Hungarian proverbs


Sayings of Hungarian origin

Books are silent masters… A könyvek néma mesterek.

Time heals all wounds… Az idő minden sebet begyógyít.

Exception strenghtens the rule…Kivétel erősíti a szabályt.

The wife of a careless man is almost a widow.

If women were not vain, men could teach them how to be.

Strike while the iron is hot…Addig üsd a vasat, amíg meleg.

Hunger is the best cook… Az éhség a legjobb szakács.

It is a fine thing to die for one’s fatherland, but a still finer thing to live for it.

Unwillingness ends in groaning… Nem akarásnak nyögés a vége.

The way you sow, the way you reap…Ki mint vet, úgy arat.

No one was ever hung for what he was thinking.

Opposites attract each other… Az ellentétek vonzzák egymást.

The horse has four legs and still stumbles…Lónak négy a lába, mégis megbotlik.

Many small things can add up a big one… Sok kicsi sokra megy

The wall will not punch back… A fal nem üt vissza.

Even the blind chicken finds grains… Vak tyúk is talál szemet.

The early bird catches the worm…Aki korán kel, aranyat lel.

He who dares, wins… Aki mer, az nyer.

Time is money…Az idő pénz.

Although pepper is tiny, its taste is intense.

A man with good judgment does not make the goat his gardener.

Repetition is the mother of knowledge…Ismétlés a tudás anyja.

A fool in the morning is fool in the afternoon… Aki délelőtt bolond, délután is az.

He who says A, should also say B. too… Aki Á-t mond, mondjon B-t is.

Not all that glitters is gold… Nem mind arany, ami fénylik.

One swallow doesn’t mean the summer is here… Egy fecske nem csinál nyarat.

If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the mountain…Ha a hegy nem megy Mohamedhez, Mohamed megy a hegyhez.

There is no rose without thorns… Nincsen rózsa tövis nélkül

Even the white lily casts a shadow.

Who doesn’t appreciate the litte does not deserve the big…Ki a kicsit nem becsüli, a nagyot nem érdemli.

Don’t make an elephant out of a mosquito…Ne csinálj szúnyogból elefántot.

Cheap meat produces thin broth… Olcsó húsnak híg a leve.

Try to be in good company, even when you are alone.

He who trusts is happy; the doubter is wise.

In the dark all cats and all girls are beautiful.

He is worth his money… Megéri a pénzét

I can chew for you, my child, but you must swallow by yourself.

Just because a loan is old, that does not make it a gift.

The crowd is not led by the head but by the heart.

What you can do today don’t put off to tomorrow…Amit ma megtehetsz, ne halaszd holnapra!

Help yourself and God will help you also… Segíts magadon, (és) az Isten is megsegít.

In much talk there is much irrelevancies.

Like mother, like daughter…Amilyen az anya, olyan a lánya.

He who accepts the gift loses his liberty.

In the long run even a dog will compromise with the cat.

Peccadilloes at home, deadly sins abroad.

The nice apples are sour…A szép almákban is vannak savanyuk.

Don’t drink ahead to the bear’s hide… Ne igyál előre a medve bőrére.

A loan, though old, is not a gift.

When ambition ends, happiness begins.

The forbidden fruit is the sweetest…A tiltott gyümölcs a legédesebb.

Bury the hatchet…Elássa a csatabárdot.

A prudent man does not make the goat his gardener.

A bashful beggar will have an empty wallet.

He who slowly gets angry will stay angry for a long time.

Everything is possible, you just need to want it!… Mindent lehet, csupán akarni kell.

The amount of people equals the amount of opinions.

A good priest learns till he dies… Jó pap holtig tanul.

He is rich who owes nothing.

The best defense is a good offense…A legjobb védekezés a támadás.

Adam ate the apple, and our teeth still ache.

The liar is caught sooner than a lame dog…A hazug embert hamarabb utolérik, mint a sánta kutyát.

