Proverbs and sayings Spréchwierder an Ausdréck
Sayings are a way of speaking, not of reading word for word. Learn the words for proverb, quotation and figurative speech, and a set of sayings that the national dictionary records with their meaning.
By the end of this lesson you can
- Say that something is a proverb, a quotation or a figure of speech.
- Tell a literal meaning from a figurative one.
- Understand a dozen sayings built on animals and everyday things.
- Quote a saying and explain what it means.
23 words and phrases
- d'Spréchwuert
- proverb Plural: d'Spréchwierder.
- bildlech
- figurative, figuratively
- wuertwiertlech
- literal, word for word
- d'Sënnbild
- allegory, emblem Plural: d'Sënnbiller.
- d'Zitat
- quotation Plural: d'Zitater.
- den Ausdrock
- expression, phrase Plural: d'Ausdréck.
- den Iesel
- donkey The saying is used when someone will not let himself be helped.
- den Deckel
- lid The saying means that everyone finds a fitting partner in the end.
- den Damp
- smoke, steam Plural: d'Dämp. The saying means that there is usually some truth behind a rumour.
- den Honger
- hunger The saying means that anyone in a bad way is ready for anything.
- de Wollef
- wolf Plural: d'Wëllef. The saying means that he always adopts other people's opinion.
- d'Maus
- mouse Plural: d'Mais. The saying means that one should always keep more than one option open.
- de Brand
- fire, blaze Plural: d'Bränn. The saying means that with many people a lot can be achieved.
- bäissen
- to bite The saying means that people who seem angry often are not really.
- de Bonjour
- greeting, hello The saying means that politeness costs nothing.
- den Äisbierg
- iceberg Plural: d'Äisbierger. The saying means that you only know a small part of the matter.
- briechen
- to break The saying means that whoever does nothing can do nothing wrong.
- d'Remark
- remark, comment
- schwéier
- difficult, heavy
- einfach
- simple
- wierklech
- real, really
- parat
- ready
- billen
- to bark
Grammar
Literal or figurative?
A saying is almost never meant word for word. The dictionary marks such uses and explains them in plain words. Use bildlech for figurative and wuertwiertlech for literal.
The same words can be taken both ways, so a listener often needs to be told which one you mean.
- Meng lescht Remark war bildlech ze verstoen, net wuertwiertlech. — My last remark was to be understood figuratively, not literally.
- Et ass dacks schwéier, bildlech Ausdréck mat einfache Wierder ze erklären. — It is often hard to explain figurative expressions in simple words.
- Huel net alles, wat ech soen, esou wuertwiertlech! — Do not take everything I say so literally!
How a saying is built
Many sayings state a general rule in the present tense. They often open with wien (whoever), wou (where) or wann (when), and the second half starts with deen, ass or da.
A saying about people in general can also have a plural subject with a relative clause: Honn, déi billen, bäissen net.
- Wien näischt mécht, deen näischt brécht! — Whoever does nothing breaks nothing!
- Wou Damp ass, ass och Feier. — Where there is smoke, there is fire.
- Wann et dem Iesel ze wuel ass, da geet en op d'Äis danzen. — When the donkey is too well off, he goes dancing on the ice.
Quoting and expressing
Zitat is a quotation taken from someone. Ausdrock is a phrase or a way of putting something. The fixed phrase zum Ausdrock bréngen means to give expression to a feeling.
- Vu wiem ass dat Zitat scho méi? — Who is that quotation by again?
- De President huet an der Reunioun säin Ierger zum Ausdrock bruecht. — The president expressed his anger at the meeting.
- Du hues wierklech fir all Situatioun e Spréchwuert parat! — You really have a proverb ready for every situation!
Practice
14 exercises: multiple choice, typing, matching pairs and word order.