Dutch proverbs

• Al draagt een aap een gouden ring, het is en blijft een lelijk ding
  • Literal Translation: "Even if a monkey wears a golden ring, it is still an ugly thing"
  • Meaning: "One can not fix up something internally bad by a simple outer change"

• Al doende leert men.
  • Literal translation: "Whilst doing one learns".
  • Meaning: obvious

• Al te goed is buurmans gek.
  • Literal Translation: "All too good is neighbours fool"
  • Meaning: "If you are always helping everyone, someone will abuse it"

• Als de kat van huis is, dansen de muizen.
  • Literal Translation: "When the cat is not home, the mice dance"
  • Meaning: "Grabbing the opportunity when nobody watches"

• Als twee honden vechten om een been, loopt de derde er mee heen.
  • Literal Translation: "When two dogs fight over a bone, a third one carries it away."
  • Meaning: "Quibbling (or worse) between two parties, leads to opportunities for a third party."

• Appels met peren vergelijken
  • Literal Translation: "Comparing apples and pears"
  • Meaning: "Comparing apples and oranges"

• Als een slak op een teerton.
  • Literal Translation: "Like a snail on a barrell of tar."
  • Meaning: "Slower than a wet week".

B

• Beter één vogel in de hand dan tien in de lucht
  • Literal Translation: "Better one bird in the hand than ten in the air"
  • Meaning: "One bird in the hand is better than two in the bush".

• Beter een goede buur dan een verre vriend
  • Literal Translation: "Better a good neighbour than a distant friend"
  • Meaning: It is better to be friendly with a neighbour, than a distant friend"

• Beter laat dan nooit.
  • Literal translation: "Better late than never"
  • Meaning: obvious.

• Blaffende honden bijten niet
  • Likteral Translation: "Barking dogs don't bite".
  • Meaning: Obvious

• Boter bij de vis.
  • Literal Translation: "Butter with the fish"
  • Meaning: "Reacting without delay in an appropriate way", more specifically:"Payment at time of purchase"

• Bij de pakken neerzitten.
  • Literal Translation: "Sitting down beside the boxes"
  • Meaning: "Giving up, being discouraged"

D

• Dat slaat als een tang op een varken
  • Literal Translation: "It is related like pliers to a pig"
  • Meaning: "There is absolutely no connection; it doesn't make any sense to bring that up"

• De appel valt niet ver van de boom
  • Literal Translation: "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
  • Meaning: "Kids are somewhat like their parents."

• De beste stuurlui staan aan wal
  • Literal Translation: "The best helmsmen stand on shore"
  • Meaning: "The watchers always know better than the doers"

• ''De ene z'n dood is een ander z'n brood".
  • Literal translation: "The death of one person means bread for another".
  • Meaning: "Whatever ill happens, someone benefits".

• ''Denk aleer gij doende zijt en doende denk dan nog".
  • Literal Translation: "Think before acting and whilst acting still think".
  • Meaning: obvious.

• De pen is machtiger dan het zwaard.
  • Literal translation: "The pen is mightier than the sword".
  • Meaning: obvious.

• De puntjes op de i zetten
  • Literal Translation: "Dotting the i's"
  • Meaning: "Finishing off the last details"

• De vinger aan de pols houden
  • Literal Translation: "Keeping the finger on the wrist"
  • Meaning: "Regularly checking the state of a project or thing"

• De weg naar de hel is geplaveid met goede voornemens
  • Literal translation: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions".
  • Meaning: obvious.

• De wens is de vader van de gedachte.
  • Literal Translation: "The desire is the father of the thought."
  • Meaning: "Something you think may be inspired by desire."

E

• Een brutaal mens heeft de halve wereld
  • Literal Translation: "A cheeky person owns half the world"
  • Meaning: "One can get far by just taking what one needs"

• Een goed begin is het halve werk.
  • Literal Translation: "A good start is half of the job."
  • Meaning: "If you start something off well, you're already half way."

• ''Een goede daad is goud waard'
  • Literal translation: "A good deed is worth gold".
  • Meaning: obvious

• Een goed verstaander heeft maar een half woord nodig
  • Literal translation: An understanding person needs only half a word".
  • Meaning: "A person of understanding does not need a detailed explanation of anything".

