Send
Ladino Forever · Refranes

Ladino proverbs

The proverbs of Ladino Forever: sayings from the Sephardic kitchen table, the wisdom of our grandmothers in Judeo-Spanish, each with its meaning in English and up to six more languages.

  • 142proverbs
  • 10languages
  • 3,067readings
Send a proverb
Refrán del día · November 3
No traves la kuedra muncho ke se aranka Don't pull the rope too hard or it will snap.
Refrán № 73 Ladino
Lo ke no te agrada no lo agas al denfrente

Don't do to the one in front of you what you don't like yourself.

18 Nov 2026
Refrán № 74 Ladino
Un ombre sin amigo es komo la mano derecha sin la siedra

A man without a friend is like the right hand without the left.

19 Nov 2026
Refrán № 75 Ladino
Ni novya sin velo ni mujer sin selo

Neither a bride without a veil nor a wife without jealousy.

22 Nov 2026
Refrán № 76 Ladino
Ombre muerto no aze gerra

A dead man makes no war.

22 Nov 2026
Refrán № 77 Ladino
Mijor es tomar ombre sin paras, ke paras sin ombre

Better to marry a man without money than money without a man.

19 Nov 2026
Refrán № 78 Ladino
La mujer no es kamiza ke se troka

A woman is not a shirt to be changed.

20 Nov 2026
Refrán № 79 Ladino
Mala la madre, mala la ija, mala la kolcha ke las kuvija

Bad the mother, bad the daughter, bad the quilt that covers them.

18 Nov 2026
Refrán № 80 Ladino
Boka dulse avre puertas de fierro

A sweet mouth opens iron doors.

23 Nov 2026
Refrán № 81 Ladino
El novyo es muy ermozo, komo el gato enganyozo

The groom is very handsome, like the deceitful cat.

19 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 82 Ladino
La agua pasa, el lodo keda

The water goes but the mud stays

27 Nov 2026
Refrán № 83 Ladino
Si no saves nadar ke bushkas en el borde del mar

If you can't swim what are you doing at the seaside.

24 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 84 Ladino
Kuando los echos avlan, las palavras sovran

When the work talks,words are unnecessary.

27 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 85 Ladino
No le mires la kara, mirale la grasya

When the work talks,words are unnecessary.

19 Nov 2026
Refrán № 86 Ladino
Akel se yama alegre i kontente, el ke tiene plazer del prospero del d’enfrente

Don't look at his face,look at his grace.

38 3 Nov 2026
Refrán № 87 Ladino
Mil penseryos no pagan una devda

A thousand worries do not pay a debt.

27 2 Nov 2026
Refrán № 88 Ladino
De tal palo tala estiya, de tal padre tal ijo

From such a tree, such a splinter; like father, like son.

31 2 Nov 2026
Refrán № 89 Ladino
Tripa vaziya korason sin alegria

An empty belly, a heart without joy.

23 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 90 Ladino
El amor es dolor de kulo ke no desha durmir a dinguno

Love is a pain in the backside that lets no one sleep.

22 1 Nov 2026
Explore Ladino Forever

Ladino proverbs, songs, stories and more

Ladino Forever is a home for the Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) language: proverbs, songs, stories and more, gathered by Michael Halphie for Sephardic families around the world.

About Ladino Forever and the Ladino language