Are you interested in knowing about the most common Urdu proverbs that will definitely upgrade your Urdu speaking game? This blog will bless you with many Urdu proverbs, which will not only teach you about the colloquial talk in Urdu but also provide you with more vocabulary to flaunt your Urdu. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
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Common Urdu Proverbs List
In the Urdu culture, there is a saying for each situation that can advise adults and older individuals. These sum up the knowledge of wisdom gained overages. The proverbs in Urdu are known as کہاوت (kahawat). For Urdu grammar, it’s also important to browse idioms that will make you understand the context and implications of some words and phrases. Hence, there are countless Urdu idioms that you can discover. You can even learn the pronunciation of each Urdu proverb with the English translation.
Here are some!
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| Contextual Meaning | Literal Meaning | Urdu | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| It implies something like he has lost his mind. This proverb has an English equivalent i.e his wits are gone a wool-gathering. | His mind has gone to graze. | اسکی عقل چرنے کو گئی ہے | Iski aqal ghas charnay ko gai hai. |
| This proverb is used when an individual cannot attain something so they pretend like getting it will not do any benefit anyway and they did not need it in the first place. | Grapes are sour. | انگور کھٹے ہیں | angoor khatte hain |
| It means that if the ending is good enough then everything that has happened earlier (e.g emergencies be it good or bad) is good. | All is well that ends well | انتھ بھلا تو سب بھلا | ant bhala to sab bhala |
| It implies that a great cry is little wool. It is used when something looks splendid but when it is tested it does not yield much profit like a business. | Tall shop tasteless sweet | اونچی دوکان پھیکا پکوان | Oonchi dukan pheeka pakwan |
| It implies there is no use crying over spilled milk. In other words, this means that when there was time to work on something, the person wasted all the time and now that the time’s up, the person is regretting why they did not make enough effort which is useless. | Why regret now when birds ate the crop | اب پچھتائے کیا ہوت، جب چڑیاں چگ گئیں کھیت | ab pachtaye kya hoth, jab chirian chug gayin khait |
| It implies A fog cannot be dispelled by a fan. It is used to indicate that some things are irreplaceable and you cannot use the other thing to overcome the need of having the first thing. | Licking dewdrops won’t clench your thirst | اوس چاٹنے سے پیاس نہیں بجھتی | Aos chatne se pyas nei bhujti |
| It implies that something is too little for a very big thing. It is used when you see that a certain task requires too much effort whereas the topic at hand is of very less effort which might not suffice the entire task. | Cumin in camel’s mouth | اونٹ کے منہ میں زیرا | Onth ke moun mein zeera |
| It implies something that is completely opposite to the thing which one is talking about. آنکھ (aankh) refers to the eyes, اندھا (andha) means a blind person, نام (naam) is the word used for name and سکھ (sukh) means happiness. نین (nain) is just another word for eyes. It is the synonym of آنکھ (aankh). | Blind from eye named happiness | آنکھ کا اندھا نام نین سکھ | Ankh ka andha nam nain sukh |
| It is used for a hypocrite who blames the world for everything. If you are a good person then and only then can you blame society for being bad at something. | The world is good when you are good. | آپ بھلے تو جگ بھلا | Ap bhale to jhag bhala |
| It implies a choice given to someone in which both the scenarios are bad for him. He will have to choose whether he wants to jump into the water well or the abyss. | Water-well in the front abyss at the back | آگے کنواں پیچھے کھائی | Agey kunwa peche khai |
| It implies a person who is always talking about himself in front of others. It can be interpreted as self-centered or narcissistic. Someone who just won’t stop praising himself. | flattering oneself like a parrot | اپنے منہ میاں مٹھو | Apne moun mian mithu |
| It can be interpreted in two ways. One that there can always be only one boss as two bosses cannot run an office, there is always going to be tension between them. The same for a household where one person has to be in charge. The second interpretation is that you can only serve one master and be loyal to one person as it is not possible to serve two masters and do good for both of them. | Two swords can’t stay on the same ground. | ایک میان میں دو تلواریں نہیں سماتیں | Aik mian mein do talwarein nei samatin. |
| It implies it takes two to quarrel. The reference used here is a clap as it requires both hands to clap. You cannot clap by using one hand the same way as it requires the mistake of two to quarrel. It can be interpreted as there is always the mistake of both parties in a quarrel and no one is innocent and blameless. | One hand cannot clap | ایک ہاتھ سے تالی نہیں بجتی | Ek hath se tali nei bajti |
