honorable and youth is noble. – Irish Proverb
38. The tree with most leaves will not necessarily produce juicy fruit. – Brazilian Proverb
39. A mother understands what a child does not say – Yiddish Proverb
40. A bad worker blames his tools. – Australian Proverb