Armenian proverbs and sayings: about love, hospitality and the eternal

In all cultures, including the Armenian, proverbs are angry, sad, laugh, frighten, warn - in a word, they reflect the entire wide palette of feelings that exists among the people - the main inventor of proverbs.

In scientific language, sayings are called proverbs; they exist in any national language and have been passed on from old to young generations for thousands of years.

The rich culture of Armenia has a gigantic heritage of proverbs, sayings and quotes that reflect the philosophy of this people. Catchphrases have been used for centuries and teach important life lessons. This article contains proverbs and sayings of Armenians on various topics. Replenish your knowledge base and become wiser.

Contents

1. Worldly wisdom
2. Proverbs about hospitality
3. Proverbs about love from Armenia
4. Sayings about food
5. Twin Sayings
6. Even more wise phrases

Worldly wisdom

“Knock on seven doors so that one opens” (Թակել յոթ դուռ, մինչեվ մեկը կբացվի) - [takel yot dur, minchev meke kbatsvi]

“What is not born does not die” - [vore chi tsnvel, ain chi maanum]

“If you chase two hares, you won’t catch either one” etevitz enknes, voch makin el ches brni]

“Know more, talk less” (Շատ ես իմանում – քիչ խոսա) – [shat es imanum – kich hosa]

"Write about what you know"

Knows more, not the one who lived longer, but the one who walked further է քայլում) - [avelin chgiti na, ov amenaerkarn e April, ail na, ov erkar e kailel]

“Don’t be afraid to give, don’t be ashamed to take!” (Տուր – մի վախենա, վերցրու – մի ամաչի) – [tur – mi vakhena, vertsru – mi amachi]

“From every beard there is a hair for the beardless” (Յուրաքանչյուր մորուքից մազ – անմորուքին մորուք) – [yurakanchur morukits maz – anmorukin moruk]

“You can’t make white out of black” (Սեվը սպիտակ չի դառնա) - [seva spitak chi darna]

“An angry person grows old early” (Զայրացած մարդը – շուտ է ծերանում) - [jhaynatsats marde shut e tseranum]

“Whatever you rub, you’ll get enough of” (Ում հետ շփվես այդպիսին կլինես) - [um et shpves aidsin klines]

“A bird is recognized in flight, and a man is recognized in his work” trichkov en chanachum, isk mardun - ashkhatankum]

Image: Gas-kvas.com

Proverbs about hospitality

“Guests are welcomed twice: when they come and when they leave” երբ նրանք հեռանում են) - [yurerin erku ankam en urakh - erb nrants zhamanum en, ev erb nrank eranum en]

“He is not a man who does not receive guests; and the guest is not a person if he does not say goodbye on time" ե ժամանակին չի բաժանվում) - [na che mard, ov chi endunum yurerin, isk yure mard chi, ete zhamanakin chi bazhanvum ]

“They gave a penny to start talking, but now you can’t keep them quiet even with two” (Դրամ տվեցին որ խոսի, իսկ հիմա երկու դրամով չի լռում) - [dram tvetsir vor hosa, isk ima erku dram chi lrum]

“Do not enter into a conversation with a person who is proud, mad and drunk” mtek erkhosutsyun epart, anmit, arpetsoh mardu et]

Proverbs about love from Armenia

“The more modest a girl is, the more expensive she is” (Համեստ աղջիկը ավելի թանկ է) - [amest akhchike aveli tank e]

“The bell rings sweeter from afar” (Զանգը հեռվից է քաղցր հնչում) - [zange ervits e kakhtsr enchum]

“A thrown stone does not come back” (Լքված քարը հետ չի վերադառնում) - [lkvats kare et chi veradarnum]

“It is better to give your daughter to a local shepherd than to a foreign king” րին) - [aveli lav e tal akhchkan tehatsi ovivin, kan otar takavorin]

“You can’t trust a lamb with a wolf” (Գառը գայլին չեն վստահի) - [gare gailin than get up]

“Flee from that water that does not make noise or gurgle” (Փախիր այն ջրից, որն ոչ խշշում է ոչ աղմկում) - [pokhir ayn jrin, vorn voch khshshum e voch ahmkum ]

“The wife is the inner walls of the house, and the husband is the outer walls” (Տան ներսի պատը - կինն է, դրսինը - ամուսինը) - [tan nersi pate - kinn e, drsine - amusine]

