Proverbs about family in English with translation. Family matters: proverbs about family in English
English proverbs about family largely explain the attitude of the British towards this unit of society. Every society is divided into small bricks, the name of these bricks is family. Through proverbs, an image of a traditional English family is created.
We present to your attention English proverbs about family.
Accidents will happen in the best-regulated families.
Literally translated: Incidents happen in exemplary families.
Russian equivalent: And misfortunes happen in noble families.
A good wife makes a good husband.
Literal translation: A good wife makes a good husband.
Russian equivalent: A good wife and a bad husband will do well.
A good Jack makes a good Jill.
Literal translation: Good Jack makes good Jill too.
Russian equivalent: A good husband and a good wife. The wife is red with her husband.
All are good lasses, but whence come bad wives?
Literal translation: all girls are good, where do bad wives come from?
Russian equivalent: All brides are good, where do evil wives come from?
A miserly father makes a prodigal son.
Literal translation: A stingy father makes his son a spendthrift.
Russian equivalent: The father saved up, but the son became cowardly. The stingy die, and the children open the chests. The father saves, and the son wastes money.
Choose your wife on Saturday, not on Sun day.
Literal translation: Choose your wife on Saturday, not on Sunday.
Russian equivalent: Choose your wife not in a round dance, but in the garden.
Every Jack must have his Jill.
Literal translation: Every Jack must have his own Jill.
Russian equivalent: Every bride is born for her groom.
Every family has a skeleton in the cupboard.
Literal translation: Every family has its own skeleton in the closet.
Russian equivalent: Every hut has its own rattles.
First thrive and then live.
Literal translation: First succeed, and then get married.
Russian equivalent: First lean down, and then up.
His hat covers his family.
Literal translation: His hat covers his family.
Russian equivalent: meaning of the proverb: someone is alone, without a family. Wed. Without a wife is like without a hat.
Like father, like son.
Literal translation: What kind of father is like son.
Russian equivalent: Like the dad, like the son.
Many a good father has but a bad son.
Literal translation: Many good fathers have a bad son.
Russian equivalent: Every family has its black sheep.
An analogue of this English proverb about family:
No garden is without its weeds.
Literal translation: There is no garden without weeds.
Marriages are made in heaven.
Literal translation: Marriages are made in heaven.
Russian equivalent: Coincidence. Neither go around nor go around the betrothed.
Marriage is a lottery.
Literal translation: Marriage is a lottery.
Marry in haste and repent at leisure.
Literal translation: If you get married in a hurry, you will pay at your leisure.
Russian equivalent: He got married in a hurry and for a long time.
Men make houses, women make homes.
Literal translation: Men make houses, and women make family comfort.
Russian equivalent: The owner of the house is the owner.
Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.
Literal translation: Before marriage, look into both eyes, and after marriage, into half an eye.
Russian equivalent: Look into your eyes before your wedding night, and then squint your eyes.
Take a vine of a good soil, and a wife of a good mother.
Literal translation: Take a wine from good soil, and a wife from a good mother.
Russian equivalent: Choose a daughter-in-law after your mother-in-law.
The rotten apple injures its neighbors.
Literal translation: A rotten apple spoils its neighbors.
Russian equivalent: Rotten apple injures its neighbors.
The equivalent of this English proverb about family would be:
One scabby sheep will mar a whole flock.
Literal translation: One black sheep spoils the whole flock.
There’s one good wife in the country and every man thinks he has her.
Literal translation: There is only one good wife in the whole country and every man believes that this is his wife.
Russian equivalent: To each his own sweetheart - the most beautiful. Every husband loves his own wife.
Many will agree that family is the most important thing in a person’s life. This is probably why both in Russian and in English there are many idioms and set expressions related to home and family. This article will introduce you to 11 of the most popular ones. Go!
Literally - shh/silence is the word.
Meaning of the idiom:
This expression is said when asking someone to remain silent or hide some secret.
History of the idiom:
According to one version, the word mum comes from the sound that a person can make with his mouth closed - mooing. Subsequently, it began to be translated as “silence” or the exclamation “Shh!”, calling for silence. According to the second version, the word mum in Middle English was translated as “silence.” It comes from the word mummer (mime): a mime shows pantomime without a single sound, so the word mum has become associated with silence.
Usage example:
We are planning a surprise for Tom’s birthday, but mum's the word. - We're planning a surprise for Tom's birthday, but don't tell anyone about this.
Literally - the one who wins the bread; winning bread.
Meaning of the idiom:
This word is used to describe a person who brings the main income to the family and supports other family members.