Birds of a feather flock together…Madarat tolláról, embert barátjáról.

Love is blind… A szerelem vak.

Shooting sparrows with a cannon… Ágyúval lő verébre.

Even the best tree sometimes has bad fruit.

Like father, like son…Amilyen az apa, olyan a fia.

Don’t cry over the spilled milk… Nem kell belesírni a kiömlött tejbe.

Children, fools and drunken men tell the truth…Gyermëk, részëg, bolond mondják az igazat.

The woman of a man without sorrows is almost a widow.

The big fish eats the little fish…A nagy hal megeszi a kis halat.

Better dry bread in peacetime than meat in wartime.

You should not add oil to the fire… Nëm këll a tűzre olajat önteni.

Misfortune comes on horseback and goes away on foot…A nyavalya lóháton jön, gyalog megy el.

The smart one will learn from the mistakes of others…Más kárán tanul az okos.

Those who dare to lie once, don’t not deserve credit… Aki egyszer hazudni mer, több hitelt nem érdemel.

An ox remains an ox, even if driven to Vienna.

Necessity is the greatest teacher… A szükség a legnagyobb tanítómester.

Rather today a sparrow than a bustard tomorrow…Jobb ma egy veréb, mint holnap egy túzok.

Lazyness brings struggle… Nem akarasnak nyoges a vege

Can’t see the forest from the trees… Nem látja a fától az erdőt.

Beloved children have many names.

There is no coat big enough to hide both poverty and drunkenness.

He who is feared by many must be afraid of many.

Blushing is the paint of good habits.

Better to fear than to be frightened.

Everyone’s the blacksmith of their own fate…Mindenki a maga szerencséjének kovácsa.

Carrying water in the Danube… Vizet hord a Dunába.

He who is struck by the lightning doesn’t hear the thunder.

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

An old spinster is not worth more than a un posted letter.

Fish stinks from the head…Fejétől bűzlik a hal.

Do more things by wisdom than by force.

If it’s God’s will the broom will lose its handle.

It’s natural to have some disagreement between husband and wife.

Other people’s eggs have two yolks.

Good wine needs no label…Jó bornak nem kell cégér.

All miracles last 3 days… Minden csoda 3 napig tart.

Bargain like a gypsy, but pay like a gentleman.

There is nothing more precious than time… Nincs drágább az idönél.

Lots of geese can conquer pigs… Sok lúd disznót győz

Knowledge is power… A tudás hatalom.

The owl tells the sparrow that her head is big.

One road leads to heaven but many lead to hell.

The apple falls close to its tree.… Nëm esik messze az alma a fájától.

Fine words are not enough for the empty stomach, it needs bread…

Whoever digs a hole for someone else, will fall in it themselves…Aki másnak vermet ás, maga esik bele.

What we do not know will not hurt… Amit nem tudunk az nem fáj.

Where there is no bridge the smallest plank is of great value.

Money does not buy happiness… A pénz nem boldogít.

Barking dogs seldom bite…Amelyik kutya ugat, az nem harap.

A habit is first a wanderer, then a guest, and finally the boss.

It is a poor mouse that has only one hole… Szëgény ëgér, melynek csak egy lyuka van.

He who wants to go fishing must not be afraid of the water.

Look at the mother, marry the daughter.

Come a little closer when your sword is too short.

In wine there is truth…Borban az igazság.

The fried pigeon will not fly into your mouth… Nem repül a sült galamb a szádba.

The bushes don’t rattle if there’s no wind… Nem zörög a haraszt, ha a szél nem fújja.

Sometimes a blind man could see hoofs… éha a vak is patkóra talál.

Listen too much say little…Sokat hallgass keveset szólj.

The person who trusts is happy; the person who doubts is wise.

A new broom sweeps well… Új seprű jól seper.

A flatterer is a secret enemy.

Man plans, God executes…Ember tervez, Isten végez.

Nobody can rest in his own shadow.

