Every language has proverbs. Some European proverbs are well-known even to native English speakers. Proverbs are thought-provoking and insightful and can sometimes give us that little extra motivation to push ourselves a bit more. Being a language born out of literary advancements and the culmination of thousands of years of experience, Telugu, too, has its share of great proverbs.
So today, let’s look at a few Telugu proverbs that I personally like. I’m sure they’ll make you think and help you immensely. Let’s see what they are.
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History And Evolution Of Telugu Proverbs
Before we start, here’s a little history. Many Telugu proverbs are rooted in ancient literature and culture of India and have been preserved for thousands of years, which is why many have contributed to their preservation. The first collection of Telugu proverbs was published in 1868, with a total of 653 pages. Christian Knowledge Society’s press, Mark William, and many others contributed to preserving the ancient texts by printing them.
Telugu Proverbs
Since sharing them all is impossible, I’ll share only seven in this blog post. Let’s start learning these Telugu proverbs translated into English.
1. Better To Regret In The Beginning Than At The End. – Anthya Nishturam Kanna Aadi Nishturame Melu (అంత్య నిష్ఠురం కన్నా ఆది నిష్ఠురమే మేలు)
This proverb is pretty close to the saying, “It’s better to regret what you have done than what you haven’t” in English. But you can interpret it in many ways. You can regret what you did or what you didn’t. But at the end of the day, it’s better to have done it now.
2. Brother Of Agasthya. – Agasthya Bratha (అగస్థ్య బ్రాత)
This will need some clarification. Agasthya was the name of a sage who was very well known in Ramayana, while his brother’s details are unknown. Both are comparable in every way, but he’s overshadowed by his brother’s fame, leading to being called Agasthya’s brother.
This proverb is used for those who are related to well-known personalities and are overshadowed by their fame, for better or worse.
3. If It’s In The Market, Perhaps Because Its Value Is Reduced. – Agguva Ayite Angatloki Vastundi (అగ్గువ అయితే అంగట్లోకి వస్తుంది)
This is a phrase people use when they warn others before they make a hasty decision to get something. After all, if something is easily available or happens to be available suddenly, its value is perceived to be low or has lost its value, so caution should be taken.
4. Too Much Obedience Is A Feature Of Evil. – Ati Vinayam Dhurta Lakshanam (అతి వినయం ధూర్త లక్షణం)
This is a beautiful Telugu proverb we all need to know. Better explained this way – when someone is too obedient, seems flawless in everything, and is always smiling, chances are they are anything but that. Because unless someone’s acting, it’s not possible to be good all the time.
This proverb is generally said as a snide remark to others to warn them of the impending danger.
5. A Hundred Good Deeds Are Equal To One Adulterous Deed. – Nooru Nomulu Oka Rankutho Sari (నూరు నోములు ఒక రంకుతో సరి)
You might have heard this: it takes a lifetime to build a reputation and one moment of folly to destroy it. This proverb is the equivalent one in Telugu, but meticulously tie it up with adultery because no matter how much love you show, one single adulterous deed is enough to kill the relationship.
6. Food Without A Feast Is Medicine. – Vindhuleni Kudu Mandhu (విందులేని కూడు మందు)
This is an insightful proverb that talks about food. I guess everyone will agree with me when I say that food is consumed in moderation; it is like medicine. Moderation is the key. Treating every day as a celebration and feasting like kings will lead to a number of issues later on, which is what this proverb emphasizes.
7. Madness Of Auction. – Velam Verri (వేలం వెర్రి)
Ever been to a local auction? Everyone’s talking, shouting, screaming, and it seems unruly. This phrase is used to describe such chaos and confusion. Here’s how it would be in a sentence. For example, “There’s auction madness all over the place.” – Akkada Anthaa Velam Verrilaa Undi. (అక్కడ అంతా వేలం వెర్రిలా ఉంది)
How Do You Say “Proverbs” In Telugu?
In Telugu, “proverbs” means Samethalu (సామెతలు) or Jaatiyalu (జాతీయాలు).
Vocabulary Related To Telugu Proverbs
Here’s a table with words related to Telugu proverbs and their meanings.
| English | Telugu | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Proverb | సామెత / జాతీయం | Sametha / Jatiyam |
| Insight | అంతరార్థం | Antarartham |
| Wisdom | జ్ఞానం | Gnanam |
| Lesson | పాఠం | Patham |
| Virtue | ధర్మం | Dharmam |
| Deeds | చేతలు | Chethalu |
| Humor | వినోదం | Vinodam |
| Righteous | నీతి | Neethi |
| Success | విజయం | Vijayam |
Frequently Asked Questions About Telugu Proverbs
1. How Are Idioms Different To Proverbs In Telugu?
When it comes to Telugu, there’s not much differentiation between Telugu idioms and proverbs. Both offer a play on words, with the goal of imparting a practical insight or lesson to the other.
2. Do People Still Use These Proverbs?
It’s not like before. Due to busy lives and anglicized living, most proverbs nowadays are limited to books. The majority don’t even know more than 20 proverbs nowadays.
3. What’s The Practical Use Of Proverbs?
Proverbs are an excellent way to preserve knowledge, lessons, and teachings by compacting and humorizing words. It’s not easy to remember the entire plot or meaning, but it’s easy when the same is communicated in less than 10 words while being funny.
Wrap Up
I hope you like the proverbs I’ve shared with you! If you want to read more, here’s a book with many Telugu proverbs. Don’t forget to check out the reference I’ve given since it has about 2700 proverbs in it. Try reading a few and tell me which one you liked the most in the comments. You can also read our blog post about funny phrases in Telugu; they are close to these proverbs, but as a bonus, they make you laugh!
So far, we learned seven proverbs and understood the history of Telugu proverbs, how they are preserved, and who preserved them. After all, Telugu proverbs are a valuable part of Telugu culture and language, offering insights into the minds and sentiments of the Telugu people.
So, if you liked this, take a look at the other articles on our Telugu blog! We update them regularly with amazing topics. Until next time!
