Proverbs in Urdu - A Complete List

Explore famous Urdu proverbs (ضرب الامثال) with their English meanings and literal translations. Urdu proverbs reflect centuries of wisdom, culture, and everyday life in South Asia. Each proverb is presented with its original Urdu text, English equivalent, and a word-by-word literal translation to help you understand the deeper meaning.

Famous Urdu Proverbs (مشہور اردو ضرب الامثال)

#	Urdu	English Meaning	Literal Translation
1	جیسی کرنی ویسی بھرنی	As you sow, so shall you reap	As is the doing, so is the receiving
2	بندر کیا جانے ادرک کا سواد	Pearls before swine	What does a monkey know of the taste of ginger
3	نیکی کر دریا میں ڈال	Do good and forget about it	Do good and throw it in the river
4	جس کی لاٹھی اس کی بھینس	Might is right	Whoever has the stick owns the buffalo
5	چور کی داڑھی میں تنکا	A guilty conscience needs no accuser	There is a straw in the thief's beard
6	دال میں کچھ کالا ہے	Something is fishy	There is something black in the lentils
7	آنکھ کا اندھا نام نین سکھ	A name that does not match the reality	Blind in the eye but named Eye-comfort
8	اندھوں میں کانا راجا	In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king	Among the blind, the one-eyed is king
9	آپ بھلے تو جگ بھلا	If you are good, the world is good	If you yourself are good, the world is good
10	اونٹ کے منہ میں زیرہ	A drop in the ocean	A cumin seed in the mouth of a camel
11	بڑے میاں تو بڑے میاں چھوٹے میاں سبحان اللہ	Like father, not like son	The big one is the big one, the small one is something else entirely
12	دیوار کے بھی کان ہوتے ہیں	Walls have ears	Walls also have ears
13	ناچ نہ جانے آنگن ٹیڑھا	A bad workman blames his tools	Does not know how to dance, says the courtyard is crooked
14	جل بن مچھلی نرت بن بجلی	A fish out of water	Fish without water, dance without lightning
15	آم کے آم گٹھلیوں کے دام	Double benefit	Mangoes for free and money for the seeds too
16	ہاتھ کنگن کو آرسی کیا	Actions speak louder than words	Why need a mirror for a bracelet on the hand
17	تھوتھا چنا باجے گھنا	Empty vessels make the most noise	The hollow chickpea rattles the most
18	جہاں چاہ وہاں راہ	Where there is a will, there is a way	Where there is desire, there is a path
19	الٹا چور کوتوال کو ڈانٹے	The pot calling the kettle black	The thief scolding the police officer
20	گھر کی مرغی دال برابر	Familiarity breeds contempt	The household chicken is equal to lentils
21	بوند بوند سے سمندر بھرتا ہے	Every little bit counts	Drop by drop the ocean fills
22	جو گرجتے ہیں وہ برستے نہیں	Barking dogs seldom bite	Those who thunder do not rain
23	نو سو چوہے کھا کر بلی حج کو چلی	Too little too late	After eating nine hundred mice, the cat goes on pilgrimage
24	دودھ کا جلا چھاچھ بھی پھونک کر پیتا ہے	Once bitten, twice shy	One burned by milk blows on buttermilk too
25	اکیلا چنا بھاڑ نہیں پھوڑ سکتا	One swallow does not make a summer	A single chickpea cannot break the furnace
26	مفت کا چندن گھس مرے نندن	People waste what they get for free	If sandalwood is free, even Nandan grinds it to waste
27	جان ہے تو جہان ہے	Where there is life, there is hope	If there is life, there is the world
28	کھودا پہاڑ نکلا چوہا	Much ado about nothing	Dug up a mountain and out came a mouse
29	ایک ہاتھ سے تالی نہیں بجتی	It takes two to tango	You cannot clap with one hand
30	چار دن کی چاندنی پھر اندھیری رات	Good times do not last forever	Four days of moonlight then a dark night
31	بکری کی جان گئی کھانے والے کو مزا نہ آیا	All pain and no gain	The goat died but the eater did not enjoy
32	تیل دیکھو تیل کی دھار دیکھو	Wait and see	Watch the oil and watch its flow
33	آدمی کو اس کے عمل سے پہچانو	Judge people by their actions	Recognize a person by his deeds
34	لوہا لوہے کو کاٹتا ہے	Fight fire with fire	Iron cuts iron
35	جو دوسروں کے لیے گڑھا کھودے وہ خود گرے	He who digs a pit for others falls in it himself	He who digs a ditch for others falls in it himself
36	بغل میں چھری منہ میں رام رام	A wolf in sheep's clothing	A dagger under the arm and sweet words on the lips
37	سو سنار کی ایک لوہار کی	One solid blow is worth a hundred gentle ones	A hundred blows of the goldsmith equal one of the blacksmith
38	آنکھوں سے اوجھل دل سے دور	Out of sight, out of mind	Hidden from the eyes, far from the heart