Even walls have ears…A falnak is füle van.

The believer is happy; the doubter is wise.

A mug keeps going to the well until it breaks eventually… Addig jár a korsó a kútra, míg el nem törik.

Hungarian proverbs

Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The country’s capital and largest city is Budapest. Hungary is a member of the European Union, NATO, the OECD, the Visegrád Group, and the Schengen Area.

Hungarian is the official language of Hungary and one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. Outside Hungary it is also spoken by communities of Hungarian people in neighboring countries—especially in Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and Ukraine—and by Hungarian diaspora communities worldwide. Like Finnish and Estonian, it belongs to the Uralic language family, with its closest relatives being Mansi and Khanty. It is one of the few languages of Europe that are not part of the Indo-European family.  (An excerpt from Wikipedia)

The Hungarian name for the language is magyar. The word “Magyar” is also used as an English word to refer to Hungarian people as an ethnic group, or to the language.

“Himnusz” is a musical poetic prayer that serves as the official national anthem of Hungary.

 Hungary National Anthem ( English Lyrics):

O God, bless the nation of Hungary…Isten, áldd meg a magyart
With your grace and bounty…Jó kedvvel, bőséggel
Extend over it your guarding arm…Nyújts feléje védő kart
During strife with its enemies…Ha küzd ellenséggel
Long torn by ill fate…Bal sors akit régen tép
Bring upon it a time of relief…Hozz rá víg esztendőt
This nation has suffered for all sins…Megbűnhődte már e nép
Of the past and of the future!…A múltat s jövendőt!

You brought our ancestors up…Őseinket felhozád
Over the Carpathians’ holy peaks…Kárpát szent bércére
By You was won a beautiful homeland…Általad nyert szép hazát
For Bendeguz’s sons…Bendegúznak vére
And wherever flow the rivers of…S merre zúgnak habjai
The Tisza and the Danube…Tiszának, Dunának
Árpád our hero’s descendants…Árpád hős magzatjai
Will root and bloom…Felvirágozának

How often came from the mouths…Hányszor zengett ajkain
Of Osman’s barbarian nation…Ozmán vad népének
Over the corpses of our defeated army…Vert hadunk csonthalmain
A victory song!…Győzedelmi ének!
How often did your own son agress…Hányszor támadt tenfiad
My homeland, upon your breast…Szép hazám, kebledre
And you became because of your own sons…S lettél magzatod miatt
Your own sons’ funeral urn!…Magzatod hamvvedre!

The fugitive hid, and towards him…Bújt az üldözött, s felé
The sword reached into his cave…Kard nyúlt barlangjában
Looking everywhere he could not find…Szerte nézett s nem lelé
His home in his homeland…Honját a hazában
Climbs the mountain, descends the valley…Bércre hág és völgybe száll
Sadness and despair his companions…Bú s kétség mellette
Sea of blood beneath his feet…Vérözön lábainál
Ocean of flame above…S lángtenger fölette

Castle stood, now a heap of stones…Vár állott, most kőhalom
Happiness and joy fluttered…Kedv s öröm röpkedtek
Groans of death, weeping…Halálhörgés, siralom
Now sound in their place…Zajlik már helyettek
And Ah! Freedom does not bloom…S ah, szabadság nem virúl
From the blood of the dead…A holtnak véréből
Torturous slavery’s tears fall…Kínzó rabság könnye hull
From the burning eyes of the orphans!..Árvák hő szeméből!

Pity, O Lord, the Hungarians…Szánd meg Isten a magyart
Who are tossed by waves of danger…Kit vészek hányának
Extend over it your guarding arm…Nyújts feléje védő kart
On the sea of its misery…Tengerén kínjának
Long torn by ill fate…Bal sors akit régen tép
Bring upon it a time of relief…Hozz rá víg esztendőt
They who have suffered for all sins…Megbűnhődte már e nép
Of the past and of the future!A múltat s jövendőt!

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