Sound like a local: 10 German proverbs

(proverb)

📌 Sie schreibt ihre Romane vor Sonnenaufgang – Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund, sagt sie.

→ She writes her novels before sunrise – the early bird catches the worm, she says.

💡 Stund rhymes with Mund: the morning hour has gold in its mouth 🌅

Bonus English: The early bird catches the worm.

⚠ Morgenstund is an old short form of Morgenstunde, used only in this saying.

(proverb)

📌 Er dachte, niemand würde die gefälschten Zahlen bemerken, aber Lügen haben kurze Beine.

→ He thought nobody would notice the falsified figures, but the truth always comes out.

💡 Lies have short legs, so they can't run far 🦵 You'll get caught!

Bonus a lie = die Lüge · to lie = lügen

(proverb)

📌 Auch die Tochter ist Anwältin geworden – der Apfel fällt eben nicht weit vom Stamm.

→ The daughter has become a lawyer too – the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

💡 Apples land right by the trunk (Stamm) 🍎 Same picture as in English.

Bonus Also used as ‘like father, like son’.

(proverb)

📌 Bei der Pressekonferenz hielt sie sich zurück – Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist Gold.

→ At the press conference she held back – speech is silver, silence is golden.

💡 Talking (Reden) gets silver, silence (Schweigen) gets gold 🥇

Bonus Verbs used as nouns are das: das Reden, das Schweigen

(proverb)

📌 Alle haben über seinen Plan gespottet, doch wer zuletzt lacht, lacht am besten.

→ Everyone mocked his plan, but he who laughs last laughs best.

💡 Whoever laughs last (zuletzt) laughs best (am besten) 😏

⚠ In a wer clause the verb goes to the end: Wer zuletzt lacht, …

(proverb)

📌 Bei sieben Abteilungsleitern im Projekt gilt: Viele Köche verderben den Brei.

→ With seven heads of department on the project, it's a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth.

💡 Too many cooks spoil the porridge (Brei) 🍲 The English has broth instead.

⚠ der Koch has an umlaut in the plural: die Köche.

📌 Die Start-up-Szene wirkt glamourös, doch es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt.

→ The start-up scene looks glamorous, but all that glitters is not gold.

💡 glänzen (to shine) is a cousin of English glint and glance ✨

Bonus Often shortened: Nicht alles Gold, was glänzt.

📌 Ohne Fleiß kein Preis – also ran an die Grammatikübungen!

→ No pain, no gain – so let's get on with the grammar exercises!

💡 Fleiß (hard work) rhymes with Preis (prize) 🏆 No pain, no gain!

Bonus fleißig = hard-working · Du bist so fleißig!

📌 Zweimal bin ich durchgefallen, aber aller guten Dinge sind drei.

→ I failed twice, but third time lucky.

💡 Good things come in threes 3️⃣ Third time lucky!

⚠ aller isn't alle — it's an old genitive plural. Just learn it as it is.

(proverb)

📌 Du hast das Projekt angestoßen; wer A sagt, muss auch B sagen.

→ You started this project; in for a penny, in for a pound.

💡 If you say A, you have to say B 🔤 In for a penny, in for a pound!

Bonus German letters: A sounds like ‘ah’, B like ‘bay’.