20 Dutch proverbs and when to use them
Learn 20 well-known Dutch proverbs (spreekwoorden) with literal translations, meanings, English equivalents and real situations where people use them.
Proverbs are short, fixed sentences that sum up a piece of common wisdom, and Dutch people still use them all the time: to comfort a friend, to tease a colleague or to end a discussion. Here are 20 well-known ones, grouped by situation. For idioms rather than proverbs, see 21 Dutch idioms and sayings, or browse 170+ Dutch idioms on the idioms page.
Patience and practice
| Proverb | Literally | Meaning / English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Haastige spoed is zelden goed. | Hasty speed is seldom good. | More haste, less speed. |
| Beter een vogel in de hand dan tien in de lucht. | Better a bird in the hand than ten in the air. | A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. |
| Alle begin is moeilijk. | All beginning is difficult. | Every start is hard. |
| Oefening baart kunst. | Practice gives birth to art. | Practice makes perfect. |
| Van uitstel komt afstel. | From postponement comes cancellation. | If you put it off, it'll never happen. |
| Wie dan leeft, wie dan zorgt. | Who then lives, who then worries. | We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. |
- Ik wilde de tekst snel afmaken en nu staan er tien fouten in. Haastige spoed is zelden goed. — I wanted to finish the text quickly and now there are ten mistakes in it. More haste, less speed.
- Je hebt een goed bod op je auto. Verkoop hem nu: beter een vogel in de hand dan tien in de lucht. — You've had a good offer for your car. Sell it now: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
- De eerste maanden in een nieuw land zijn zwaar, maar alle begin is moeilijk. — The first months in a new country are tough, but every start is hard.
- Elke dag tien minuten Nederlands spreken helpt echt. Oefening baart kunst. — Speaking Dutch for ten minutes every day really helps. Practice makes perfect.
- Bel de tandarts vandaag nog, want van uitstel komt afstel. — Call the dentist today, because if you put it off, you'll never do it.
- En als het volgend jaar misgaat? Ach, wie dan leeft, wie dan zorgt. — And what if it goes wrong next year? Oh well, we'll deal with that when it happens.
Courage and consequences
| Proverb | Literally | Meaning / English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Wie niet waagt, die niet wint. | Who doesn't dare, doesn't win. | Nothing ventured, nothing gained. |
| Wie A zegt, moet ook B zeggen. | Who says A must also say B. | If you start something, you have to finish it; in for a penny, in for a pound. |
| Wie zijn billen brandt, moet op de blaren zitten. | Who burns his buttocks must sit on the blisters. | You made your bed, now lie in it. |
| Zachte heelmeesters maken stinkende wonden. | Gentle healers make stinking wounds. | Being too soft on a problem makes it worse. |
| Wie de schoen past, trekt hem aan. | Whoever the shoe fits, puts it on. | If the cap fits, wear it. |
- Solliciteer gewoon naar die baan. Wie niet waagt, die niet wint! — Just apply for that job. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
- Je hebt ja gezegd tegen het project, dus nu moet je ook meehelpen. Wie A zegt, moet ook B zeggen. — You said yes to the project, so now you have to help. You can't back out now.
- Hij heeft de hele nacht gefeest en moet om acht uur werken. Wie zijn billen brandt, moet op de blaren zitten. — He partied all night and has to work at eight. He'll have to live with it.
- Als je het probleem nu niet bespreekt, wordt het alleen maar erger. Zachte heelmeesters maken stinkende wonden. — If you don't discuss the problem now, it will only get worse. Sometimes you have to be tough.
- Ik noem geen namen, maar wie de schoen past, trekt hem aan. — I'm not naming names, but if the cap fits, wear it.
Heelmeester is an old word for a doctor or healer; you'll only meet it in this proverb. You'll often hear zachte heelmeesters when someone argues that a tough decision is kinder in the long run.
