Tunisia Proverbs (50)

الصبر مفتاح الفرج

“Patience is the key to relief.”

Enduring hardship with patience eventually leads to a way out.

اللي يحفر حفرة لخيه يقع فيها

“He who digs a pit for his brother falls into it himself.”

Plotting harm against others often backfires on the one who plots it.

يد وحدها ما تصفقش

“One hand alone does not clap.”

Cooperation is needed to accomplish what a single person cannot do alone.

كل كلب في داره سبع

“Every dog is a lion in his own home.”

People act bold and confident on their own familiar ground.

أعطي الخبز لخبازه ولو ياكل نصه

“Give the bread to its baker, even if he eats half of it.”

Trust a task to the person who truly knows the craft, even if it costs you something.

اللي فات مات

“What has passed is gone; do not dwell on it.”

Let go of the past instead of dwelling on what cannot be changed.

الجار قبل الدار

“The neighbor before the house.”

Choose your neighbors as carefully as you choose your home, for they matter just as much.

اسأل عن الرفيق قبل الطريق

“Ask about your companion before you ask about the road.”

Choosing the right companions matters more than choosing the right path.

العين ما تعلاش على الحاجب

“The eye can never rise above the eyebrow.”

Know your place and respect natural limits and hierarchy.

القرش الأبيض ينفع في اليوم الأسود

“Save white money for a black day.”

Set aside honest savings now, because they will be needed in hard times.

من جد وجد ومن زرع حصد

“He who strives finds, and he who sows reaps.”

Effort and hard work eventually bring their rewards.

درهم وقاية خير من قنطار علاج

“A dirham of prevention is worth a quintal of cure.”

Taking small precautions now saves great trouble later.

كثرة الطباخين تحرق الطبخة

“Too many cooks burn the dish.”

When too many people try to manage one task, the result suffers.

الوقت من ذهب

“Time is gold.”

Time is a precious resource that should never be wasted.

إذا كان الكلام من فضة فالسكوت من ذهب

“If speech is silver, silence is gold.”

Knowing when to stay quiet is often wiser than speaking.

اللي ما يعرفش الصقر يشويه

“He who does not recognize the falcon roasts it.”

Ignorance of something valuable can lead you to waste or destroy it.

اليد اللي ما تقدرش تعضها بوسها

“The hand you cannot bite, kiss it.”

When you cannot overcome someone stronger than you, it is wiser to make peace with them.

الصديق وقت الضيق

“A true friend shows himself in times of hardship.”

True friendship is revealed when someone stands by you during difficulty.

الجمل ما يشوفش حدبته

“The camel does not see its own hump.”

People often fail to notice their own faults while quick to see the faults of others.

ألف صديق قليل وعدو واحد كثير

“A thousand friends are too few, and one enemy is too many.”

Cultivate friendships widely, for even a single enemy can cause great harm.

ما في دخان بلا نار

“There is no smoke without fire.”

Rumors and signs usually point to some underlying truth.

عثرة القدم خير من عثرة اللسان

“A slip of the foot is better than a slip of the tongue.”

A physical mistake can be recovered from, but careless words can cause lasting harm.

اعمل الخير وارميه في البحر

“Do good and throw it into the sea.”

Do good deeds without expecting anything in return.

الماضي أشبه بالمستقبل من شبه الماء بالماء

“The past resembles the future more than one drop of water resembles another.”

History tends to repeat its patterns, since human nature and social forces recur across generations.

إذا الشعب يوما أراد الحياة فلا بد أن يستجيب القدر

“If, one day, the people wills to live, then destiny must surely respond.”

When a people truly commit themselves to demanding freedom and life, fate itself will bend to their will.

Aut inveniam viam aut faciam

“We will either find a way, or we will make one.”

When facing what appears to be an impossible obstacle, resolve to overcome it by whatever means necessary.

كان صاحبك عسل ما تلحسوش الكلّو

“If your friend is honey, do not lick him all up.”

Don't take excessive advantage even of a generous friend.

إلّي يْبات مْعَ الجّْران يِصْبح يْڤرْڤِرْ

“He who sleeps among the frogs wakes up croaking.”

Spending time with bad influences will make you pick up their habits.

هْرب مِن قطْرة جا تَحْت ميزاب

“He fled from a drop and ended up under the gutter.”

Trying to escape a small problem can land you in a much worse one.

العْزوزة هازِزْها الواد وهِيَ تْقول العام صابة

“The old woman is being swept away by the river, yet she calls it a fruitful year.”

Denying real danger while insisting that everything is fine.

خانْها ذْراعْها قالِت مسْحورة

“Her arm failed her, so she claimed she was bewitched.”

Blaming outside forces rather than admitting one's own limitations.

كي اتْطيح البڤْرة تُكْثُر سْكاكِنْها

“When the cow falls, the knives multiply.”

Hidden enemies reveal themselves once someone becomes vulnerable.

أعْمِل روحِك مهْبول تْعيش

“Play the fool and you will live.”

Feigning ignorance can be the safest way through a difficult situation.

يْمين البكّوش في صِدْرو

“The mute man's oath stays in his chest.”

A person who cannot speak still holds firm convictions inside; deeds matter more than words.

اسْمع الكْلام إلّي يْبكّيك وْ ما تِسْمعْش الكْلام إلّي يْضحّْكِكْ

“Listen to the words that make you cry, not the words that make you laugh.”

Take honest, hard advice seriously rather than empty flattery.

إسْإل مْجرِّب وْ ما تِسْإلْش طْبيب

“Ask someone experienced, not a doctor.”

Practical experience is often a more reliable guide than formal credentials.

دْخول الحمّام موش كي خْروجو

“Entering the bathhouse is not like leaving it.”

It is far easier to enter a commitment than to leave it.

إلّي خْلق ما يْضيّع

“The One who created you will not let you get lost.”

A statement of faith that a higher power provides guidance and protection.

إلّي عْطى كِلْمْتو عْطى رقْبْتو

“He who gave his word gave his neck.”

A promise is a binding, serious commitment that must be honored.

إذا نصْحِك التاجر راهو شْطر النّْصيحة ليه

“When a merchant gives you advice, half of it is for himself.”

Be wary of advice from someone who stands to profit from it.

طاح القْدر وْفات العيشة

“When respect falls, life is over.”

Once mutual respect is lost, a relationship cannot continue as before.

إضْحك لِلدِّنْيا تِضْحكْلِك

“Laugh at life, and it will laugh back at you.”

A positive attitude tends to bring good fortune in return.

حْبل الكِذْب قْصير وحْبل الصِّدْق طْويل

“The rope of a lie is short, the rope of truth is long.”

Lies unravel quickly, while truth endures over time.

ما يْحِس بِالجمْرة كان الّي يعْفِس عْليها

“Only the one who steps on the ember feels its burn.”

You can only truly understand someone else's suffering by experiencing it yourself.

حط الفلوس على فم الميت يضحك

“Put money on a dead man's mouth and he will laugh.”

Money's pull is imagined to be so strong it could move even the dead.

“A house without an old man or woman is like a farm without a storage pit.”

A household without the wisdom of its elders lacks something essential, just as a farm without a storage pit lacks a vital resource.

“The multitude is stronger than the king.”

The collective strength of ordinary people outweighs the power of any single ruler.

“Perseverance digs holes in marble stones.”

Persistent effort can wear down and overcome even the hardest obstacles.

“There is no blindness but the blindness of the heart.”

True blindness is a lack of compassion or understanding, not a lack of sight.

“A house with a good man is better than a house full of money.”

Strong character and integrity in a household matter more than material wealth.