# The best-known German proverbs

The proverbs Germans grow up with, and what they mean. Chosen from proverb collections (Wikiquote, Wiktionary) and lists of the most used sayings.

- 4 votes · 16 items
- Oct 10, 2021 · Hannah Z.
- https://even.best/en/l/451/the-best-known-german-proverbs

## Top 15

1. **Whoever says A must also say B.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — If you start something, you have to see it through.
2. **Lies have short legs.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Lies are soon found out.
3. **Too many cooks spoil the broth.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — When too many people are involved, things go wrong. Same in English.
4. **The morning hour has gold in its mouth.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Early risers get more done. English: the early bird catches the worm.
5. **Practice makes the master.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Only constant practice makes you good. English: practice makes perfect.
6. **All's well that ends well.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — If the result is good, the troubles are forgotten. Same in English.
7. **He who laughs last laughs best.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Whoever wins in the end was right all along.
8. **Every beginning is hard.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — New things are always difficult at the start.
9. **Whoever digs a pit for others falls into it himself.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Those who try to harm others end up harming themselves; from the Bible (Proverbs 26:27).
10. **The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Children take after their parents. Same in English.
11. **Speech is silver, silence is golden.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Sometimes it's wiser to say nothing.
12. **No diligence, no prize.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Nothing comes without effort. English: no pain, no gain.
13. **Clothes make the man.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Appearance shapes how others see you; also the title of a novella by Gottfried Keller (1874).
14. **Where there's a will, there's a way.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — With enough determination there's always a solution. Same in English.
15. **The dogs bite the last one.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Whoever comes last loses out. English: the devil takes the hindmost.
16. **Whoever rests, rusts.** (-1 · ▲0 ▼1) — If you don't keep active, you lose your abilities.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.