• Een half ei is beter dan een lege dop.
  • Literal translation: "Half an egg is better than an empty shell".
  • Meaning: "Half a loaf is better than no bread".

• Een kat in de zak kopen
  • Literal Translation: "Buying a cat in a bag"
  • Meaning: "Buying something that is not as useful as you thought it was"

• Een lange neus maken
  • Literal Translation: "Making a long nose"
  • Meaning: "Going your own way without being disturbed by other's objections"

• Een oogje in het zeil houden
  • Literal Translation: "Keeping an eye on the sail"
  • Meaning: "Continuously checking the state of a project or thing"

• ''Een open deur intrappen.
  • Literal Translation: "Kicking in an open door"
  • Meaning: "Stating the obvious".

• Een steekje laten vallen
  • Literal Translation: "Dropping a stitch"
  • Meaning: "Making a mistake"

• Een vlag op een modderschuit
  • Literal Translation: "A flag on a mud barge"
  • Meaning: "Excessive decoration of a common thing"

• Één zwaluw maakt nog geen zomer
  • Literal Translation: "One swallow doesn't make summer"
  • Meaning: "One needs more than one indication to draw a conclusion"

• Er met de pet naar gooien
  • Literal Translation: "Throwing the hat at something"
  • Meaning: "Not doing your best"

• Er met de pet niet bijkunnen
  • Literal Translation: "Not being able to reach it with your hat"
  • Meaning: "Not understanding something"

• Er geen doekjes om winden
  • Literal Translation: "Not wrapping it in cloth"
  • Meaning: "Saying it exactly like it is, using no eufemisms"

• Er zit bij hem een steekje los
  • Literal Translation: "There is a loose stitch with him"
  • Meaning: "He is a brick short of a full load".

G

• Gedeelde smart is halve smart
  • Literal Translation: "Shared pain is half pain"
  • Meaning: "Having someone who shares your feelings can make them bearable"

• Geen geld, geen Zwitsers.
  • Literal Translation: "No money, no Swiss."
  • Meaning: "Don't expect something for nothing."

• Geen hoge pet ophebben van iemand.
  • Literal Translation: "Not wearing a high-hat of someone."
  • Meaning: "Not respecting someone."

• ''Geen slapende honden wakker maken".
  • Literal translation: "Do not wake sleeping dogs".
  • Meaning: "Let sleeping dogs lie".

• Geen nieuws is goed nieuws.
  • Literal translation: "No news is good news."
  • Meaning: obvious.

• Goed begonnen is half gewonnen.
  • Literal Translation: "Well started is half won."
  • Meaning: "If you start something off well, you're already half way."

• Gooi het maar in mijn pet, dan zoek ik het morgen wel uit.
  • Literal Translation: "Just toss it in my hat and I'll sort it to-morrow."
  • Meaning: "That is too much for me to understand so quickly."

H

• Haast en spoed zijn zelden goed
  • Literal translation: Haste and speed are rarely good"
  • Meaning: "The more haste, the less speed".

• Literal Translation: "Feeling it from his water."
• Meaning: "Getting knowledge from intuition."

I

• Iemands rechterhand zijn
  • Literal Translation: "Being someones right hand."
  • Meaning: "Being indiposable to someone."

• Iets op je lever hebben.
  • Literal Translation: "Having something on your liver."
  • Meaning: "Worrying about something, and not expressing it."

• ''In het land der blinden is éénoog koning."
  • Literal translation: "In the land of the blind, one-eye is king."
  • Meaning: obvious.

J

• Jong geleerd is oud gedaan.
  • Literal Translation: "Learned young is done old."
  • Meaning: "If you learn something at an early age, you become quite good at it when you're older."

K

• Krakende wagens duren het langst.
  • Literal Translation: "Creaking carts last longest".
  • Meaning: obvious.

• Kleine potjes hebben grote oren.
  • Literal Translation: "Small pots have big ears/handles."
  • Meaning: "Kids always hear what they're not supposed to hear."

• ''Kleren maken de man."
  • Literal Translation: "Clothes make the man."
  • Meaning: "Good clothing adds to a man's stature."

