The Personal Website of Mark W. Dawson

Yiddish Proverbs

Yiddish Proverbs are famous for their wit and wisdom. Yiddish is known as being its own rich linguistic culture. Born out of Hebrew and German, Yiddish has many unique words and phrases that are used to give humor, sarcasm, and joy in the moment as needed. Here is a look at some of my favorite Yiddish Proverbs. And for those that are wondering. I am not Yiddish; I am a Pasty Protestant.

“A big crowd, but not a human being in sight.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A bird is known by his feathers.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A chip on the shoulder indicates wood higher up.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A clock that stands still is better than one that goes wrong.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A dead man is mourned seven days; a fool, his whole lifetime.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A dog without teeth will also attack a bone.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A fault-finder complains even that the bride is too pretty.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A fool is his own informer.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A fool says what he knows, and a wise man knows what he says.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A fool who can keep silent is counted among the wise.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A fool will jump into the bath and forget to wash his face.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A friend you get for nothing; an enemy must be earned.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A good cry lightens the heart.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A good enemy is better than a bad friend.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A good friend is often better than a brother.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A good name is better than a precious stone.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A half-truth is a whole lie.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A heavy purse makes a light heart.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A jest is half a truth.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A joke driven too far brings home hate.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A lie can take you far away—but with no hope of return.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A lion doesn’t fear a fly.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A man cannot jump over his own shadow.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A man is not honest simply because he never had a chance to steal.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A man is not old until his regrets take the place of his dreams.
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A man should go on living — if only to satisfy his curiosity.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A man’s worst enemies can’t wish on him that which he can think up himself.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A meowing cat catches no mice.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A penny is a lot of money–if you haven’t got a penny.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A penny saved is a penny earned, but sometimes a penny is better spent than saved.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A person can study for seventy years and at the end die a fool.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A quarrel is like an itch; the more you scratch, the more it itches.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A quiet fool is half a sage.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A rich man who is stingy is the worst pauper.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A rich man’s foolish sayings often pass for wise ones.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A trick is clever only once.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A wise man hears one word and understands two.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“A wise man knows what he says, a fool says what he knows.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“All dumb people have a lot to say.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“All of us are crazy in one way or another.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“An empty barrel makes a lot of noise.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“An example is no proof.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“An unkept promise leads to a bad life.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Anger is a thorn in the heart.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Ask advice from everyone, but act with your own mind.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Ask and you won’t get lost.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Attractiveness is better than beauty.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Before you say a word, you’re a master; afterwards, you’re a fool.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Being miserly does not make a man richer.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Being too nice can cost a lot.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Better a noble death than a wretched life.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Better a slap from a wise man than a kiss from a fool.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Better a steady dime than a rare dollar.
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Better ask ten times than go astray once.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Better to die upright than to live on your knees.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Beware of still water, a still dog, and a still enemy.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Charity excuseth not cheating.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Confidence is half of victory.
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Curse the young and they will wither.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Do good and ask not for whom.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Do not avenge yourself of fleas by burning up your bed.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Don’t approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back or a fool from any side.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Don’t bargain with God.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Don’t be scared when you have no other choice.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Don’t be too sweet lest you be eaten up; don’t be too bitter lest you be spewed out.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Don’t throw away the old bucket until you know whether the new one holds water.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Drive the horse with oats, not with curses and oaths.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Envy breeds hate.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Even for bad luck you need luck.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Every answer can result in a new question.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Every man knows that he must die, but no one believes it.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Every seller praises his wares.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Every worm has its hole.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Everyone is kneaded out of the same dough but not baked in the same oven.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Experience is what we call the accumulation of our mistakes.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Fear is worse than the ordeal itself.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Flattery makes friends and truth makes enemies.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Friends are needed both for joy and for sorrow.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“From success to failure is one step; from failure to success is a long road.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“God gave burdens, also shoulders.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Golden dreams make men wake hungry.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Happy is they who conducts themselves honorably.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“He that cannot obey cannot command.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“He that lies on the ground cannot fall.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“He who is aware of his folly is wise.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“He who is not good for himself is no good for others.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“He who puts up with insult invites injury.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“He who stands by his point of view, must be ready to suffer hunger.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“He who talks a lot, talks about himself the most.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Health comes before making a livelihood.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Hell is not as bad as the road that leads to it.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Hell shared with a sage is better than paradise with a fool.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Hire staff but do it yourself.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Hope for miracles, but don’t rely on one.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Hope may give a man strength, but not sense.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“How many will listen to the truth when you tell them?”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If a link is broken, the whole chain breaks.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If a man be great, even his dog will wear a proud look.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If each one sweeps before his own door, the whole street is clean.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If everyone were allowed to take from the world all her heart desired, there would be nothing left.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If fortune calls, offer him a seat.