Mexican Sayings In Tagalog

Mexican Sayings in Tagalog

Dichos Mexicanos en Tagalog

Kasabihang Meksikano sa Tagalog

By:  Maria Remedios Layug Zachary

Sa bawat sinungaling may higit pang magaling

A un mentiroso otro mayor

For every liar there is a bigger liar

Pag matigas ang kanin, hasain ang ipin

(Tinapay does not rhyme with ipin but Kanin does)

A pan duro diente agudo

Hard bread, sharp teeth

Adjust your effort to the difficulty of your situation

Camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente

Who among the Tagalog speakers has not heard "Hipong tulog tinatangay ng agos"? 

A sleeping shrimp is being taken away by the current 

I find it amusing that our Tagalog version is a literal translation of the Spanish version.  However, in the USA they say it differently: " If you snooze, you lose"  Translated literally into Spanish:  Si duermes, pierdes

La subida más alta es la caída más dolorosa

Fall from the highest place is the most painful  

Tagalog has something similar:  Kung anong taas ng lipad siyang lakas ng lagapak

Hangad ng maganda ang kapalaran ng pangit 

La suerte de la fea, la bonita la desea

Fate of the ugly one is the desire of the pretty one

 

Ang hindi tumitingin sa patutunguhan naiiwan

Quien adelante no mira, atrás se queda

He who does not look forward is left behind

Ang hindi binibigyan ng Diyos ng mga anak, pinahihiraman ni Satanas ng mga pamangkin 

A quien Dios no le da hijos, el diablo le presta sobrinos

To him who God doesn’t give children, is loaned nephews by the Devil

Said of someone who has no problems of his own but is dealing with someone else’s.  Having no responsibility but the obligation is there.

Kasalan ng mahihirap pabrika ng manglilimos

Casamiento de pobres, fábrica de limosneros

Wedding of poor people, factory of beggars

Poverty breeds poverty

Nawawala ang kalasingan ngunit hindi ang kapangitan

Lo borracho se quita pero lo feo no

Drunkeness goes away, but not ugliness

Mabuti pang matandang dalaga kay sa masama ang asawa

Vale mas quedada, que mal casada

Better unmarried than deal with an a**hole

Sinong loko ang kakain ng apoy

no hay loco que coma lumbre

No fool will eat a fire

Ignorant or lacking in cognitive skills a person may be, he does not choose the worst on his own free will    

Pag mura, mahal

lo barato cuesta caro

That which is cheap costs more

Trying to save money by buying at a low price winds up more costly because cheap items don’t last long 

Sa serbesa nawawala ang dusa

Con cerveza se quita la tristeza

With beer sorrows go away

Don’t take this saying seriously.  We all know what alcohol can do

Pag iilan lang ang kumakain, marami ang kanin

Está bien entre menos burros, mas elotes

It’s okay among fewer donkeys, more corn cobs

When fewer people are using the same resources, everyone can have more

Ang tagal nang kondesa, hindi pa rin marunong mamaypay

tanto tiempo de condesa, y no saber mover el abanico

Long time a countess, and does know how to move a hand fan

Been in a job for too long but still cannot perform his duties

Ang panglabing-isang utos, Hwag mambwisit

EL ONCENO, NO ESTORBAR

Bothering someone should be considered a great offense and should have been the eleventh commandment.  I could have used mangistorbo a Tagalog word with Spanish origin estorbar, but to me the word mambwisit has a stronger effect

Kaya binigyan ng Diyos ng pakpak ang langgam ay upang mas madaling mamatay

Dios le da alas a la hormiga, para morir más pronto

God gave wings to the ant so it can die sooner

Just because you don’t have what someone else has it does not mean your fate is worse     

May mga taong isinilang sa ilalim ng bituin at mayroon din namang napukpok ang ulo kaya nakakakita ng bituin

Unos nacen con estrella y otros nacen estrellados    

Some are born lucky but some are prone to ill-fate 

Nakakita ng bituin is a flowery way of saying seeing stars is the effect of being hit in the head.  This I know because I grew up hearing it as a kid.  Only one in the internet made a reference to this (can be found by typing in:

#(Fair use) lakas ng kamao ni donaire, nakakita ng mga bituin ang kalaban ni donaire

Habang ako ay nasa bahay ko, ako ang hari

Mientras que en mi casa estoy rey soy

It is my house therefore I rule

Malaki ang pagkakaiba ni Pedro kay Pedro

Mucho va de Pedro a Pedro 

Everyone is unique.  Two people can have the same name but they are not the same

Ang katamaran ay ina ng kahirapan

Pereza es la madre de la pobreza

Laziness is the mother of poverty

Work, so you don’t go hungry but what if you are a trust fund baby?

