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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.

  • 142proverbs
  • 10languages
  • 3,060readings
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Refrán del día · November 3
No traves la kuedra muncho ke se aranka Don't pull the rope too hard or it will snap.

36 proverbs in Family

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Refrán № 01 Ladino
Ande no ay Madre no ay ni Padre

Where there is no mother, there is no father either.

18 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 02 Ladino
Ay kayades, ija va naser

Be quiet, a daughter is about to be born. (uncertain)

11 Nov 2026
Refrán № 03 Ladino
Bien ke no se vendio en su tiempo, te vende a ti

Even though he didn't sell out in his own time, he will sell you out. (uncertain)

9 Nov 2026
Refrán № 04 Ladino
De boka a boka se va fin a Roma

From mouth to mouth, one gets all the way to Rome (by asking, you can find your way anywhere).

10 Nov 2026
Refrán № 05 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 № 06 Ladino
Detras de kada mujer komicha ay un ombre haragan i tembel ke la kita loka

Behind every nagging woman is a lazy, idle man who drives her crazy.

37 Nov 2026
Refrán № 07 Ladino
El Dio aprova a los buenos a padre aresentado da ijo alokado

God tests the good: to a settled father he gives a crazy son.

13 Nov 2026
Refrán № 08 Ladino
El ganar i el pedrer son haverim

Gaining and losing are companions.

26 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 09 Ladino
El ke no oye a su mujerika se trava la orejika

He who doesn't listen to his dear wife gets his little ear pulled.

19 Nov 2026
Refrán № 10 Ladino
El lugar del ombre es la plasa i de la mujer es la kaza

A man's place is the square (marketplace) and a woman's place is the home.

36 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 11 Ladino
El melon i la mujer son muy kolay a eskojer, ama el karpuz i el ombre no son

Melon and woman are very easy to choose, but watermelon and man are not.

12 Nov 2026
Refrán № 12 Ladino
El padre peka, al ijo se le apega

The father sins, and it sticks to the son.

40 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 13 Ladino
Ijos no tengo inyetos me yoran

I have no children, yet grandchildren cry for me.

11 Nov 2026
Refrán № 14 Ladino
Ken oye a la djente se kita de la mujer

Whoever listens to people ends up leaving his wife.

21 Nov 2026
Refrán № 15 Ladino
Kresen los ijos, pujan las ansias

As the children grow, the worries grow.

20 Nov 2026
Refrán № 16 Ladino
Kuando una mujer se le yela el korason, se le sana la kavesa

When a woman's heart freezes, her head gets cured.

18 Nov 2026
Refrán № 17 Ladino
La estreya ke le briya

May his star shine (a blessing / wish for good luck).

12 Nov 2026
Refrán № 18 Ladino
La estreya ke le kayga

May his star fall (a curse / wish for bad luck).

10 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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