39	بندر کے ہاتھ میں نشتر	A dangerous thing in the wrong hands	A lancet in a monkey's hand
40	جیسا دیس ویسا بھیس	When in Rome, do as the Romans do	As is the country, so is the attire
41	ایک انار سو بیمار	Too many demands and too little supply	One pomegranate and a hundred sick people
42	جب تک سانس تب تک آس	Where there is life, there is hope	As long as there is breath, there is hope
43	دوسروں کی تھالی میں گھی زیادہ نظر آتا ہے	The grass is always greener on the other side	The ghee in others' plates always looks more
44	بے قدر عطار کے کستوری بکری کے گلے میں	Unappreciated value in the wrong place	Musk unvalued by the perfumer hangs around the goat's neck
45	ہونہار بروا کے چکنے چکنے پات	The child is father of the man	A promising tree shows glossy leaves early
46	پانی میں رہ کر مگرمچھ سے بیر	Do not make enemies with those you depend on	Living in water and enmity with the crocodile
47	جس کا کام اسی کو ساجھے	Leave things to the experts	Only the person whose job it is can do it right
48	گھر کا بھیدی لنکا ڈھائے	An insider can cause the greatest damage	The insider spy can destroy Lanka
49	اپنی اپنی ڈفلی اپنا اپنا راگ	Everyone doing their own thing	Each with their own drum and their own tune
50	زبان کو لگام دو	Think before you speak	Put a rein on your tongue
51	جیسے کو تیسا	Tit for tat	Like for like
52	تندرستی ہزار نعمت ہے	Health is wealth	Good health is a thousand blessings
53	پردیس میں اپنے بیگانے	Friends in a foreign land are still strangers	In foreign lands, even your own are strangers
54	آب آب کر کے مر گیا پانی نہ ملا	Dying of thirst while begging for water	Kept saying water water and died, water was not found
55	سبر کا پھل میٹھا ہوتا ہے	Patience bears sweet fruit	The fruit of patience is sweet
56	جوتی اپنے پیر کی، خود ہی کو معلوم	Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches	The shoe on your own foot, only you know
57	دیکھا دیکھی سب کچھ ہو جاتا ہے	Monkey see monkey do	Everything happens by imitation
58	ادھر کنواں ادھر کھائی	Between the devil and the deep blue sea	A well on one side, a ditch on the other
59	ہنستے گھر کو کوئی نظر نہ لگائے	May no evil eye fall on a happy home	May no one cast an evil eye on a laughing home
60	بڑوں کا کہنا مانو	Respect elders' advice	Listen to what elders say
61	کاٹو تو خون نہیں	To be completely numb or shocked	If you cut, no blood comes
62	جب تک سانس تب تک آس	Where there is breath, there is hope	As long as there is breath, there is hope
63	اول درجے کا بدمعاش	A first-class scoundrel	A rogue of the first degree
64	اندھی پیسے کی اور بہری پیسے کی	Money makes the mare go	The blind follows money and the deaf follows money
65	مرض بڑھتا گیا جوں جوں دوا کی	The cure made things worse	The disease grew as it was treated
66	جس کی لاٹھی اسی کی بھینس	Might makes right	He who has the stick owns the buffalo
67	ایک انار سو بیمار	Too many people for too little	One pomegranate and a hundred sick
68	نیکی کا زمانہ نہیں	Goodness is not valued anymore	It is not the time for kindness
69	ہاتھی کے دانت کھانے کے اور دکھانے کے اور	Saying one thing and doing another	Elephant's teeth for eating are different from those for showing
70	قطرہ قطرہ دریا بنتا ہے	Little drops make a mighty ocean	Drop by drop a river is formed

About Urdu Proverbs

Urdu proverbs (ضرب الامثال) are short, wise sayings that have been passed down through generations in South Asian culture. These proverbs carry deep wisdom about life, human nature, relationships, and morality. They are an essential part of the Urdu language and are frequently used in everyday conversation, literature, speeches, and writing across Pakistan and among Urdu-speaking communities worldwide. Each proverb has a figurative meaning that goes beyond its literal words, teaching lessons through vivid imagery and metaphor. Many Urdu proverbs have direct equivalents in English and other languages, showing the universal nature of human wisdom. Learning these proverbs will not only improve your Urdu vocabulary but also give you a deeper understanding of Pakistani culture, values, and the rich literary tradition of the Urdu language. Students, writers, and language learners will find this collection invaluable for mastering the art of Urdu expression.