Greece Proverbs (50)

Traditional proverbs of Greece in el and English — each with its meaning and source.

Όποιος βιάζεται σκοντάφτει.

“He who is in a hurry stumbles.”

Acting too hastily leads to mistakes and setbacks.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Κάλλιο αργά παρά ποτέ.

“Better late than never.”

Doing something after a delay is preferable to never doing it at all.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Ο πνιγμένος από τα μαλλιά του πιάνεται.

“The drowning man clutches at his own hair.”

A desperate person will grasp at any hope, however unrealistic.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Μια του κλέφτη, δυο του κλέφτη, τρεις και την κακή του μέρα.

“Once a thief, twice a thief, the third time is his unlucky day.”

Wrongdoing repeated will eventually be caught and punished.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Όποιος καεί στο χυλό, φυσάει και το γιαούρτι.

“He who was burned on porridge blows even on yogurt.”

A painful past experience makes a person overly cautious afterward.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Φασούλι το φασούλι, γεμίζει το σακούλι.

“Bean by bean, the sack gets filled.”

Small, steady contributions accumulate into something substantial over time.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Το μήλο κάτω απ' τη μηλιά θα πέσει.

“The apple will fall beneath the apple tree.”

Children take after their parents in character and behavior.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Ό,τι σπείρεις θα θερίσεις.

“Whatever you sow, you shall reap.”

Your actions determine the results you will eventually receive.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Η γλώσσα κόκαλα δεν έχει και κόκαλα τσακίζει.

“The tongue has no bones, yet it crushes bones.”

Words, though soft, can wound deeply and carry great power.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Άνθρωπος αγράμματος, ξύλο απελέκητο.

“An illiterate person is like an unhewn log.”

Education and learning refine and shape a person's worth.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Κάλλιο πέντε και στο χέρι, παρά δέκα και καρτέρι.

“Better five in the hand than ten in waiting.”

A smaller certain gain is worth more than a larger uncertain one.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Στο σπίτι του κρεμασμένου δεν μιλάνε για σχοινί.

“In the house of the hanged man, do not speak of rope.”

Avoid mentioning painful or sensitive subjects in front of those affected by them.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Ο νηστικός καρβέλια ονειρεύεται.

“The hungry man dreams of loaves of bread.”

People dream about and long for what they most lack.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Κάλλιο να σε ζηλεύουν παρά να σε λυπούνται.

“Better to be envied than pitied.”

Success that draws envy is preferable to failure that draws pity.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Η καλή μέρα από το πρωί φαίνεται.

“A good day shows itself from the morning.”

Early signs often reveal how something will turn out.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Δεν είναι όλα ρόδινα.

“Not everything is rosy.”

Life is not always easy or pleasant; hardship is part of it.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Δεν χορταίνει το μάτι με το χρήμα.

“The eye is never satisfied with money.”

Greed has no natural limit; wanting more wealth never truly ends.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Όποιος φυλάει τα ρούχα του, έχει τα μισά.

“He who guards his clothes has already saved half of them.”

Care and vigilance protect what you own from loss.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Η ελπίδα πεθαίνει τελευταία.

“Hope dies last.”

One should never give up hope until every possibility is truly gone.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Κάλλιο γαϊδουρόδενε παρά γαϊδουρογύρευε.

“Better to tie up your donkey than to go searching for it.”

Taking precautions beforehand is wiser than dealing with loss afterward.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Ο σκύλος γαβγίζει, το καραβάνι περνάει.

“The dog barks, and the caravan passes on.”

Ignore idle criticism and keep moving toward your goal.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Κάλλιο μόνος παρά με κακή συντροφιά.

“Better alone than in bad company.”

Solitude is preferable to the company of those who bring you harm.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Παπούτσι από τον τόπο σου, κι ας είναι μπαλωμένο.

“A shoe from your own homeland, even if it is patched.”

Something familiar from home is more trustworthy than something foreign, however impressive it appears.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Μάτια που δεν βλέπονται, γρήγορα λησμονιούνται.

“Eyes that no longer see each other are soon forgotten.”

Distance and absence gradually weaken bonds and memory; out of sight, out of mind.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Ό,τι δεν φτιάχνει ο χρόνος, δεν το φτιάχνει τίποτα.

“What time cannot mend, nothing can mend.”

Time heals most wounds; what endures beyond it may never be resolved.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Ο κόρακας κοράκου μάτι δεν βγάζει.

“A crow does not peck out another crow's eye.”