• Knollen voor citroenen verkopen.
  • Literal Translation: "sell beets as lemons."
  • Meaning: "Presenting something as something else which is more valuable."

L

• Lood om oud ijzer.
  • Literal Translation: "Lead for old iron"
  • Meaning: "Six of one or half a dozen of the other."

M

• Met andermans veren pronken.
  • Literal Translation: "Showing off other people's feathers."
  • Meaning: "Presenting someone elses accomplishments as ones own."

• Met de deur in huis vallen.
  • Literal Translation: "Falling with the door into the house."
  • Meaning: "Coming directly to the point."

• Met de Franse slag.
  • Literal Translation: "With a French sweep."
  • Meaning: "A quickly finished job, not paying attention to details."

• Met de handen in het haar zitten.
  • Literal Translation: "Sitting with the hands in the hair."
  • Meaning: "Not knowing a way out of a problem."

• Met de hoed in de hand komt men door het ganse land.
  • Literal Translation: "With your hat in your hand you can travel the entire country."
  • Meaning: "A little politeness gets you very far."

• Met de mond vol tanden staan.
  • Literal Translation: "Standing with the mouth full of teeth."
  • Meaning: "Dumbfounded."

• Met de pet rondgaan.
  • Literal Translation: "Going around with the hat."
  • Meaning: "Collecting money."

• Met een kanon op een mug schieten.
  • Literal Translation: "Using a canon to shoot a mosquito."
  • Meaning: "Using a tool that is too large for the purpose, overkill."

• Mosterd na de maaltijd.
  • Literal Translation: "Mustard after the meal."
  • Meaning: "Too late."

N

• Na regen komt zonneschijn.
  • Literal Translation: "After rain comes sunshine."
  • Meaning: "Good things follow bad things, every cloud has a silver lining."

• Natte vingerwerk.
  • Literal Translation: "Wet fingerwork."
  • Meaning: "Guesswork/performed on intuition."

• Nieuwe bezems vegen schoon.
  • Literal Translation: "New brooms sweep well."
  • Meaning: "Someone new at a job will change the way things are done (even if only to go not unnoticed)."

• Niet geschoten, altijd mis.
  • Literal Translation: "Not shooting means always missing"
  • Meaning: "If you don't try, you will miss opportunities."

O

• Om de haverklap
  • Literal Translation: "Every flail on the oats."
  • Meaning: "All the time."

• Oost west, thuis best.
  • Literal Translation: "East West, home best."
  • Meaning: "You can travel the world, but the best place is home."

• Op alle slakken zout leggen.
  • Literal Translation: "Putting salt on every snail."
  • Meaning: "Looking for all of the smallest errors to comment on."

• Op de neus kijken.
  • Literal Translation: "Looking down at one's nose."
  • Meaning: "Being disappointed."

• Op elk potje past een dekseltje.
  • Literal Translation: "Every little pot has a fitting lid."
  • Meaning: "There's a solution for every situation. [or] There's a fitting partner for any person."

• Over lijken gaan.
  • Literal Translation: "Walking over corpses."
  • Meaning: "Going for your own target however crude the method."

P

• Potje breken, potje betalen.
  • Literal Translation: "Break a pot, pay for a pot."
  • Meaning: "Paying the piper for playing the tune."

R

• Roeien met de riemen die je hebt.
  • Literal Translation: "Rowing with the oars you posess."
  • Meaning: "Make do with the means available to you."

S

• Spreken is zilver, zwijgen is goud.
  • Literal Translation: "Speaking is silver, being silent is gold."
  • Meaning: "Speaking out is valuable, keeping your mouth shut priceless."

• Spijkers op laag water zoeken.
  • Literal translation: "Looking for nails at low tide."
  • Meaning: "Nitpicking."

• Stel niet uit tot morgen, wat gij heden doen kunt.
  • Literal translation: "Don't postpone until tomorrow, what you can do today."
  • Meaning: obvious.

• Stevig in het zadel zitten.
  • Literal translation: "Sitting securely in the saddle."
  • Meaning: "Having a solid high position; not easy to overthrow."

• Storm in een glas water.
  • Literal Translation: "storm in a glass of water."
  • Meaning: "Storm in a tea cup."