People and families
| Proverb | Literally | Meaning / English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| De appel valt niet ver van de boom. | The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. | Children are like their parents; like father, like son. |
| Al draagt een aap een gouden ring, het is en blijft een lelijk ding. | Even if a monkey wears a golden ring, it is and remains an ugly thing. | Fancy clothes or money don't change who you are. |
| Ieder huisje heeft zijn kruisje. | Every little house has its little cross. | Every family has its troubles. |
| Geen rook zonder vuur. | No smoke without fire. | There's no smoke without fire. |
| Wie goed doet, goed ontmoet. | Who does good, meets good. | Good deeds are rewarded; what goes around comes around. |
- Haar moeder is ook arts. De appel valt niet ver van de boom. — Her mother is a doctor too. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
- Hij draagt een duur pak, maar hij is nog steeds onbeleefd. Al draagt een aap een gouden ring, het is en blijft een lelijk ding. — He wears an expensive suit, but he's still rude. Fine clothes don't change a person.
- Van buiten lijken ze het perfecte gezin, maar ieder huisje heeft zijn kruisje. — From the outside they look like the perfect family, but every family has its troubles.
- Iedereen praat over problemen bij dat bedrijf. Geen rook zonder vuur. — Everyone's talking about problems at that company. There's no smoke without fire.
- Ze helpt altijd iedereen, en nu helpen de buren haar. Wie goed doet, goed ontmoet. — She always helps everyone, and now the neighbours are helping her. What goes around comes around.
Notice the grammar in the monkey proverb: al + inverted verb means "even if": Al draagt een aap… — Even if a monkey wears…
Comfort and consolation
| Proverb | Literally | Meaning / English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Na regen komt zonneschijn. | After rain comes sunshine. | Good times follow bad times; every cloud has a silver lining. |
| Eind goed, al goed. | End good, all good. | All's well that ends well. |
| Gedeelde smart is halve smart. | Shared sorrow is half sorrow. | A problem shared is a problem halved. |
| Wat niet weet, wat niet deert. | What doesn't know doesn't hurt. | What you don't know can't hurt you. |
- Je hebt je baan verloren, dat is vervelend. Maar na regen komt zonneschijn. — You've lost your job, that's awful. But things will get better.
- De trein had vertraging, maar we waren toch op tijd voor de bruiloft. Eind goed, al goed. — The train was delayed, but we were still on time for the wedding. All's well that ends well.
- Vertel me wat er aan de hand is. Gedeelde smart is halve smart. — Tell me what's wrong. A problem shared is a problem halved.
- Moet ik mijn moeder vertellen dat ik haar vaas heb gebroken? Wat niet weet, wat niet deert. — Should I tell my mother I broke her vase? What she doesn't know won't hurt her.
Smart (sorrow) and deren (to harm) are old-fashioned words. Don't use them outside the proverb.
The grammar of proverbs
Many Dutch proverbs follow the same pattern: wie … , (die) …, meaning "whoever …, (he) …". In both parts the verb goes to the end, just like in a subordinate clause:
- Wie niet waagt, die niet wint. — Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
- Wie goed doet, goed ontmoet. — Good deeds are rewarded.
You'll also hear Wie niet waagt, wie niet wint; both versions are accepted, just as Wie dan leeft, wie dan zorgt repeats wie. More on wie and die in relative pronouns.
Tip: Proverbs sound natural when you react to something someone just told you. Start with Haastige spoed is zelden goed, Oefening baart kunst and Na regen komt zonneschijn: they fit almost any day.
Quick summary
- Dutch proverbs (spreekwoorden) are fixed sentences: quote them as they are, old words like heelmeester, smart and deren included.
- Many have an English equivalent with a different image: tien in de lucht instead of two in the bush, de schoen instead of the cap.
- Lots of proverbs use the pattern wie …, (die) … with the verb at the end of both parts.
- Use them to react: to encourage, to comfort, or to point out consequences.
Practise it
Use these proverbs to react and give advice in Giving opinions, learn more about Dutch attitudes in Culture, and practise linking ideas in Connectors. Then try 20 Dutch animal idioms or browse 170+ Dutch idioms on the idioms page.