“A wound inflicted by a sword will heal, but by a tongue will not” շ) - [trov assrats verke jester klavana, isk blades assratsn - voch]

“A daughter with a stranger will lose honor in the family.” et amusnatsokh akhchike, azgin pativ chi beri]

The mother praises the girl - leave her, run. The neighbor praises - grab it, run." ւմ - վերցրու փախի) - [erb akhchika mayrn e govabanum - toh pakhi. Arevann e govabanum - vertsru pakhi]

Another 55 useful and beautiful Armenian words and phrases, including those about love (for example, “I’ll eat your liver”), were placed in separate article.

Image: Pinterest.com

Sayings about food

“There is meat in the field and the beetle”

“No one butters someone else’s bread” (Ոչ ոք ուրիշի հացին կարագ չի քսում) - [voch wok urishi atsin karak chi ksum]

“The stomach is full, but the eyes are not yet” (Ստամոքսը լիքն է, իսկ աչքերը – կույր) - [stamokse likn e, isk achkere kuir]

“What you crumble into your bowl, you will find in your spoon” (Այն ինչ ափսեիդ մեջ լցնես կգտնես գդալիդ մեջ) - [ain inch apseid mech ltsnes kgt nes gdalid mach]

“You can’t make pilaf from words, you need rice and butter” (Խոսքերից փլավ չես եփի, յուղ ու բրինձ է պետք) - [hoskerits plav ches epi, yuh u brindz e petk]

Image: Pinterest.com

Twin Sayings

The friendship between Russia and Armenia goes back many centuries, which is why the wisdom of the two peoples constantly circulated between the countries and enriched people on both sides of the border. It is therefore not surprising that some proverbs look very similar. Only the details of the local color differ.

• “You can’t cook pilaf from words, you need rice and oil”
• “You can’t cook cabbage soup from conversations, you need cabbage and meat.”

• “The tongue will bring you to Jerusalem”
• “Language will bring you to Kyiv”

• “One mouse will defile seven crucians”
• "One black sheep will spoil the whole flock"

• “Make sure that neither the barbecue nor the skewer burns”
• “The wolves would be well fed and the sheep would be safe”

• "Don't die, donkey, spring will come, the grass will turn green"
• “Be patient, Cossack, you will be an ataman”

• “In every country, cover your head with a national hat.”
• "Do not go into someone else's monastery with your charter"

• “He sews shoes for strangers, but he walks barefoot”
• "Shoemaker without shoes"

• “He doesn’t take care of his own tree, but waters someone else’s”
• “He sees a mote in someone else’s eye, he doesn’t notice a log in his own”

• “I won’t eat it myself and I won’t give it to others, it’s better to let it rot in the closet.”
• “Neither for yourself nor for people”

• “If you lie under a tree, a pear will not fall into your mouth.”
• “You can’t catch a fish out of a pond without effort”

• "How does a donkey know what an almond is?"
• "Don't throw pearls before swine"

•  “When a fool speaks, a wise man is silent”
• "Contact a fool, you yourself will be a fool"

Image: Pinterest.com

Even more wise phrases

Accurate, concise and wise statements always arouse interest. And not only among the townsfolk, but also among pundits. Soviet translator G.O. Karapetyan devoted a significant part of his life to the study of Armenian folklore and sayings. In 1964, his book “Armenian Proverbs and Sayings” saw the light of day. Hundreds of smart and deep phrases and quotes are collected on almost 300 pages. So, if our list is suddenly not enough for you, refer to this scientific work.

The collection also presents entertaining stories about the Artsakh joker Pulu-Pugi, fairy tales, riddles and anecdotes.

*Attention! Some texts are marked "18+" and are intended for adult readers.

A censored anecdote from the book: “One peasant from Armenia had two wives. For this he was taken to court.

Judge: "What made you commit such a crime?"

Peasant: “I don't consider it a crime. I have one wife. After all, everyone has long known that a wife is half a man. So I wanted to have a whole wife, so I took two halves.

PS

If you want to learn to speak not only with Armenian proverbs, then you here. A teacher from Yerevan has compiled a powerful phrase guide for a newbie relocant. And come to the express courses of the Armenian language from Move2Armenia Culture.