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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.

  • 164proverbs
  • 10languages
  • 6,079readings
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Refrán del día · November 4
Ken oye a la djente se kita de la mujer Whoever listens to people ends up leaving his wife.
Refrán № 91 Ladino
La ke se alava kon su boka es loka

He who praises himself with his own mouth is a fool.

68 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 92 Ladino
La madre kon la ija komo piedra en aniyo

Mother and daughter are like a stone in a ring (inseparable, a precious bond).

25 Nov 2026
Refrán № 93 Ladino
La mujer aze, La mujer dezaze

A woman makes, a woman destroys.

28 Nov 2026
Refrán № 94 Ladino
La mujer baylando el marido yorando

The wife dances while the husband cries.

40 Nov 2026
Refrán № 95 Ladino
La mujer buena la kaza yena

A good woman fills the house.

48 Nov 2026
Refrán № 96 Ladino
La mujer destruyedera vazya del marido la aldikera

A wasteful wife empties her husband's pocket.

25 Nov 2026
Refrán № 97 Ladino
La mujer es komo la uva, kuando se aruga se aze mas dulse i mas savroza

A woman is like a grape: when she wrinkles, she becomes sweeter and tastier.

45 Nov 2026
Refrán № 98 Ladino
La mujer guadra el sekreto ke no save

A woman keeps the secret she doesn't know.

207 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 99 Ladino
La mujer i el vino kitan al ombre del tino

Woman and wine make a man lose his senses.

18 Nov 2026
Refrán № 100 Ladino
La mujer no es kamiza ke se troka

A woman is not a shirt to be changed.

34 Nov 2026
Refrán № 101 Ladino
La mujer puede trokar la kolor de su pelo, ama nunka no puede trokar el karakter de su selo

A woman can change the color of her hair, but she can never change the character of her jealousy.

16 Nov 2026
Refrán № 102 Ladino
La okazyon aze al ladron

Opportunity makes the thief.

35 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 103 Ladino
La tierra vale tanto, komo el ombre ke la lavora

The land is worth as much as the man who works it.

20 Nov 2026
Refrán № 104 Ladino
Las desgrasias nunka no vienen solas

Disasters never come alone.

36 Nov 2026
Refrán № 105 Ladino
Las ideas son komo pulgas, saltan de uno al otro ma no pikan a todos

Ideas are like fleas: they jump from one person to another, but they don't bite everyone.

37 Nov 2026
Refrán № 106 Ladino
Lavoro empesado no se mostra ni a esfuegra, ni a kunyada, ni a vizina ayreada

Unfinished work should not be shown to the mother-in-law, the sister-in-law, or the nosy neighbor. (uncertain: "ayreada")

16 Nov 2026
Refrán № 107 Ladino
Le prometyeron a Rahel, le dyeron a Lea

They promised him Rachel, they gave him Leah.

34 Nov 2026
Refrán № 108 Ladino
Lentejas... Si keres las komes i si no las deshas

Lentils... if you want, you eat them, and if not, you leave them (take it or leave it).

16 Nov 2026
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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.

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