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Paraguay — quotes, proverbs & wisdom

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Real words from the people of Paraguay, each with a verified source. New quotes are added as each is fact-checked.

Capital: AsunciónPopulation: ~6.9 millionFounded: 1811 (independence from Spain)Region: AmericasLanguages: esCurrency: Guaraní (PYG)Quote code: 595Quote_py

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Proverbs

Ahata roha'ârô, he'i karumbe.

“"I'll go on ahead and wait for you," said the turtle.”

Gentle irony about someone notoriously slow claiming they will be the one left waiting for others.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Che ndaka'úi, he'i oka'úva.

“"I'm not drunk," said the drunkard.”

People rarely admit their own obvious faults, denying what everyone else can plainly see.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Japu ha monda oñopariénte.

“Lying and stealing are relatives.”

Dishonesty tends to travel in pairs; one deception often keeps company with another.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Gállo tuja reíma repói riñahápe.

“An old rooster is no longer fit for the fight.”

Strength and daring fade with age; every fighter eventually gives way to younger ones.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Tanimbuguýpe opyta tata.

“Under the ashes, the fire still remains.”

Old passions or grudges can smolder quietly long after they appear to have died out.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Aháta aju, he'i osóva.

“"I'll go and come right back," said the one who was leaving for good.”

A wry comment on empty promises to return, spoken about farewells that turn out to be final.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Aikoko, he'i ovendeséva coco.

“"I have coconut!" said the one eager to sell coconut.”

A pointed joke about sellers who loudly praise whatever they happen to be selling.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Algo es algo, he'i toro Kandil okarneva'ekue.

“"Something is something," they said of the bull Kandil after it was slaughtered.”

Even a small or partial gain is better than nothing at all.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Añeha'ãmbaitétako, he'i ilápiz mbykýva.

“"I will do my very best," said the one with the short pencil.”

Even with limited means or tools, a person can still commit to doing their best.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Menosprecio ha tatatigui revánte va'erã.

“Do not let contempt or smoke affect you — simply step away, for both will pass.”

Scorn, like smoke, is best left alone; it fades on its own if you do not react to it.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Ichukove ype ra'y canástogui.

“More colorful than a basket full of baby ducklings.”

A playful comparison used to describe someone or something unusually lively and eye-catching.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Ndovaléi jajodesprecia, entero ñamano va'erã.

“We must not despise one another, for we all must die alike.”

Death makes everyone equal in the end, so no one has the right to look down on another.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Lo mismo tiene ritmo, he'i la propaganda ojerokýva'ekue.

“"It still has rhythm all the same," said the one who danced to a commercial jingle.”

A wry joke about finding merit, or at least a silver lining, in something lesser than what one truly wanted.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

El Paraguay es una isla rodeada de tierra.

“Paraguay is an island surrounded by land.”

Paraguay's landlocked geography and centuries of political isolation left it as cut off from the world as any island, despite having no coastline at all.

Augusto Roa Bastos

Source: Augusto Roa Bastos, widely cited phrase from his 1977 writings on Paraguayan identity

Ouvaívape ouvaípa.

“Misfortune piles onto the one who is already unlucky.”

Hard luck tends to compound itself — troubles rarely arrive alone for someone already struggling.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Siempre se agarran a trompadas, he'i elefante.

“"They're always throwing punches," said the elephant.”

A playful jab at how something can look like constant conflict from the outside, poking fun at appearances.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

No hay vueltas que dar, he'i muralla ári okeva'ekue.

“"There's no way around it," said the one who slept on top of the wall.”

When there is truly no alternative path, the only way forward is straight ahead — like someone perched on a wall who can only fall one way or the other.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Iñe'êngatuetéva ojavy heta.

“Whoever talks too much makes many mistakes.”

Excessive talking increases the chances of saying something wrong; restraint in speech avoids error.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Ijargélva opyta ha'eño.

“The quarrelsome person ends up alone.”

Those who are constantly disagreeable and difficult eventually drive everyone else away.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Ména celoso ha jagua ruguái koli ndahorykuaái.

“The jealous husband and the dog without a tail cannot show their joy.”

Jealousy blocks a person from ever openly showing happiness or trust, the way a tailless dog cannot wag its tail to show joy.