Sa tumtakbong kaaway, pilak na tulay

A enemigo que huye, puente de plata

To the fleeing enemy, silver bridge

When your enemies are running away from you, make it easier for them to flee

 

Hindi nakakamatay ang kaunting lason

Poco veneno no mata

Small poison does not kill

Ang demonyo mahilig sa dahlian

Achaques quiere el diablo 

Devils always find excuses

Walang magagawa ang mga santo kung ayaw ng Diyos

Cuando Dios no quiere, los santos no pueden

Saints can’t do anything if God doesn’t want it

Rosaryo ang nasa leeg ngunit demonyo ang nasa katawan  

El rosario al cuello, y el diablo en el cuerpo

Rosary on his neck, and a devil in his body

He wears a rosary on his neck but he behaves like a devil

Kung hindi magawan ng paraan pagtiisan

Lo que no se puede remediar se tiene que aguantar

If you can’t do anything about it, tolerate it

Pag walang utang walang kinatatakutan                 
El que nada debe nada teme

He who owes nothing fears nothing

You’ve done right by anyone, what’s there to fear?  
 

Mas kaunti ang daldalan, mas kaunti ang sagutan
A menos palabras, menos pleitos

The fewer the words, the less reason for disputes

Mejor:  En boca cerrada no entran moscas

 

Ingatan ang sariling bahay,  hindi ang kapitbahay

Cuida Tu Casa Y Deja La Ajena

Pay attention to your house and leave others alone

This is when you tell your nosy neighbor: 

No es asunto tuyo

Saan ka man mapunta gawin ang makita

Adonde vayas haz lo que veas
When in Rome do what the Romans do

Santo man sa pasyensiya’y nauubusan

Hasta la paciencia de los santos tiene limite

Even the patience of saints has its limits.  

Even saints lose their patience 

Mas mabunganga mas kaunti ang mahihita

El que mucho habla poco logra

One who talks too much accomplish little


Hay que sufrir para merecer

One must suffer in order to deserve

There is a similar Tagalog saying;  Hirap bago sarap

Hardship before good life, I.e., if you want good things in life, work hard to get it


Nalalaman ang kaibigan kung may karamdaman o nasa kulungan
Las amistades se conocen al estar enfermo o en la cárcel

Friendship is known when sick or in jail.  One does not know his real friends until he is in trouble.      
 

Mas maalam ang tonto sa bahay niya kaysa marunong na hindi naman doon nakatira
Sabe más el tonto en su casa que el sabio en la ajena

A fool is smarter in his own house than a smart person in someone else’s house

Familiarity has its advantage 

Hindi makabasag pinggan at ang taas ng mga basag 

Parece que no quiebra un plato y tiene el alto roto

Looks like he doesn’t break a plate  and he has a tall stack of broken ones

Someone who looks like a firm believer in high morals but does otherwise

Kung gusto mong maging kilala,  hwag kang magpaaraw sa kama

Si quieres buena fama, no te de el sol en la cama  

If you want a good reputation, don’t let the sun shine on you in your bed.    

Oversleeping isn’t a good thing

Loko ang Pebrero, ang Marso mas loko

febrero loco y marzo más loco 

During the time when communication system was not like what we have nowadays, this saying was created to warn people that the worst of the winter happens in February and that March isn’t any better

There is an American saying;  March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb

Samantalahin mo ang kakaunti habang ang loko ay naghahanap ng higit

Goza de tu poco mientras busca mas el loco

Enjoy what little you found  while the others are not enjoying because they’re too busy looking for more

Kung gusto mo akong kumanta, bayad ka muna

Si quieres que yo cante , venga la paga delante

If you want me to sing, pay first

Las malas noticias vuelven

Ang masamang balita nagbabalik

Bad news do come back, i.e. you don’t hear it only once

Bawat ulo ay mundo

Cada cabeza es un mundo 

Each head is a world

The world is what we perceive it to be and each person’s head processes reality in this world differently