English Proverbs and Their Croatian Equivalents

Engleske poslovice Actions speak louder than words

Djela su važnija od riječi

As you make your bed, so you must lie upon it

Kako prostreš, tako ćeš i leći

Beggars can't be choosers

Prosjaci nisu u položaju birati

The best is the enemy of the good

Što se više trudiš, to gore ispada

Better late than never

Bolje ikad, nego nikad

Better safe than sorry

Što je sigurno, sigurno je

The bigger they are, the harder they fall

Tko visoko leti, nisko pada

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Bolje vrabac u ruci nego golub na grani

Birds of feather flock together

Svaka ptica svome jatu leti

The early bird catches the worm

Tko rano rani, dvije sreće grabi

Don't bite more than you can chew

Ne natovari više nego možeš nositi

Blood is thicker than water

Krv nije voda

Born with a silver spoon in one's mouth

Rođen u obilju

Don't burn your bridges behind you

Ne ruši mostove za sobom

Let's cross that bridge when we come to it

O tom - potom

Buy a pig in a poke

Kupiti mačka u vreći

You can't have your cake and eat it too

Ne možeš imati i ovce i novce

Call a spade a spade

Reci popu - pop, a bobu - bob

Charity begins at home

Bog je najprije sebi bradu stvorio

Christmas comes but once a year

Nije svaki dan Božić

Cleanliness is next to godliness

Čistoća je pola zdravlja

Every cloud has a silver lining

Nije svako zlo za zlo

A man is known by the company he keeps

S kim si, takav si

Don't count your chickens before they are hatched

Ne pravi ražanj bez zeca

It's no use crying over spilled milk

Poslije je kasno plakati

Damned if you do, damned if you don't

Kako god napraviš, ne valja

The devil is not so black as he is painted

Ni vrag nije tako crn kako ga prikazuju

Do as you would be done by

Ne čini drugima ono što ne bi htio da čine tebi

Dog does not eat dog

Vrana vrani oči ne vadi

In one ear and out the other

Na jedno uhu unutra, na drugo van

Easier said than done

Lakše je reći nego učiniti

East or West, home is the best

Svuda je lijepo, ali je doma najljepše

Put all one's eggs in one basket

Stavljati sve na jednu kartu

The end justifies the means

Cilj opravdava sredstvo

Every man is the architect of his own fortune

Svatko je kovač svoje sreće

Everything comes to those who wait

Tko čeka dočeka

The exception proves the rule

Iznimka potvrđuje pravilo

Experience is the best teacher

Najbolje se uči na vlastitoj koži

Fight fire with fire

Klin se klinom izbija

First catch your hare

Prvo skoči pa onda reci hop

First come first served

Tko prvi njegova djevojka

The fish begins to stink from the head

Riba od glave smrdi

Fortune favours the bold

Sreća prati hrabre

A friend in need is a friend indeed

U nevolji se prijatelj poznaje

You get what you pay for

Koliko para, toliko muzike

Give credit where credit is due

Što jest, jest

Give him an inch and he'll take a mile

Daj mu prst, a on će cijelu ruku

God helps those who help themselves

Pomozi si sam, pa će ti i Bog pomoći

The good is the enemy of the best

Nikad nije tako dobro da ne bi moglo još bolje

All good things must (come to an) end

Sve što je lijepo kratko traje

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence

Tuđe - slađe

Haste makes waste

Žurba sve pokvari

Here today and gone tomorrow

Danas jesmo, sutra nismo

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth

Poklonjenom konju se ne gleda u zube

Honesty is the best policy

Poštenje se uvijek isplati

An idle brain is the devil's workshop

Besposlen čovjek smišlja gluposti

If you can't beat them, join them

Ako ih ne možeš pobijediti, pridruži im se

If you don't make mistakes, you don't make anything

Tko radi, taj i griješi

It takes all sorts (to make a world)