| It implies Casting pearls before swine. It is used to call a person uncultured when it comes to his taste. Someone who doesn’t have a good taste in something and still insists that someone else has bad taste. | What does a monkey know about how ginger tastes | بندر کیا جانے ادرک کا سواد | Bandar kya jane adrak ak sawad |
| It implies gathering thistles and expecting pickles. It means to gain something from a bad situation. An example of a thief is used and as he is running he picks up a waist cloth which is better than stealing nothing. There is always something you can gain from a bad situation. | A running thief’s loincloth | بھاگتے چور کی لنگوٹی هی سھی | Bhagte chor ki langoti si sahi |
| The reference indicates if you want something you have to make an effort in the right direction. Not knowing where to put your efforts is not going to get you anywhere. You will get the fruit of the tree you plant. You can’t plant a gum tree and expect mangoes at the end. | The Acacia Arabica tree would yield gum not mangoes. | بوئے پودے ببول کے آم کہاں سے ہوئے | Boye poday bubol ke aam kahan se hone |
| It implies someone who is stubborn and won’t listen. The example used is of a cow who doesn’t listen to music like a flute. It won’t give a reaction if you play the flute in front of it. | His mind has gone to graze. | بھینس کے آگے بین بجانا | Bhens key agay been bajana |
| To make use of a favorable situation while it lasts. Ganga (گنگا) refers to a stream. And the example given is washing hands in a flowing stream. As there will come a stream when there won’t be a stream to wash hands so use the opportunity while it lasts. | Washing hands in a running river. | بہتی گنگا میں ہاتھ دھونا | Behti ganga mein hath dhona |
| It implies cutting your coat according to your cloth. It refers to doing things according to your financial status. If you don’t have the money to buy something they don’t get it. And get something that you can afford. | Spread your feet according to your veil. | جتنی چادر ہو اتنا پیر پھیلاو | Jitni chadar ho utnay pair phelao. |
| It implies that more mouths will have more talks. It is used to describe people gossiping and telling lies. It can also mean people exaggerating what happened. There is also a message that you should focus on yourself and not what people say about you because people are always going to talk about whatever you do. | As many mouths as many talks. | جتنے منہ اتنی باتیں | Jitne muh utni baatain |
| To make someone feel worse about something or to do something that makes a situation worse. If a person has a wound you don’t put salt on it because it hurts more. It means to attack someone on something he or she already feels bad about and ruin their mood. | Rubbing salt on one’s wound. | جلے پر نمک چھڑکنا | Jalay per namak chirakna. |
| It implies Barking dogs seldom bite. It refers to someone who says a lot but doesn’t do anything. Basically, a person who is all talk no action. | Those who thunder don’t rain | جو گرجتے ہیں وہ برستے نہیں | Jo garajtay hain wo barastay nahi |
| It is a beautiful proverb that can be interpreted as if you really love something you will find a way. It can be used to describe something you want or maybe someone trying to get a person. Lovers will always find a way to meet. | Where there is desire there is a way | جہاں چاہ وہاں رہ | Jahan chaah wahan raah |
| It implies In Rome do as the Romans do. It is used when you are doing something you wouldn’t normally do but you have to because of the situation around you. | The kind of country, the kind of outlook | جیسا دیس ویسا بھیس | Jesa dais wesa bhais |
| It implies as the King so are the subjects. It is used for people who always blame the government and the system for everything when they themselves are a part of the problem. | The kind of king, the kind of people | جیسا راجا ویسی پرجا | Jesa raja wesi prja |
How Do You Say Proverbs In Urdu?
The Urdu word for Proverbs or sayings is کہاوت kahawat. Another common phrase used to refer to Proverbs in Urdu is ضرب المثل zarbulmasl. The plural form of the latter Urdu phrase is ضرب الأمثال zarb alamsal.
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Urdu Proverbs
What Is The Most Famous Urdu Proverb?
There are many proverbs that Urdu people take into heart. But one of the most famous and even quoted Urdu proverbs is جسے ہللا رکھے اُسے کون چکھے Jisay Allah Rakhay usay kon Chakhay. In English, If Allah wills it, no one can harm it.
What Is The Hindi Of Proverbs?
The Hindi word for Proverbs is कहावत (kahawatain) or लोकोक्तियाँ (lokoktiyan). You can see that the pronunciation of the former Hindi word is the same as the Urdu word Kahawat. It is because the Urdu language is greatly influenced by Hindi, or to say Sanskrit, which is a Hindi dialect. We can safely say that most of the Urdu words are derived from the Hindi language.
What Script Is Used In Urdu?
The Urdu language follows the Perso-Arabic script, which is the Nastaliq writing style. So, the Urdu script is written from right to left. Or you can say it is written opposite to English, which is from left to right. For instance:
یہ میری کتاب ہے۔
This is my book.
Yeh meri kitab hai.
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