Those who are alike, especially wrongdoers, tend to protect and shield one another.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Κάλλιο μια φορά κόκκινος παρά εκατό φορές κίτρινος.

“Better to blush once than turn pale a hundred times.”

It is better to endure one moment of embarrassment for the truth than to live in repeated fear from a lie.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Το ψάρι βρωμάει από το κεφάλι.

“The fish stinks from the head.”

Corruption or failure in a group usually originates from its leadership.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Ο βιαστικός καλόγερος αργά κάνει το κομποσκοίνι.

“The hasty monk makes his prayer rope slowly.”

Rushing careless work often ends up taking longer and turning out worse.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Κάθε πράγμα στον καιρό του κι ο κολιός τον Αύγουστο.

“Everything in its own time, and mackerel in August.”

Every good thing has its proper season and cannot be rushed.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Η νύχτα φέρνει τη συμβουλή.

“The night brings counsel.”

Sleeping on a difficult decision often brings clarity by morning.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Μην πουλάς το δέρμα της αρκούδας πριν την πιάσεις.

“Do not sell the bear's skin before you have caught it.”

Do not count on the rewards of something before it is actually achieved.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Ο χορτάτος τον νηστικό δεν τον πιστεύει.

“The well-fed man does not believe the hungry one.”

Those who are comfortable often fail to understand the struggles of those in need.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Δείξε μου τον φίλο σου να σου πω ποιος είσαι.

“Show me your friend, and I will tell you who you are.”

A person's character is revealed by the company they keep.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Ο Θεός αργεί μα δεν ξεχνάει.

“God delays, but He does not forget.”

Justice may be slow to arrive, but it eventually catches up with wrongdoing.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Κάλλιο πικρή αλήθεια παρά γλυκό ψέμα.

“Better a bitter truth than a sweet lie.”

Honesty, even when painful, is worth more than a comforting falsehood.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Η φτώχεια θέλει καλοπέραση.

“Poverty needs good cheer.”

Even in hardship, it is worth keeping good spirits and making the best of what you have.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Χωριό που φαίνεται, κολαούζο δε θέλει.

“A village you can already see needs no guide.”

Something already obvious requires no further explanation.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Η δουλειά ντροπή δεν έχει.

“Work carries no shame.”

No honest labor should ever be considered beneath one's dignity.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Δώσε τόπο στην οργή.

“Give room to anger.”

Step back and let anger settle before acting, rather than reacting rashly.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Δεν είναι χρυσός ό,τι λάμπει.

“Not all that shines is gold.”

Appearances can be deceiving; something attractive is not always genuinely valuable.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Η αλεπού κι αν γεράσει, τα δόντια της δεν τα χάνει.

“Even when the fox grows old, it does not lose its teeth.”

A person's true nature or cunning endures even as they grow older.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Μάθε τέχνη κι άσ' την, κι όταν πεινάσεις πιάσ' την.

“Learn a craft and set it aside; when you are hungry, take it up again.”

A skill once learned is never wasted and can support you again whenever it is needed.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Η φιλία θέλει κόσκινο και όχι τσουβάλι.

“Friendship needs a sieve, not a sack.”

True friendship requires careful discernment, not accepting everyone without judgment.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Το ένα χέρι νίβει τ' άλλο και τα δυο το πρόσωπο.

“One hand washes the other, and together they wash the face.”

People who help one another accomplish far more together than alone.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Ο καλός καπετάνιος στη φουρτούνα φαίνεται.

“The good captain is known in the storm.”

True skill and character are revealed in moments of crisis, not calm.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Απ' έξω κούκλα κι από μέσα πανούκλα.

“A pretty doll on the outside, but plague within.”

A person or thing may look beautiful on the surface while hiding something rotten underneath.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Κάλλιο γείτονας κοντά, παρά αδερφός μακριά.

“Better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.”

In times of need, someone close at hand can help faster than distant family.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Το ξένο καρβέλι φαίνεται μεγαλύτερο.

“The neighbor's loaf always looks bigger.”

Other people's possessions or lives often seem more appealing than our own; the grass looks greener elsewhere.

Traditional Greece Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greek proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Μία χελιδὼν ἔαρ οὐ ποιεῖ, οὐδὲ μία ἡμέρα.

“One swallow does not make a summer, nor does one fine day.”

A single good sign or instance is not enough to prove lasting happiness or virtue.

Aristotle

Source: Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book I (circa 4th century BC)