Sto ljudi, sto ćudi

Jump the gun

Trčati pred rudo

He who laughs last laughs best

Tko se zadnji smije, najslađe se smije

A leopard cannot change his spots

Vuk dlaku mijenja, ali ćud nikada

Let bygones be bygones

Što je bilo, bilo je

Let sleeping dogs lie

Ne diraj lava dok spava

Life isn't just a bowl of cherries

Nije život med i mlijeko

Like father like son

Kakav otac takav sin

Live by the sword, die by the sword

Tko se mača laća, od mača i gine

Live and learn

Čovjek se uči dok je živ

Make hay while the sun shines

Željezo se kuje dok je vruće

Many a true word is spoken in jest

U svakoj šali ima istine

Might is right

Tko jači, taj kvači

The mills of God grind slowly (yet they grind exceedingly small)Pravda je spora, ali dostižna Misfortunes never come singly

Nesreća nikad ne dolazi sama

Much ado about nothing

Mnogo vike ni za što

Necessity is the mother of invention

U nevolji se čovjek svačem dosjeti

It never rains but it pours

Kad jednom krene nizbrdo

No news is good news

Kad nema vijesti, znači da je sve u redu

Bad news travels fast

Dobra vijest se brzo širi, a loša još brže

No pain no gain

Bez muke nema nauke

No risk no gain

Tko ne riskira ne profitira

Once bitten, twice shy

Tko se jednom opeče, puše i na hladno

One man's loss is another man's gain

Dok se jednom ne smrkne, drugom ne svane

Opportunity knocks but once

Sreća samo jednom kuca na vrata

Out of sight, out of mind

Daleko od očiju, daleko od srca

Penny wise and pund foolish

Štedi na malo, rasipa na veliko

Practice what you preach

Nemoj jedno govoriti, a drugo raditi

Prevention is better than cure

Bolje spriječiti nego liječiti

You can't please everyone

Ne možeš svima ugoditi

Power corrupts

Vlast kvari ljude

The proof of the pudding is in the eating

Praksa će pokazati

Robbing Peter to pay Paul

Prelijevanje iz šupljeg u prazno

Rome wasn't build in a day

Ne možeš ništa na brzinu

The rotten apple spoils the barrel

Jedna trula jabuka pokvari sve druge

Seeing is believing

Vjeruj samo svojim očima

There's safety in numbers

Sigurniji smo kad nas ima više

Save for a rainy day

Štedi za crne dane

Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

Ruka ruku mije

Short reckonings make long friends

Čist račun, duga ljubav

There are two sides to every coin

Svaka medalja ima dvije strane

Something is better than nothing

Bolje išta nego ništa

Sound in body, sound in mind

U zdravom tijelu, zdrav duh

As you sow, so shall you reap

Kako siješ tako ćeš i žeti

Spare the rod and spoil the child

Šiba je u raju rasla

Speak of the devil (and in he walks)

Mi o vuku, a vuk na vrata

Never speak ill of the dead

O mrtvima sve najbolje

Still waters run deep

Tiha voda brege dere

That was the last straw

To je kap koja je prelila čašu

You never know when the tide/ tables may turn

Batina ima dva kraja (Sreća je promjenljiva)

Time will tell

Vrijeme će pokazati

Tomorrow is another day

Sutra je novi dan (Nije sve propalo)

Never put off tomorrow what you can do today

Što možeš danas, ne ostavljaj za sutra

Too many cooks spoil the broth

Sto babica - kilavo dijete

Truth will out

Istinu ne možeš sakriti (U laži su kratke noge)

Two heads are better than one

Više ljudi više zna

Walls have ears

I zidovi imaju uši

Don't wash your dirty linen in public

Ne iznosi svoje prljavo rublje

Well begun is half done

Dobar početak je pola posla

What can't be cured must be endured

Što je - tu je (Iz te kože se ne može)

What goes round comes round

Sve se vraća, sve se plaća

When one door shuts another opens

Kad se jedna vrata zatvore, otvore se druga

When the cat's away the mice will play

Kad mačke nema, miševi kolo vode

When the going gets tough the tough get going

Na muci se poznaju junaci

When there's a smoke there's a fire

Gdje ima dima, ima i vatre

When there's a will there's a way

Sve se može kad se hoće

You can't win them all

Ne uspije svaka

A word to the wise (is enough)

Pametnom je jedna riječ dosta

It is easy to be wise after the event

Lako je biti general poslije bitke

If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing well

Ako već radiš, radi kako treba

Youth is reckless

Mladost - ludost