T

• Twee linkerhanden hebben.
  • Literal Translation: "Having two left hands."
  • Meaning: "Being all thumbs."

• Tijd is geld.
  • Literal translation: "Time is money."
  • Meaning: obvious.

U

• Uit het oog, uit het hart.
  • Literal Translation: "Away from the eye, out of the heart."
  • Meaning: "Out of sight, out of mind."

• Uitstel is afstel.
  • Literal translation: "Postponement is cancellation."
  • Meaning: "Postponing something leads to inaction."

V

• Van de hoed en de rand weten
  • Literal Translation: "Knowing of the hat and the brim."
  • Meaning: "Having good thorough knowledge."

• Van een mug een olifant maken.
  • Literal Translation: "To make an elephant out of a mosquito."
  • Meaning: "To make a mountain out of a mole hill."

• Vele handen maken licht werk.
  • Literal Translation: "Many hands make light work."
  • Meaning: "A task is easier if you work together."

• Voor de kat zijn viool.
  • Literal Translation: "For the cat's violin."
  • Meaning: "For no purpose, useless."

• Voor een appel en een ei
  • Literal Translation: "For an apple and an egg."
  • Meaning: "Buying something really cheap, paying very little money."

• Voorzichtigheid is de moeder van de porceleinkast.
  • Literal translation: "Care is the mother of the porcelain cabinet."
  • Meaning: Obvious?

W

• Waar een wil is is een weg.
  • Literal Translation: "Where there's a will, there is a way."
  • Meaning: "There is a way to achieve anything, if one really tries."

• Water naar zee dragen.
  • Literal Translation: "Carrying water to the sea."
  • Meaning: "Nonsensical activity."

• Waar het hart vol van is daar loopt de mond van over.
  • Literal Translation: "What the heart is full of, the mouth runs over with."
  • Meaning: "If someone is enthousiastic about an idea he will be always talking about it."

• Wat de boer niet kent dat eet hij niet.
  • Literal Translation: "What the farmer doesn't know, he doesn't eat."
  • Meaning: "A stick-in-the-mud will try nothing new."

• Weten waar Abraham de mosterd haalt.
  • Literal Translation: "Knowing where Abraham gets the mustard."
  • Meaning: "Being well-informed."

• ''Wie de schoen past, trekke hem aan."
  • Literal Translation: "He whom the shoe fits should put it on."
  • Meaning: "If the cap fits, wear it."

• Wie goed doet, goed ontmoet.
  • Literal Translation: "Who does well, meets goodwill."
  • Meaning: "Who does good things to others, will receive good things in return."

• ''Wie het laatst lacht, lacht het best."
  • Literal Translation: "He who laughs last, laughs best."
  • Meaning: obvious.

• ''Wie zijn neus schendt, schendt zijn aangezicht."
  • Literal translation: "He who hurts his nose, hurts his face."
  • Meaning: "Cutting off your nose to harm your face."

Z

• Zachte heelmeesters maken stinkende wonden.
  • Literal Translation: "Gentle doctors cause smelly wounds."
  • Meaning: "It is better to treat a problem thoroughly even if the treatment is painful, otherwise it may get worse."

• Ze niet allemaal op een rijtje hebben.
  • Literal Translation: "Not having all of them in a row."
  • Meaning: "Being one short of a dozen."

• Zich met hand en tand verzetten.
  • Literal Translation: "To resist with hand and tooth."
  • Meaning: "To resist with every possible means, not giving in in any way."

• Zij zijn twee handen op één buik.
  • Literal Translation: "They are two hands on one belly."
  • Meaning: "They always make common cause."

• Zijn hand er niet voor omdraaien.
  • Literal Translation: "Not turning his hand around for it."
  • Meaning: "It is an easy job for him."

• Zoals het klokje thuis tikt, tikt het nergens.
  • Literal Translation: "The clock ticks nowhere else the way it does at home."
  • Meaning: "You can travel the world, but the best place is home."

• Zo dom als het achterend van een varken.
  • Literal Translation: "As stupid as a pig's behind."
  • Meaning: "Very stupid."

• Zo lang er leven is, is er hoop.
  • Literal translation: "As long as there's life, there is hope."
  • Meaning: "Never despair."