Thai proverbs
Proverbs from all Thai speaking parts of the world.
- กระต่ายหมายจันทร์
- Transliteration: Kra-tie' mai jhun.
- Translation: A rabbit aims for the moon.
- English equivalent: Don't stretch your arms more than your sleeves can reach.
- Meaning: Don't aim at the impossibilities; get grounded.
- Winitchaikun (1987). Rattanakōsin. Bamrung Sān.
- กันไว้ดีกว่าแก้
- Transliteration: Gan wy dtee gwaa gae.
- Translation: Preventive measure is better than curative measure.
- English equivalent: An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
- Dāo tǣm din. Suwīriyāsān. 1994. p. 553.
- ความลับไม่มีในโลก
- Transliteration: Kwan lub mai mee nai loke.
- Translation: There are no secrets in the world.
- English equivalent: There is nothing hidden that will not become public.
- Meaning: There is no such thing as secret; try not to hide what can't be hidden.
- Thō̜ranin (2009). 12 ไม้เด็ดสูตรสําเร็จข้าราชการ. Inspire. p. 88.
- นานาจิตตัง
- Transliteration: Na na jit tung.
- Translation: All sorts of mind.
- English equivalent: There is no accounting for taste.
- Meaning: Everyone to his taste; up for grasp.
- ทําอย่างไรจะปราศจากโรคและชะลอความชรา. นานมีบุคส์พับลิเคชั่น. 2007. p. 38.
- เพื่อนกินหาง่าย เพื่อนตายหายาก
- Transliteration: Pheuuan gin haa ngaay pheuuan dtaay haa yaak.
- Translation: Friends for a meal are easy to find, friends until end of life are difficult to find.
- Meaning: It is easy to find good-weather friends in good times but hard to find real friends who stand by you in all situations of life.
- English equivalent: A friend in need is a friend indeed; A friend is known in adversity, like gold is known in fire.
- English equivalent: Remember man and keep in mind: A faithful friend is hard to find.
- พลอยแกมเพชร. Bō̜risat Sīsārā. 2009. p. 98.
- เสน่ห์ปลายจวักผัวรักจนตาย
- Transliteration: Saneh bplaay jawak phuaa rak john dtaay.
- Translation: A husband loves the charm of the ladles tip until dying.
- English version: The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
- Meaning: When a wife cooks well the husband will love her until the end of life.
- Wētchāchīwa (1991). ʻAnusō̜n ngān phrarātchathān phlœ̄ng sop Nāi SērīWētchāchīwa, Mō̜. Pō̜. Chō̜., Mō̜. Wō̜. Mō̜. na mēn nāphlapphlāʻItsariyāphō̜n, Wat Thēpsirintharāwāt, wan thī20 Mokkarākhom Phō̜. Sō̜. 2534. Wētchāchīwa Family. p. 58.