Traditional Paraguay Wisdom

Source: Traditional Paraguay proverb, public-domain oral tradition

The story of Paraguay

Long before Europeans arrived, the Guaraní people lived across the forests and grasslands of what is now Paraguay, and their language survives today as one of the country's two official tongues. Spanish colonists founded Asunción in 1537, and from the early 1600s Jesuit missionaries built a network of self-governing Guaraní "reductions" that thrived for over 150 years until the Jesuits were expelled in 1767. Paraguay broke from Spain in 1811 and, under the isolationist dictator José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, became one of the most closed states in the Americas. The catastrophic War of the Triple Alliance (1864-1870) against Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay devastated the population and economy, and the country later won the Chaco War against Bolivia (1932-1935). A long 20th-century dictatorship under Alfredo Stroessner (1954-1989) gave way to democracy after 1989. Today Paraguay is defined by its bilingual Guaraní-Spanish culture, the shared Itaipu hydroelectric dam, and a resilient national identity forged through hardship.

Timeline — key moments

1537
Asunción founded by Spanish explorer Juan de Salazar (15 August).
1609
Jesuit missionaries begin building self-governing Guaraní mission communities ("reductions").
1767
Jesuits expelled from Spanish America; the mission system collapses.
1811
Paraguay declares independence from Spain (14-15 May).
1814-1840
José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia rules as an isolationist dictator for life.
1864-1870
War of the Triple Alliance against Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay devastates the country.
1932-1935
Chaco War against Bolivia over the Gran Chaco region, won by Paraguay.
1954-1989
Alfredo Stroessner rules as dictator for 35 years, one of the longest in South America.
1989
Stroessner overthrown in a coup; transition toward democracy begins.
1992
A new democratic constitution is adopted.

Top 10 things to know about Paraguay

Paraguay is one of only two landlocked countries in South America (with Bolivia).
Guaraní and Spanish are both official languages, and most Paraguayans speak Guaraní daily.
The Itaipu Dam, shared with Brazil on the Paraná River, is one of the largest hydroelectric plants in the world.
The War of the Triple Alliance (1864-1870) was one of the deadliest conflicts in Latin American history.
17th-18th century Jesuit mission ruins in Paraguay are recognised as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The guaraní has been the name of the national currency since 1944.
Paraguay won the Chaco War against Bolivia (1932-1935) over the Gran Chaco region.
Ñandutí, a delicate spiderweb-pattern lace, is a signature Paraguayan handicraft.
Alfredo Stroessner's 1954-1989 rule was one of the longest dictatorships in South American history.
The harp is considered Paraguay's national instrument and anchors its folk music tradition.

Famous people from Paraguay

Augusto Roa BastosAuthor

Novelist

Author of "I, the Supreme" and "Son of Man"; won the Cervantes Prize in 1989.

Josefina PláAuthor

Writer & poet

Influential Paraguayan writer, playwright, and art critic across a decades-long career.

Agustín Barrios "Mangoré"

Classical guitarist & composer

One of the most celebrated guitar composers in history, blending Guaraní and classical influences.

José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia

Dictator (1814-1840)

Paraguay's first post-independence ruler; sealed the country off from the outside world.

Francisco Solano López

President & military leader

Led Paraguay through the devastating War of the Triple Alliance (1864-1870).

Say it in Paraguay's language

Hello / How are you

Mba'éichapa

mba-EY-cha-pa

Thank you

Aguyje

ah-GUY-jeh

Good morning

Mba'éichapa nde ko'ẽ

mba-EY-cha-pa ndeh koh-EH

Did you know?

★Guaraní is one of the few indigenous languages in the Americas spoken daily by a majority of a country's non-indigenous population.
★Paraguay is one of only two landlocked countries in all of South America.
★The War of the Triple Alliance left Paraguay's post-war population overwhelmingly female due to massive wartime losses among men.

Paraguay culture

Tereré, a cold infusion of yerba mate sipped from a shared guampa, is a daily social ritual, especially in the heat.
Ñandutí ("spiderweb") lace, traditionally made in the town of Itauguá, is a prized Paraguayan handicraft.
The harp and guitar are central to Paraguayan folk music, epitomised by composer Agustín Barrios Mangoré.
Sopa paraguaya, a moist cornbread despite its name meaning "soup," is a national specialty dish.

Why read Paraguay's books

Paraguay's literature carries the imprint of a bilingual Guaraní-Spanish identity and a history of isolation, war, and exile , nowhere more so than in the work of Augusto Roa Bastos. The shelves below open a window into that story.