History of the idiom:
There are two interesting versions of the origin of this expression. According to the first of them, in the 19th century (and it was then that the idiom appeared), the main food product in most families was bread. Therefore, the person who brought home money and fed his family was called “the one who wins the bread.”
According to the second version, many ordinary workers in the 19th century were often paid not in money, but in bread. Therefore, the person who earned the most brought home the most bread.
Usage example:
Mary's a breadwinner of her family; she makes a lot of money. - Mary - breadwinner of his family, she earns a lot of money.
Literally - wear pants.
Meaning of the idiom:
Most often, this expression is used in relation to a powerful woman who commands in the family and keeps her man under her thumb.
History of the idiom:
The history of the origin of this expression is quite obvious. Let's go back to the days when women only wore dresses and skirts and didn't wear pants. At that time, the world belonged to men: they were respected, they had the right to vote, they made all the decisions in the family and the world. Women's opinions were not taken into account at all. It was from these times that the stereotype began: a person wears pants, which means he is a man, which means he makes all the decisions.
Usage example:
Bill is a tough guy, but it’s Louisa who really wears the trousers in their relationship. - Bill is a tough guy, but it's Louise - the person who makes decisions in their relationship.
Now let's get acquainted with 8 more interesting expressions and idioms about family and home in English.
| Idiom | Translation | Usage example |
|---|---|---|
| to be someone's own flesh and blood | close relatives; flesh of the flesh; your own blood | He’s my own flesh and blood, I won’t let him die. He is my close relative, I will not let him die. |
| bad blood (between) | hostile/hostile relationship (between) | There is bad blood between Emma and John, that’s why I’m not going to invite both of them to my party. Emma and John have bad blood, so I'm not going to invite both of them to my party. |
| Mother Nature | mother nature (usually this expression refers to the forces of nature) | We hope Mother Nature will be kind to us and save our village from the hurricane. We hope that Mother Nature will be kind to us and save our village from the hurricane. |
| blood is thicker than water | blood is not water; blood kinship is stronger than other ties | When her brother was going through the difficult period, she supported him. Blood is thicker than water. When her brother was going through a difficult period, she supported him. Blood is not water. |
| to make yourself at home | make yourself at home; do not be shy | Come in and make yourself at home. Do you want a cup of coffee? Come in and feel at home. Would you like a cup of coffee? |
| like father, like son / like mother, like daughter | the apple doesn't fall far from the tree (used in both negative and positive contexts); like father, like son / like mother, like daughter | I think his son will grow up kind and generous. Like father, like son. I think his son will grow up to be kind and generous. Like the father, like the son. |
| home is where the heart is | home is where the heart is | I like traveling, but home is where the heart is, that’s why I’m always happy to go back to my parents’ old house. I love to travel, but home is where the heart is, so I'm always happy to return to my parents' old house. |
| charity begins at home | whoever thinks about relatives will not forget strangers; charity starts at home | Be kind and patient with your relatives, if you want to make a difference in the world. Charity begins at home. Be kind and patient with your relatives if you want to change the world for the better. Charity starts at home. |
By the way, earlier in our articles we have already considered several expressions on this topic. For example, from the article “” you will learn who is called the “black sheep in the family”. In the article "" we talked about the interesting phraseological unit to bring home the bacon. And from the article “” you will learn about the expression it runs in the family.
We hope that all English idioms about home and family are easy for you to remember and you will be happy to use them in your own speech. And to study them better, download a pdf file with our selection and repeat them several times. We wish you success in English!
Family relationships are one of the most interesting and complex. There are many expressions that characterize family members, their behavior, and character.
Let's look at some idioms that are somehow related to family and family relationships.
The black sheep
This immediately brings to mind the Russian “black sheep”, but in English the black sheep does not carry a negative meaning. To be the black sheep- means to be different from everyone else, to be different, as a rule, from relatives. Therefore, it would be more correct to translate the black sheep as - White crow.
My younger brother is the black sheep. He is different from the rest of the family.
My younger brother is a black sheep. He is different from all members of our family.
To see eye to eye (lit. look eye to eye)
When can people look into each other's eyes? The British believe that when people completely agree with each other, they look at the situation with the same eyes, i.e. see eye to eye.
They split up because they didn't see eye to eye.
They got divorced because they didn’t completely see eye to eye (because they didn’t agree on their personalities).
To be not on speaking terms
The expression itself speaks for itself, namely: that someone don't talk to each other; declare a boycott.
The atmosphere is a bit tense right now as my two sisters aren’t on speaking terms.
Now there is a tense atmosphere in the family, because... the sisters don't talk to each other.
