Philippine Sayings

Philippine idioms

There are objections to idioms. They appear with raised forefinger in a know-it all-manner on the scene and contradict themselves. In part they are refuted by empirical research, some touch the field of superstitions ⁽¹⁾. Frequently, they have only the function to confirm the speaker in his judgment. Factors determining a specific action are often down-reduced to apparently correct or wrong ethical attitudes.

Nevertheless proverbs belong - as concentrate of knowledge of life and underdeveloped theories on human behavior- to the cultural of a country. They are educational instruments, claimed with great delight by parents and schools.

The following small and roughly classified selection concentrates on idioms, that have a Philippine origin. However, overlaps with other cultural environments - in particular the Spanish one – cannot be excluded. Finally there is a common ground of human behavior.

Fortunes, Money and Debts	What is easily acquired is easily lost If you make a buying things you do not need, you will soon be selling things you do A debt can be paid, but a kind act not A clear conscience is far more valuable than money When a horse is borrowed, don't look at its teeth Rice is wasted, even the bran You cannot squeeze blood out if there's none left
Past	The tomato plant doesn't grow mangos Do not gore the peg where you are tied Who does not look back to his origins will not reach his destination A mother's actions will be imitated by the child
Sexes	There is no firm virgin that a patient guy can't have He who marries in haste, will live in distress No man is brave in the presence of a crying woman The kick of a female carabao, the massage of the male Where there are flowers there are butterflies
Speaking and Talking	A man that talks too much accomplishes little He who talks first is the guilty party Every kind of animal can be tamed, but not the tongue of man The baby, who doesn't cry does not get fed If you speak evils from others, you shall hear evils in return Speak of the miracle, but don't mention the Saint Be careful that you don't spit on your own fave
Figure and Beauty	Huge but empty head Wealth can be acquired but beauty cannot Beauty will fade, but not goodness A beautiful girl is devils pocket An angel in appearance, a devil underneath
Relatives	Do not eat your fingers
Eating	The rooster who is full will peck still if given grain If it is work, do it fast. If it's food, eat it little by little If there is no patience, there will be no food
Sleeping	It's better to provoke a lion or a tiger, than to provoke a person who just woke up from his sleep It is harder to wake up a person who pretends to be asleep, than a person really asleep A sleeping lobster is carried away by the current
Optimism	There is no muddy water that doesn't clear How matter how long the rope, there is always an end
Education	A young tree is easy to straighten, but when it's big it is difficult One need no inherit wealth if he inherits good manners A child that is given everything will rarely succeed in life The child who is spanked will not grow spoiled
Learning, Knowledge	Knowledge is a wealth that can't be stolen
To act	The dog that does not go around, finds no bone He who waits dies, he who makes others wait lives. God helps him, who starts early God will help those who help themselves A sleeping lobster is carried away by the current While a person is being wounded , he is stronger Grasp the opportunity because the bed bugs will carry and hide them inside the floor He who eats chili gets burned and he who touches the pot gets charcoal on his hands Superficial affection is like smoke that dissipates
Skepticism	Not that is black is charcoal The rattan basket critizes the palm leaf basket, still both are full of holes Don't trust in fortune until you are in heaven He who is choosy often picks the worst Even if you put it in your mouth, it can fall out What goes up must come down Useless labor if someone else eats from it There is no strong man when the sea is worst
All in good time	Don't empty the water jar until rains falls The rain when it falls is fast, but the water from the sea is slow to rise After the harvest, there's no hay Of what use is grass when the horse is dead The bitter melon is not yet cooked and the squash jumped in There is no current that does not bounce back However long the procession, it always returns to the church
Planning	A wise man doesn't see his foot on the ground, he watches his next step People who do not break things first will never learn to create anything Of what use is grass when the horse is dead The crow will turn white and the heron black He who relies merely on affection is trudging a rickety bridge
Shame	It's better to be dead and forgotten than to live in shame
Equality	When it rains, everyone gets wet
Relative	Different towns have different customs
Life	People's life is like a wheel: it goes up, it goes down

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1) Besides idioms or sayings there are also sentences of superstitions. Here some examples. We took them from the book: Tomas D. Andres / Pilar B. Ilada-Andres: Understanding the Filipino, Quezon City, 1987, p. 16 ff:

If a black butterfly lingers around a person, it means that one of his relatives just died

If a person's shadow appears to be without head that person will die soon

Sweeping the floor at night causes one to lose all his wealth

When a star gets near the moon, it is an omen of war