55 Useful Arabic Proverbs (Multiple Dialects + Translations)

Proverbs are very important in Semitic (and indeed many) cultures.

They function as timeless educational idioms, and are applicable to the most frequent and universal human situations.

It’s safe to say that most, if not all, Arabic proverbs are context-based, which means that you get to learn a proverb as well as its historical or cultural origin. Arabic proverb origins can be Islamic, pre-Islamic, Greek, or just folklore.

Today I’ll share with you some of the most popular Arabic proverbs.

I’ve also added some Tunisian, Egyptian, Levantine and Moroccan proverbs so that you can use them in contexts that are more specific.

Since most proverbs are essentially universal, I did my best to find matching English equivalents. The meaning may or may not match perfectly, but the idea behind it remains the same.

Arabic proverbs by dialect with accompanying English translations and context

Classical/Modern Standard Arabic proverbs

English equivalent: Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

- Benjamin Franklin.

---

English equivalent: Tomorrow will take care of itself.

Context: The classical Arabic poet, Emru al Kais, was the son of the last Kindite kings. After he had been disowned by his father as a child, he spent his life writing poetry and hunting. One night, while he was drinking with his friends, news of his father’s death reached him. His reaction was: “he deserted me when I was a child, and I’m not going to carry the burden of his death.” He didn’t have time to mourn the death of his father that night. So, he drank even more, and believed that the following day would take care of itself.

---

English equivalent: Things don’t always go as they’re planned.

Context: This proverb is part one of Al Mutanabbi’s most popular line: “Man does not attain all what his heart desires winds do not blow as the vessels wish.”

---

English equivalent: Live life to its fullest; Tempus fugit, utere.

---

English equivalent: You should be worried if a level-headed person gets angry.

Context: Calm and collected people are difficult to irritate, so, once it happens, you should be careful!

---

English equivalent: If you stay calm, you are wise, but if you have a hot temper, you only show how stupid you are.

- Proverbs 14:29-35

Context: “The wisest people are the isolated, and the best answer will come from the person who is not angry.” (Abu Hatem)

---

English equivalent: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

- Matthew 7:7

---

English equivalent: Necessity is the mother of invention.

---

English equivalent: All is well that ends well.

---

English equivalent: Strike while the iron is hot.

---

English equivalent: Make hay while the sun shines.

---

English equivalent: What is bred in the bone cannot come out of the flesh.

---

English equivalent: Birds of a feather flock together.

---

English equivalent: Cleanliness is next to godliness.

Context: Cleanliness comes from faith; dirt comes from the Devil.

---

English equivalent: A hungry stomach has no ears.

---

English equivalent: One man’s meat is another man’s poison.

---

English equivalent: No pain, no gain.

---

English equivalent: Grasp all, lose all.

---

English equivalent: As you sow so shall you reap.

---

English equivalent: “Angry people are not always wise.”

- Jane Austen

---

English equivalent: Unity is strength.

---

English equivalent: Never trust on unknown hands, you will never know how they stand by you and back stab with their brains.

Context: Al Mutanabbi.

---

English equivalent: Less is more.

Context: This proverb is a paraphrase of the Quranic Arabic verse: And when We bestow favor upon man he turns away and distances himself; but when evil touches him then he is full of extensive supplication. (Surah Fussilat 41:51)

---

English equivalent: A friend in need is a friend indeed.

---

English equivalent: A bad neighbor is a misfortune, as much as a good one is a great blessing.

---

English equivalent: If you humble yourself too much, you will get trampled on.

---

English equivalent: Better to have an enemy who slaps you in the face than a friend who stabs you in the back.

---

English equivalent: Oddly, the English equivalent is actually the opposite meaning: never judge a book by its cover.

---

English equivalent: A word to a wise man is enough.

---

English equivalent: He laughs best who laughs last.

---

English equivalent: *I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being really good all the time. That would be hypocrisy.

- Oscar Wilde

---

English equivalent: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

- Proverbs 3:5

Context: “O Messenger of Allah! Shall I tie it and rely(upon Allah), or leave it loose and rely (upon Allah)?”

He said: “Tie it and rely (upon Allah).” (Anas bin Malik)

---

English equivalent: Keep no secrets of thyself from thyself.

---

English equivalent: Easy come, easy go.

Context: This proverb is part of a longer one: “What comes quickly goes quickly, and what is memorized quickly, is forgotten quickly.”

---

English equivalent: Much ado about nothing.

- William Shakespeare

---

English equivalent: Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to know your worth.

---

English equivalent: But remember that good intentions pave many roads. Not all of them lead to hell.

- Neal Shusterman.

🇹🇳 Tunisian Arabic proverbs

English equivalent: A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was.

- Joseph Hall

---

English equivalent: It is better to be alone than in bad company.

---

English equivalent: You can get over a million dollars worth of life insurance in case you die, but only eight to ten bucks and hour to live.

- Stanley Victor Paskavich.

---

English equivalent: I was shattered glass but you weren’t a repairman.

---

English equivalent: Some people just don’t get that I’ll rather talk to a wall than them.

- Francine Chiar

🇪🇬 Egyptian Arabic proverbs

English equivalent: Don’t take for granted the kindness of a friend.

---

English equivalent: Every dog has its day.

---

English equivalent: Once bitten, twice shy.

---

English equivalent: Beauty’s in the eye of the beholder.

---

English equivalent: Someone who can’t appreciate good things can’t see quality.

🇲🇦 Moroccan Arabic proverbs

English equivalent: Paranoia plays into all of us. Trust is a terrifying idea of not knowing who we can rely on.

- Eric Christian Olsen

---

English equivalent: Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.

- Albert Einstein

---

English equivalent: A constant guest is never welcome.

🇯🇴 Levantine Arabic proverbs

English equivalent: If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned.

---

English equivalent: Blood is thicker than water.

Context: Family relationships are the most important and strongest bonds.

---

English equivalent: A small effort can go a long way.

Context: The most seemingly insignificant things can make a huge difference.

---

English equivalent: Keep moving forward.

Context: It’s always better to keep pressing on than to sit around waiting for things to happen.

---

English equivalent: Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.

Arabic proverbs are vital to achieving high-level fluency

If you’re learning Arabic at a higher level, knowing how to use proverbs correctly in context will make you sound a lot more fluent.

Plus it’s just a great way to impress native Arabic speakers.

If you’re looking to take this further, there are some excellent books from AUC Press on proverbs, idioms and slang:

• A Dictionary of Idiomatic Expressions in Written Arabic - Mahmoud Sami Moussa
• ‘Arabi Liblib’ - 2: Proverbs - Kamal Al Ekhnawy, Jamal Ali (see review)
• Umm al-Dunya: Advanced Egyptian Colloquial Arabic - Abbas Al-Tonsi, Heba Salem, Nevenka Korica Sullivan

In addition, visit TalkInArabic.com for an extensive, multi-dialect Arabic resource, or see this list of Arabic courses.

---

Do you know any interesting Arabic proverbs that I missed?

Share them below.

🎓 Cite article