Get-together
The verb to get has many meanings, some of them are to receive, get, collect.
The idiom get-together itself means come together.
We’re having a family get-together to celebrate my dad’s 80th birthday.
Our whole family will gather to celebrate my grandfather’s 80th birthday.
To wear the trousers (lit. wear trousers)
Logically, initially only men could wear trousers, and from time immemorial the man in the family was the head, the breadwinner.
But in the modern world, even a woman can be the head of the family ; These are the ladies we are talking about, about “generals in skirts.”
My sister wears the trousers in that marriage! She makes the decisions and tells her husband what to do.
My sister is the leader in her marriage. She makes all the decisions and tells her husband what to do.
It runs in the family (lit. it runs/moves in the family)
That's what they say about what is passed down in a family from generation to generation , for example: green eye color or the birth of twins.
I only want one more child, but twins run in our family.
I would like another child, but twins (twins) are born in our family.
To have a skeleton in the cupboard (lit. have a skeleton in the closet)
This idiom completely coincides with the Russian expression and is used to describe some kind of family “skeletons”, i.e. secrets, mysteries, little-known and unpleasant things.
Most families have a skeleton in the cupboard. Something happened in the past that they would prefer to keep secret.
Most families have their secrets. Events from the past that I would not like to talk about (I would like to forget).
Own flesh and blood (lit. own (own) flesh and blood)
Of course, they call their blood-children, relatives’ children, siblings, their own flesh and blood, i.e. those who flesh from flesh and blood from blood.
She's your sister! How can you say that about your own flesh and blood?
Is she your sister! How can you talk about your own flesh and blood like that?
A family in harmony will prosper in everything. ~Chinese Proverb
It is easy to govern a kingdom but difficult to rule one’s family.~Chinese Proverb
A man can’t get rich if he takes proper care of his family.~ Navajo Proverb
Even the maid has a family.~South African Proverb
The family is like the forest: if you are outside, it is dense; if you are inside, you see that each tree has its own position. ~ Ghanaian Proverbs
None but a mule denies his family. ~ Arabian Proverb
If you want a place in the sun, you must leave the shade of the family tree.~ Osage Proverb
Dine with a stranger but save your love for your family.~ Ethiopian Proverb
In a good family the husband is deaf and the wife is blind.~ French Proverb
Look for the good, not the evil, in the conduct of members of the family.~ Jewish Proverbs
A dog shows affection even to a poor family. ~Chinese Proverb
The family that prays together stays together. ~Traditional Proverb
A family with an old person has a living treasure of gold. ~Chinese Proverb
If the family is together, the soul is in the right place.~ Russian Proverbs
The one who first shuts up in an argument is from a good family. ~ Slovak Proverbs
You can eat and drink with your family but not count and measure. ~ German Proverbs
When you return from a trip, bring back something for your family- even if it is only a stone. ~ Lebanese Proverb
Man is the head of the family, woman the neck that turns the head.~ Chinese Proverb
Govern a family as you would cook a small fish, very gently.~ Chinese Proverb
In every family's cooking pot is one black spot.~ Chinese Proverb
Quotations about Family
Where can a person be better than in the bosom of their family.~ Marmontel Gretry
In that family where the husband is pleased with his wife, and the wife with her husband, happiness will assuredly be lasting. ~ Brahma
A happy family is but an earlier heaven.~ Sir John Bowring
Christmas is a holiday that we celebrate not as individuals nor as a nation, but as a human family. ~Ronald Reagan Quotes
In intimate family life, there comes a moment when children, willingly or no, become the judges of their parents. ~ Honore de Balzac
Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life! ~Albert Einstein Quotes
Family: Life’s greatest blessing, family is what grounds you. ~Angelina Jolie
The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other. ~Mario Puzo
The family is the first essential cell of human society. ~Pope John XXIII
Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family. ~Anthony Brandt
The family is both the fundamental unit of society as well as the root of culture. It... is a perpetual source of encouragement, advocacy, assurance, and emotional refueling that empowers a child to venture with confidence into the greater world and to become all that he can be. ~ Marianne E. Neifert
Perhaps the greatest social service that can be rendered by anybody to the country and to mankind is to bring up a family. ~George Bernard Shaw
All men are children, and of one family. The same tale sends them all to bed, and wakes them in the morning. ~Henry David Thoreau
At the end of the day, a loving family should find everything forgivable. ~ Mark V. Olsen and Will Sheffer
A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another.~ Buddha
Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard
To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there. ~Barbara Bush
The only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution I know that works, is the family. ~ Lee Iacocca
