🇬🇧 MY FAVOURITE RUSSIAN SAYINGS 🇷🇺
Hello ladies and gentlemen! It's actually a hobby of mine to collect proverbs and the like. Russian not only has a zillion sayings, but almost every single one has a rude version 😁 Here are my favourite Russian gems (and please correct me if I'm wrong on my understanding of usage):
✅ Зачем козе баян? - Why would a goat need an accordion?
👉🏻 I guess this means that smth serves no purpose/what's the point? And I'm struggling to find an English equivalent so I'll introduce this directly into English 😆
✅ Нет дыма без огня. - There's no smoke without a fire (English version)
👉🏻 Love this one. When some teachers use to give me a hard-done-by story why they were fired for 'no reason,' I always wanted to say: there's no smoke without fire. So, those teachers must have done smth...
✅ Не путай божий дар с яичницей. - Don't confuse a gift from god with an omelet.
👉🏻 Why an omelet? 😆 Does this mean something like: don't compare quality with mediocrity? I might need your help to explain the contexts to use this one in... I love the wording of this Russian saying but I want to be sure how to use it) I think the standard English would be: It's like comparing apples and oranges.
✅Яйца курицу не учат. - Eggs don't teach the hens.
👉🏻 In English: Don't teach your grandmother how to suck eggs. One day I'll study the etymology of this weird saying and why our grandmothers in particular would be sucking eggs. Mind you, I do know one of the interesting Russian variations of this where you're not supposed to teach your day how to do a 'certain particular something.' 😁
✅Не учи учёного. Don't teach the professor.
👉🏻 I guess this in an offshoot from the previous one: Like having someone inexperienced lecturing a specialist in his field. I will introduce this one into English)
✅В чужом глазу соринку видит, а в своём бревна не замечает. He sees the splinter in someone else's eye, but doesn't feel the log in his own.
👉🏻 Genius Russian saying about hypocrisy. In fact I have introduced this direct translation into English (when talking to friends and family) as it has so much substance. We have: that's calling the kettle/pot black, but the Russian one is so much better IMO.
✅ В чужой монастырь со своим уставом не ходят. Don't bring your charter to someone else's monastery.
👉🏻 When in Rome... of course. An old classic 😎 I like the Russian choice of words here
ANNNNND MY FAVOURITE RUSSIAN SAYING
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
✅Прилип как банный лист (на попу). Stuck like a banya leaf (on my bum).
🤣🤣🤣👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Genius, dear Russians, absolute genius! It's awesome because it's True. After whacking yourself with that plant, it's irritating peeling off the leaves yet you still somehow find some in your pants the following day. I can't think of an English variation with such awesomeness)
Do you have any favourite sayings in English? Share them below 😃
