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Proverbs in Hindi Posted by on Mar 1, 2011 in Hindi Language

Let me show you today some of the common proverbs that we use quite often in our daily conversations.

Please have a look on how to use these proverbs by the following example sentences. Also, take a note that the proverb seems to repeat as a next sentences after each example sentence in Hindi. It simply means that the said condition is almost the same as the proverb meaning (you have to say the proverb after your sentence. You can simply say the proverb or make a sentence for it. I have given examples from both). Translations are not given for these sentences.

1. आम के आम गुडलियों के दाम (Aam ke aam gudhaliyon ke dam) – Double benefit
श्याम को कंपनी की तरफ से पड़ने का मोक्का मिला. पढाई और साथ में कार्य अनुभव भी, यह तो बढ़िया है. यह तो आम के आम गुडलियों के दाम.
Shyam’s company has offered him the study expenses for his further studies. Study along with work experience is good

2. उल्टा चोर कोतवाल को डांटे (Ulta chor kotwal ko dante) – the guilty scolding the innocent
गलती स्वयं करने के बाद आप मुझे ही डांट रहे हो? यह तो उल्टा चोर कोतवाल को डांटे वाली बात हुई.
After making the mistake yourself now you are scolding me?

3. कहीं धूप कही छाया (Kahi dhup kahi chaya) – strange variation
दुनिया में कोई तो बहुत धनी है तो कोई बहुत गरीब. कही धूप और कही छाया.
In world, some people are very rich and some are very poor.

4. ऊंट के मुँह में जीरा (Undh ke munh mein jeera) – insufficient as per the size
आप राम जेसे पलवान को सिर्फ एक लीटर दूध दे रहे हो?! वाह, यह तो ऊंट के मुँह में जीरे जैसा हुआ.
You are giving only a liter of milk to Ram, who is body builder?!

5. ऊँची दुकान फीका पकवान (Unchi dukan phika pakwan) – only superficial good
लोकेश की मिठाई की दुकान का बहुत नाम सुना है मगर उसकी मिठाई में कोई विशेष स्वाद नहीं. यह तो वही बात हुई की ऊँची दुकान और फीका पकवान.
Lokesh’s sweet shop is very famous but the sweets doesn’t taste so special.

6. एक ही थाली के चट्टे-बट्टे (ek hi thali ke chatte batte) – belonging to same group/attributes
सभी दलों के नेता एक ही थाली के चट्टे-बट्टे हैं.
Leaders of all parties belong to the same group/ are the same.

7. एक अनार और सौ बीमार (ek anar so bimar) – more demand than the availability of something
भारत में एक कार्य पद के लिए हजारो आवेदन आते हैं. यह एक अनार और सो बीमार वाली बात हुई.
In India, the number of applications for single post of job are in thousands.

8. एक पंथ दो काज (ek panth do kaj) – completing two task at the same time
मैं एक सम्मेलन के लिए मुंबई जा रहा हूँ, इस बहाने में वहा कुछ घुम भी लूँगा. एक पंथ दो काज!
I am going to attend a conference in Mumbai, this way I will also see the place.

9. कंगाली में आटा गिला(kangali mein aata gila) – getting into further hardships in bankruptcy
एक तो घर में पहले से कुछ खाने को नहीं था और ऊपर से मेहमान आ गए. यह तो कंगाली में आटा गिले वाली बात हो गयी.
The guest came when there wasn’t anything to eat in house.

10. खोदा पहाड़ निकली चुन्हिया (khoda pahad nikali chunhiya) – infinitesimal result after much effort
मेरे पूरे महीने परिश्रम से प्रयोग करने के बाद भी मुझे दस में से एक ही परिणाम मिला. खोदा पहाड़ निकली चुन्हिया.
For the whole month, I did my experiments with much patience but out of ten I got only one result.

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About the Author: Nitin Kumar

Nitin Kumar is a native Hindi speaker from New Delhi, India. His education qualification include Masters in Robotics and Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering. Currently, he is working in the Research and Development in Robotics in Germany. He is avid language learner with varied level of proficiency in English, German, Spanish, and Japanese. He wish to learn French one day. His passion for languages motivated him to share his mother tongue, Hindi, and culture and traditions associated with its speakers. He has been working with Transparent Language since 2010 and has written over 430 blogs on various topics on Hindi language and India, its culture and traditions. He is also the Administrator for Hindi Facebook page which has a community of over 330,000 members.


Comments:

  1. Line Mark Rugholt:

    Excellent article! Proverbs are very interesting and fun. Though, could you write the “direct translation” of the proverbs as well. I know that it does not make sense in itself, but sometimes it gives a hint why the “meaning” of a proverbs is what it is.
    I like the proverbs “caar so biis aadmi” => “420 man” => “theif”/”cheather”. Apparently named after a paragraph in the criminal law..?

    • Nitin:

      @Line Mark Rugholt Thanks for your suggestion, I’ll make a post with another proverbs in future (with those word translation as well). However, I must tell you, it will put your imagination to test. 🙂
      “Char so bees aadami” came from the section no. 420 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) deals with crimes such as cheating and fraud. So, the person who is cheater or fraud can be said “Char so bees” (we say it quite often). But, it would be more like an attribute of a person and not a proverb.

  2. Line Mark Rugholt:

    Looking forward to your post – I love to use my imagination:-)
    Would you consider also making a post on number-based proverbs/attributions?