You leave home to seek your fortune and, when you get it, you go home and share it with your family. ~ Anita Baker
The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof. ~Richard Bach
To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others. ~Pope John Paul II
The family is a haven in a heartless world. ~Christopher Lasch
My family begins with me, your family ends with you. ~ Author Unknown
The trouble with the family is that children grow out of childhood, but parents never grow out of parenthood. ~ Evan Esar
The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt Quotes
Every family should have a plan for work that touches the life of each family member so that this eternal principle will be ingrained in their lives. ~ M. Russell Ballard
No matter what you’ve done for yourself or for humanity, if you can’t look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished? ~ Lee Iacocca
A family can develop only with a loving woman as its center.~ Karl Wilhelm Friedrich
The family is the nucleus of civilization.~ William J. Durant
Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.~ Edna Buchanan
Nothing purchased can come close to the renewed sense of gratitude for having family and friends. ~Courtland Milloy
I would like to be remembered as a man who had a wonderful time living life, a man who had good friends, fine family - and I don’t think I could ask for anything more than that, actually. ~ Frank Sinatra
To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right. ~ Confucius Quotes
God created the family to provide the maximum love and support and morality and example that one can imagine. ~ Jerry Falwell
If we abandon marriage, we abandon the family.~ Michael Enzi
I believe the world is one big family, and we need to help each other.~ Jet Li
Having a place to go - is a home. Having someone to love - is a family. Having both is a blessing. ~ Donna Hedges
The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family. ~Thomas Jefferson Quotes
The whole world is one family.~ Sun Yat-sen
The family is the most basic unit of government. As the first community to which a person is attached and the first authority under which a person learns to live, the family establishes society’s most basic values. ~Charles Caleb Colton
Cherish your human connections: your relationships with friends and family. ~Barbara Bush Quotes
The ultimate economic and spiritual unit of any civilization is still the family. ~ Clare Boothe Luce
I would rather start a family than finish one.~ Don Marquis
The family is the school of duties… founded on love.~ Felix Adler
I don’t care how poor a man is; if he has family, he’s rich. ~ Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford
My family really does come first. It always did and always will. ~ Meryl Streep
The family is the test of freedom; because the family is the only thing that the free man makes for himself and by himself. ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton
A family needs to work as a team, supporting each other’s individual goals and aspirations. ~ Buzz Aldrin
Family means putting your arms around each other and being there.~ Barbara Bush
Love makes a family. ~ Florence Nightingale
The tenure is temporary but the family is permanent.~ Yvonne De Gaulle
The family unit plays a critical role in our society and in the training of the generation to come. ~ Sandra Day O'Connor
He that raises a large family does, indeed, while he lives to observe them, stand a broader mark for sorrow; but then he stands a broader mark for pleasure too. ~ Benjamin Franklin Quotes
A woman can take care of the family. It takes a man to provide structure. To provide stability. Not that a woman can’t provide stability, I’m not saying that… It does take a father, though. ~Tom Delay
Family is the most important thing in the world.~ Princess Diana Quotes
Family is not an important thing, it’s everything.~ Michael J. Fox
If you don’t believe in ghosts, you’ve never been to a family reunion. ~ Ashleigh Brilliant
Marriage is to family what legs are to a table. ~Betty Jane Wylie
Where there is lasting love, there is a family.~ Shere Hite
Children keep a family together, especially when one can’t get a babysitter. ~Frederick Shepperd
Family life is too intimate to be preserved by the spirit of justice. It can be sustained by a spirit of love which goes beyond justice. ~ Reinhold Niebuhr
You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu
Rarely do members of the same family grow up under the same roof.~ Richard Bach
Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored. ~Earl Nightingale
A man cannot leave a better legacy to the world than a well-educated family.~ Thomas Scott
My family is my strength and my weakness.~ Aishwarya Rai
The angel of the Family is Woman. Mother, wife, or sister. ~ Giuseppe Mazzini
In our family, as far as we are concerned, we were born and what happened before that is myth. ~ V. S. Pritchett
Family is just an accident…. They don't mean to get on your nerves. They don’t even mean to be your family, they just are. ~ Marsha Norman
Disorder in the society is the result of disorder in the family.~ Elizabeth Ann Seton
The family is the association established by nature for the supply of man’s everyday wants. ~ Aristotle Quotes
A family is a tyranny ruled over by it’s weakest member. ~ George Bernard Shaw Quotes
A man should never neglect his family for business. ~ Walt Disney
Family life is the source of the greatest human happiness.~ Robert J. Havighurst