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If I am like others, who will be like me?”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If it goes, it goes, don’t force it.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If it must always be better, it can never be good enough.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If one has nothing to answer, it is best to shut up.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If someone throws stones at you, throw back bread.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If the head doesn’t work it’s bad news for the legs.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If the pupil is smart, the teacher gets the credit.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If you can – do!”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If you can’t bite, better not show your teeth.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If you can’t endure the bad, you won’t live to witness the good.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If you don’t toil, you won’t eat.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If you don’t want to do something, one excuse is as good as another.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If you ever need a helping hand you’ll find one at the end of your arm.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If you have nothing to lose, you can try anything.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If you keep on talking, you will end up saying what you didn’t intend to say.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If you lose your self-respect, you also lose the respect of others.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If you put in, you can take out.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If you start thinking of death, you are no longer sure of life.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to swear.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If you want to give God a good laugh, tell Him your plans.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If you want your dreams to come true, don't sleep.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If your friend becomes your enemy, he will be your enemy for life.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“If your healthy, your wealthy.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“In life, each of us must sometimes play the fool.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“In the mirror everybody sees his best friend.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“It is better to be ten times ill than one time dead.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“It is better to have an ounce of luck than a pound of gold.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“It is far easier to spot faults in another than virtues in oneself.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“It’s astonishing how important a man becomes when he dies.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“It’s easier to be a critic than an author.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“It’s not so terrible when you lose money, but when courage is lost, all is lost.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Laugh and everyone sees it, cry and no one sees it.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Laughter can be heard further than weeping.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Life is the biggest bargain — we get it for nothing.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Look down if you would know how high you stand.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Lost years are worse than lost dollars.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Make new friends, but don’t forget the old ones.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Make no more haste than good speed.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Man plans, God laughs.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Many complain of their looks, but none of their brains.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“No blessing is bestowed on a secret.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“No choice is also a choice.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“No man suffers from another’s sins— he has enough of his own.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Nothing is too difficult. You only need to know how.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Nothing tastes more bitter than the truth.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“One hand washes the other.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“One lie is a lie, two lies are lies, but three is politics!”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“One old friend is better than two new ones.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“One rotten apple spoils the other.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“One should not send a cat to deliver cream.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“One who wants to know is better than one who already knows.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Parents can give love but not common sense.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“People always sing the tune that pleases their benefactor.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Perfection anywhere is very rare.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Protest long enough that you are right, and you will be wrong.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Provide for the worst; the best can take care of itself.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Rejoice not at your enemy’s fall, but don’t pick him up, either.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Seek advice but use your own common sense.
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Silence is also speech.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Silence is the fence around wisdom.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Stupid solutions that succeed are still stupid solutions.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Surrounding yourself with dwarfs does not make you a giant.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Talking comes by nature, silence by wisdom.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“The body is a sponge, the soul an abyss.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“The most certain thing in life is death.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“The pen wounds deeper than an arrow.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“The truly rich are those who enjoy what they have.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“The truth is not always what we want to hear.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“The way you prepare the bed, so shall you sleep.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“The whole world is a dream, and death the interpreter.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“The wise man, even when he holds his tongue, says more than the fool when he speaks.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“The worst libel is the truth.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Time and words can’t be recalled, even if it was only yesterday.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“To assume is to be deceived.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“To every answer you can find a new question.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Too humble is half proud.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Treat me like a rabbi; watch me like a thief.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Truth is the safest lie.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Understanding is something we’re sure the other fellow hasn’t got.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Walk straight and you will not fall.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“We have far greater compassion for another’s misfortune than our pleasure in another’s good fortune.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Weeping makes the heart grow lighter.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“What a fool can spoil, ten wise men cannot repair.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“What use is wisdom when folly reigns?”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“What value is a needle without an eye?”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“What will be, will be.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t invent with your tongue.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“What you save is, later, like something found.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“When a thief kisses you, count your teeth.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“When both parties are right, it’s a bad day for ‘right.’”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“When brains are needed, brawn won’t help.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“When God wants people to suffer, he sends them too much understanding.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“When God wants to break a man’s heart, he gives him a lot of sense.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“When one lives, one experiences.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“When one must, one can.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“When the light is crooked, the shadow is crooked.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“When you look to the heights, hold on to your hat.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“With money in his pocket, a fool thinks he is handsome, and wise, and sings beautifully.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“With time, even a bear can learn to dance.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“Words should be weighed, not counted.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“You are ushered in according to your dress; shown out according to your brains.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“You can wash your body but not your soul.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

“You do not fall because you are weak, you fall because you think you are strong.”
 – Yiddish Proverb

A more comprehensive list of Yiddish Proverbs may be viewed at The Spiritual Life website.