Filipino Proverbs / Philippine proverbs

What is the grass for if the horse is already dead.

Knowledge is wealth that can’t be stolen.

What is beauty if brain is empty.

United we are strong, divided we fall.

One who never looks back from his beginning will never get to his destination.

Whatever you borrowed, return or replace it, so next time they will still lend.

A person who has no money is like a bird without wings.

While the blanket is short, learn to curl for you to fit in it.

It is never too late to offer anything that is good.

Barking dogs seldom bite.

A wise man doesn’t see his foot on the ground, he watches his next step.

As long as there is still life, there still lies hope.

 

Every pot has a matching lid.

Don’t count the chicken until the eggs hatch.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire

Every jungle has a snake

Hasty work results in faulty work.

No man is brave in the presence of a crying woman.

Don’t rush things to get better results.

What is easily acquired is easily lost.

A true friend is known in time of need.

To a fearless person, no fence is high enough.

Where there is gossip, there will be arguing.

The person who is always criticizing others is usually the one who deserves criticism the most. Emulate what is good, ignore what is bad.

Forthrightness ensures lasting relationship.

Avoiding danger is not cowardice.

Wealth can be acquired but beauty cannot.

Courage without discretion is no good.

A patriot who is wounded becomes more courageous.

Every community has its own customs and traditions.

A child that is given everything will rarely succeed in life.

 

If you buy things you don’t need, you will soon be selling things you do need.

 

Spend lavishly and you end up with nothing.

True well-being is found in happiness, not in prosperity.

It is easier to dam a river than to stop the flow of gossip.

Whatever the tree, so is the fruit.

Alertness and courage are life’s shield.

No matter how much care is taken, someone will always be misled.

One need not inherit wealth if he inherits good manners.

A sleeping lobster is carried away by the current.

If you don’t persevere, you can expect no reward.

The voluntary obedience of people depends on who is commanding them.

 

Strength is defeated by strategy.

Many people count other people’s faults and ignore their own.

If you like what you are doing, nothing is too far and no job is too hard.

A desperate person will grab at a knife.

Whispering a gossip is louder than shouting it.

A man that talks too much accomplishes little.

The person who makes an error should be taught, and not made fun of.

Where there are flowers there are butterflies

Before you point out others people’s shortcomings, correct your own first.

If there is no patience, there will be no food.

A good character is more valuable than gold.

A person who is outwardly calm has anger raging inside.

No child was ever born without having been conceived.

One who believes in gossip has no self-discipline.

A good character is real beauty that never fades.

No crime is left unpunished.

The child who is given everything he asks for usually won’t succeed in life.

The crow will turn white and the heron black

Even if the truth is buried for centuries, it will eventually come out and thrive.

Strength is defeated by (a strong) strategy.

Every road leads somewhere.

Don’t empty the water jar until the rain falls.

Speech is silver but silence is gold.

When it rains, everyone gets wet

Not all goodness brings sweetness.

He who boasts of his accomplishments will heap ridicule on himself.

When the pot runs over, you need to spill some.

He who gives alms to the poor faces heaven.

 

The tomato plant doesn’t grow mangos.

It is advantageous to follow advice, for you will succeed in life.

Be careful that you don’t spit on your own face.

The pain of the little finger is felt by the whole body.

A diligent person will soon prosper.

Water can wear away even the hardest rock.

It is easy to be human. It is hard to be humane.

Nothing destroys iron but its own corrosion.

If you stash, you have something to withdraw.

It is easier to pick a fruit if you go through the branches

Whoever talks much never does much.

 

There is no muddy water that doesn’t clear

Noisy is the can that contains nothing.

When the sheets are short, one needs to make do.

An intelligent monkey can still be outsmarted.

A broom is sturdy because its strands are tightly bound.

The earth has ears, gossip has wings.

The early bird beats the industrious person.

No matter how long the procession, it still ends up in church.

A tree that bears fruit is often hurled at.

 

A heavy burden is lightened if everyone participates in carrying it.

To a person who has true humility, words are vows.

What one learns in childhood he carries into adulthood.

No undertaking is difficult if pursued with perseverance

Even if the firewood is green, it will burn when lit

Life is like a wheel; sometimes you are on top, sometimes you are in the bottom.

Continues little rain drops, deep river could overflow.

There is no bitter burnt rice in a hungry person.

No bread is too hard for warm coffee.

There is no earthly bliss not watered by tears.

 

It is one thing to be a person, to have a personality is another.

He who boasts of his accomplishments will heap ridicule

He who seeks advice seldom errs.

After the harvest, there’s no hay.