Russian Proverbs and Sayings

This page continues the alphabetical list of Russian proverbs and sayings along with their English versions and literal translations.

А Б В Г Д Е Ё Ж З И Й К Л M Н О П Р С Т У Ф Х Ц Ч Ш Щ Ь Ы Ъ Э Ю Я

Russian proverbs: т-у 12 of 15 | < Prev Next >

- Т -
Та же пе́сня, да на но́вый лад.	Same meat, different gravy. Literal: The same song, but with a new melody.
Там хорошо́, где нас нет.	On the other side grass is greener. Literal: It is good, there where we are not.
Тамбо́вский волк тебе́ това́рищ.	Literal: Wolf from Tambov is your buddy.
Терпе́ние и труд всё перетру́т.	Nothing is impossible to a willing mind. Literal: Patience and work will fray through anything.
Терпи́, каза́к, атама́ном бу́дешь.	Literal: Put up wit it, cossack, and you'll be an ataman.
Ти́ше е́дешь -- да́льше бу́дешь.	Slow and steady wins the race. Literal: Ride slower -- you'll get further.
То гу́сто, то пу́сто.	Stuff today and starve tomorrow. Literal: Sometimes it's dense, sometimes it's empty.
То ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.	Maybe rain or maybe snow, maybe yes or maybe no. Literal: It will either rain or snow; it either will or will not.
Только добро погибает юным.	Only the good die young.
То́лько ку́рочка от себя́ гребёт.	Literal: Only a chicken rakes stuff away from itself.
Только смелые достойны красавиц.	None but the brave deserve the fair.
Только через мой труп.	Over my dead body.
Тону́л -- топо́р сули́л, а вы́тащили -- и топори́ща не дал.	He that promised too much means nothing. Literal: While he had been sinking, he promised an axe, but when pulled ashore, didn't give even an axe handle.
Труд челове́ка ко́рмит, а лень по́ртит.	Hard work never hurt anyone. Literal: Job feeds the man, and laziness spoils him.
Ты бли́же к де́лу, а он про козу́ бе́лу.	Lip-service; hot air; idle words Literal: You get on business, but he keeps telling you about white goat.
Ты ей вдоль, а она поперёк.	Every woman is a rebel, and usually in wild revolt against herself.
Ты меня́, рабо́та, не бо́йся, я тебя́ не тро́ну.	Literal: Don't be afraid of me, my job, i'm not going to touch you.
Ты мне -- я тебе.	You roll my log and I'll roll yours.

- У -
У ба́бы во́лос до́лог, да ум ко́роток.	Experienced is not he who is old, but he, who's seen it all. Literal: Woman's hair is long, and mind is short.
У вся́кого Па́вла своя́ пра́вда.	Literal: Every Paul has his own truth.
У дурака долго деньги не держатся.	A fool and his money are soon parted. Literal: Money doesn't stay long with a fool.
У злой Ната́льи все лю́ди кана́льи.	Literal: For angry Nataly all the people are rascals.
У каждого червяка есть слабое место.	Every worm has his weak point.
У каждой медали есть обратная сторона.	Every medal has its reverse.
У семи́ ня́нек дитя́ без гла́зу.	Too many cooks spoil the broth. Literal: Seven nannies make a kid not looked after.
У стра́ха глаза́ велики́.	Fear has a hundred eyes. Literal: Fear has large eyes.
Убы́ток -- уму́ прибы́ток.	Winning is earning, losing is learning. Literal: A loss is a gain for mind.
Угово́р доро́же де́нег.	A bargain is a bargain. Literal: The agreement is worth more then money.
Уката́ли Си́вку круты́е го́рки.	"To feel like a lathered horse. " Literal: Sivka (the horse) became worn out running through steep hills
Укоро́тишь -- не воро́тишь.	Measure thy cloth ten times, thou canst cut it but once. Literal: If you cut it, you won't get it back.
Ули́та е́дет, когда́-то бу́дет.	To move by a snail's pace. Literal.: The snail I am going, who knows when it comes here.
Уме́л ворова́ть, уме́й и отве́т держа́ть.	The torment is what the thief have to gain. Literal: If you can steal, be able to be responsible for it.
У́мная голова́, да дураку́ доста́лась.	Literal: A clever head but given to a fool.
У́мные ре́чи прия́тно и слу́шать.	Literal: A clever speech (speaker) is pleasant to listen to.
У́мный в го́ру не пойдёт, у́мный го́ру обойдёт.	Literal: A smart person will not climb a mountain; A smart person will go around it.
У́мный лю́бит учи́ться, а дура́к учи́ть.	Literal: Clever person likes to learn, and the fool - to teach.
Ус в честь, а борода́ и у козла́ есть.	Literal: Moustache is respected and beard is worn even by goats.
Уста́ми младе́нца глаго́лет и́стина.	Children and fools tell the truth. Literal: Truth speaks by the toddler's mouth; From the mouth of babes
Утопа́ющий за соло́минку хвата́ется.	A drowning man will catch at a straw. Literal: The one who sinks grips even a straw.
У́тро ве́чера мудрене́е.	Sleep on it! Literal: Morning is wiser than the evening.
Уче́нье свет, а неуче́нье тьма.	Knowledge is power. Literal: Studying is light; not studying is darkness.
Учи́, пока́ поперёк ла́вки укла́дывается, а во всю вы́тянется -- не нау́чишь.	Literal: Teach a child, until he can lay across a bench, when he will stretch it's whole length, you'll be unable to teach him.

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Index of Russian proverbs and sayings

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