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
  • 3,216readings
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 № 91 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.

20 Nov 2026
Refrán № 92 Ladino
Le prometyeron a Rahel, le dyeron a Lea

They promised him Rachel, they gave him Leah.

17 Nov 2026
Refrán № 93 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 № 94 Ladino
Lo ke ven los ojos, no se olvida el korason

What the eyes see, the heart does not forget.

19 Nov 2026
Refrán № 95 Ladino
Lo mio es tuyo i lo tuyo es mio

What is mine is yours and what is yours is mine.

20 Nov 2026
Refrán № 96 Ladino
Los anyos ke bivi no los va bivir mas

The years I have lived, I will not live again.

273 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 97 Ladino
Madre miya mi kerida, para ke me parites

My dear mother, why did you give birth to me?

16 Nov 2026
Refrán № 98 Ladino
Mal yevando bien esperando

Enduring the bad, hoping for the good.

13 Nov 2026
Refrán № 99 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 № 100 Ladino
Maldision sin razon torna a su patron

A curse without cause returns to its owner.

24 Nov 2026
Refrán № 101 Ladino
Marido en kaza dolor de keshada

A husband at home is a pain in the jaw.

15 Nov 2026
Refrán № 102 Ladino
Mas le das kara, mas demanda

The more you give face (indulge), the more (s)he demands.

21 Nov 2026
Refrán № 103 Ladino
Mas vale la piedra del amigo ke de la mansana del enemigo

A stone from a friend is better than an apple from an enemy.

26 Nov 2026
Refrán № 104 Ladino
Mas vale poko ke nada

It's better a little than nothing.

28 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 105 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 № 106 Ladino
Mil penseryos no pagan una devda

A thousand worries do not pay a debt.

28 2 Nov 2026
Refrán № 107 Ladino
Moneda se gana kon moneda

Money is earned with money.

12 Nov 2026
Refrán № 108 Ladino
Moz Dieron agua de pozo

They gave us well water. (uncertain, possibly idiomatic)

15 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