Paraguay Proverbs (20)

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.

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.

Japu ha monda oñopariénte.

“Lying and stealing are relatives.”

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ijargélva opyta ha'eño.

“The quarrelsome person ends up alone.”

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

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.