أمثال وتعبيرات الحيوانات باللغة العربية
Animal Proverbs and Expressions in Arabic

The Arabic language is rich with its vocabulary, but it is also rich with its proverbs and expressions. So,we present to you some proverbs that include animals, both in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Egyptian Arabic (ECA) and their equivalents in English.

Equivalent\ meaning	المَثَل	الحيوان
Like father, like son.	هَذا الشِّبْلُ مِن ذاكَ الأسَد MSA
Lit.: If you spot the canines of the lion fully, don’t think that the lion is smiling. Meaning: Don’t misread the situation.	إذا رأيتَ أنيابَ الليثِ بارزة، فلا تَظُننَّ أنَّ الليثَ يبتسمُ MSA
Lit.: Lion or Hyena? An expression used when you ask someone whether they succeeded in their endeavors or not.It’s like saying: “How did it go?”	سَبْع ولّا ضَبْع؟ ECA
-Every man thinks of his own geese swans. -Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.	القِرْد في عين أُمّه غَزال. ECA
Lit.: if you marry a monkey for its money, the money will go and the monkey will remain. Meaning: don’t marry for money.	يا واخْدة القِرد على مالُه، يروح المال ويفضل القِرد على حالُه. ECA
Obey orders, if you break owners.	اربُط الحمار مَطرح ما صاحبه عايز. ECA
Practice makes perfect.	التِّكْرار يِعَلِّم الحُمار. ECA
-Paddle your own canoe. -If you want something done well, do it yourself.	حُمارْتَك العارْجة تِغْنيك عن سؤال اللئيم. ECA
Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile.	سِكِتْنالُه دَخَل بحمارُه. ECA
Unwillingness easily finds an excuse.	الشَّاطْرة تِغْزِل برِجْل حمار. ECA
When we think something won’t happen or will happen but after a long time.	موت يا حمار. ECA
Speak of the devil…	جِبنا سيرة القُط، جِه ينُط. ECA
Lit.: like cats, they eat and deny what they ate. Meaning: how quickly we forget!	زَي القُطَط تاكُل وتِنْكِر. ECA
Has nine lives (like cats)	زَي القُطَط بِسَبَع تِرْواح. ECA
Lit.: The clouds are not affected by barking of dogs. Meaning: Progress cannot be stopped by the criticisms of scoundrels.	لا يُضُرُّ السَحابَ نباحُ الكلاب. MSA
Lit.: The jackals may howl but the caravan moves on. Meaning: Progress cannot be stopped by the criticisms of scoundrels.	الكِلابُ تَعْوي والقافلةُ تسير. MSA
A leopard doesn’t change its spots.	دِيل الكَلب عُمْرُه ما يتْعِدِل. ECA
Every dog is a tiger in his own street.	الكلب ما يتْشَطَّرْش إلا قُدّام باب بيتُه. ECA
A shut mouth catches no flies. Least said, soonest mended.	لِسانك حُصانك، إن صُنْتُه صانَك، وإن خُنْتُه خانك. ECA
Even Homer sometimes nods. Meaning: to have off days sometimes	لِكُلِّ جَوادٍ كَبْوة MSA
Go big or go home.	إن عشقت اعشق قَمر، وإن سرقت اسرق جمل. ECA
Let’s get everything out on the table.	آدي الجَمَل وآدي الجَمَّال. ECA
The straw that broke the camel’s back	القَشَّة التي قَصمَت ظَهِر البَعير. MSA
If a man once falls, all will tread upon him.	إنْ وَقَع العِجْل، تِكْتَر سكاكينُه. ECA
Charity begins at home.	جُحا أوْلَى بِلَحْم تورُه. ECA
Lit.: The lover’s onion is a sheep. Meaning: when someone is dear to you, any gift they offer you no matter how smal it is will mean a lot to you.	بَصَلِة المُحِبَ خَروف. ECA
-Birds of the same feather flock together. -Like attracts like.	الطُّيورُ على أشْكالِها تَقَع. MSA
-Hasty climbers have sudden falls. -The bigger they come, the harder they fall.	ما طارَ طَيرٌ وارتفع إلا كما طار وقع. MSA
It’s ill sitting at Rome and striving with the pope.	مش كُل طير يتَّاكِل لحمُه. ECA
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.	عُصْفُورٌ باليَدّ خيرٌ من عشرة على الشجرة. MSA
-There’s always a catch. -You don’t get something for nothing.	الحِدَّاية ما بِتْحَدِّفْش كَتاكيت. ECA
-The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. -Like father, like son.	اِبْنُ الوِزّ عَوَّام. ECA
-In love with his own reflection.	زي الطَّاووس يِتْعاجِب بريشُه. ECA
To rain on one’s parade. Meaning: when something bad happens to you when you’re happy.	يا فَرْحَة ما تَمِّت خَدها الغُراب وطار. ECA

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