55 Irish ‘Seanfhocail’ (Proverbs) and How To Say Them
In a previous article, we listed the elements that make a great seanfhocal (Irish proverb), and why these wise sayings can make an excellent learning tool. Below you will find 55 unique seanfhocail, each with a supporting audio clip and explanation. These seanfhocail are timeless words of wisdom, so we’ve opted for a retro style; each design takes inspiration from the vibrant colours and bold lines of 1950s comic art. Be sure to let us know your favourite seanfhocail in the Comments below!
You will find the accompanying audio clips located beneath each seanfhocal. We recommend that you repeat these sentences to yourself so that you become familiar with the vocabulary and pronunciation. If you’ve been studying Irish for a while, you may be able to figure out the meaning of the words and phrases. Read the explanation in Irish, before finally reading the English description underneath. When you can, work these seanfhocail into your own writing or comhrá. As the seanfhocal says, “Is é an cleachtadh a dhéanann máistreacht” – practise makes perfect!
All of these seanfhocail are recorded by Pól Ó Braoin. You can view Pól’s Irish course, Machnamh an Lae, as well as many other video tutorials, at LetsLearnIrish.com/cursai/
Is fearr go déanach ná go brách.
Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí.
Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir.
Ciall: Tá sé níos fearr teacht go mall ná gan teacht ar chor ar bith.
Meaning: Better late than never.
Ciall: Má mholann tú an duine óg, éireoidh leis ina shaol.
Meaning: Praise the youth and it will succeed.
Ciall: Beidh an scéal níos soiléire tar éis tamaill.
Meaning: Time will tell.
Má chailltear an capall ná caith uait an diallait.
Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile.
Is é an cleachtadh a dhéanann máistreacht.
Ciall: Má chailleann tú rud amháin ná caith uait gach rud a bhaineann leis.
Meaning: If the horse is lost, don’t throw away the saddle.
Ciall: Is minic a bhíonn daoine leis na spéiseanna céanna i gcuideachta a chéile.
Meaning: Birds of a feather flock together/It takes one to know one.
Ciall: Má dhéanann tú cleachtadh rialta le rud ar bith, éireoidh go maith leat.
Meaning: Practise makes perfect.
Má chuireann tú san earrach, bainfidh tú san fhómhar.
Is glas iad na cnoic i bhfad uainn.
Is fearr an tsláinte ná na táinte.
Ciall: Má chuireann tú síolta ag tús na bliana, feicfidh tú an toradh níos moille sa bhliain.
Meaning: You reap what you sow.
Ciall: Ceapaimid go bhfuil na háiteanna atá i bhfad uainn níos fearr.
Meaning: Far away hills are green.
Ciall: Tá sé níos fearr sláinte mhaith a bheith agat ná a bheith saibhir agus tinn.
Meaning: Health is better than wealth.
Is é dochtúir na sláinte codladh.
Thuas seal, thíos seal, sin mar a bhíonn an saol.
Tar éis a fheictear gach ní.
Ciall: Más maith leat a bheith sláintiúil faigh codladh ceart.
Meaning: Health’s doctor is sleep.
Ciall: Bíonn maitheas agus donas ag baint leis an saol i gcónaí.
Meaning: Life is full of ups and downs.
Ciall: Tuigtear achan rud nuair atá an eachtra thart.
Meaning: Hindsight is 20/20.
Ar mhaithe leis féin a dhéanann an cat crónán.
An iomarca cócairí a mhilleann an t-anraith.
Iarr ar bhean uair nó dhó, agus muna dtaga sí, ná bac léi go deo.
Ciall: Taispeánann crónán an chait go bhfuil sé sásta le gach rud.
Meaning: It is for his own sake that the cat purrs.
Ciall: Má bhíonn an iomarca cócairí i mbun oibre, milltear an bia.
Meaning: Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Ciall: Cuir ceist ar bhean uair amháin nó dhó, agus muna bhfuil sí sásta teacht leat, lig di.
Meaning: Ask a woman once or twice, and if she refuses, let her be forever.
Níl lá dá fhad nach dtagann an oíche.
Ní bhíonn saoi gan locht.
Ní mhaireann aon rud ach seal.
Ciall: Tiocfaidh an oíche, is cuma cé chomh fada is atá an lá.
Meaning: Even the longest day must come to an end.
Ciall: Tá laigí agus lochtanna ag gach duine.
Meaning: Even the wise person has faults.
Ciall: Ní mhaireann rud ar bith ach ar feadh tamaill.
Meaning: Nothing lasts more than a while.
Is treise dúchas ná oiliúint.
Is fearr beagán cúnamh ná mórán trua.
Is maith an t-anlann an t-ocras.
Ciall: Cad a dhéanfaidh mac an chait ach luch a mharú?
Meaning: Nature is stronger than nurture. / A leopard can not change its spots.
Ciall: Is fearr cabhair a thabhairt do dhuine ná a rá gur trua leat a chás.
Meaning: A little help is better than a lot of pity.
Ciall: Íosfaidh duine ocrach bia ar bith.
Meaning: Hunger is a good sauce.
Is fearr cara sa chúirt ná punt sa sparán.
Is iad na muca ciúine a itheann an mhin.
Is leor nod don eolach.
Ciall: Is fearr urlabhraí maith a bheith agat ná roinnt airgid i do phóca.
Meaning: A friend in court is better than money in your wallet.
Ciall: Coinnigh súil ar na daoine atá ciúin mar tá gach seans go n-éireoidh leo.
Meaning: It’s the quiet pigs that eat the meal.
Ciall: Níl ag teastáil ón eolaí ach leid.
Meaning: A hint is sufficient for the wise person.
Is fearr mac ag imirt ná mac ag ól.
Is éasca an t-amadán is a mhaoin a scaradh óna chéile.
Is minic ciúin ciontach.
Ciall: Is fearr mac a bheith agat le suim aige i spórt ná mac le dúil aige san ól.
Meaning: It’s better to have a son who is interested in sport than one who is fond of drinking.
Ciall: Caitheann fear na míchéille an iomarca airgid.
Meaning: A fool and his money are easily parted.
Ciall: Tarlaíonn sé go minic go mbíonn duine ciúin ciontach.
Meaning: Silence often denotes guilt.
Is fearr éan sa láimh ná dhá cheann sa sceach.
Is mór idir inné agus inniu.
Ní neart go cur le chéile.
Ciall: Tá sé níos fearr éan a bheith agat i do lámh ná dhá cheann sa tor.
Meaning: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Ciall: Tá a lán difríochtaí ann idir an seansaol agus an saol nua-aoiseach.
Meaning: There are many differences between olden and modern times.
Ciall: Nuair atá comhoibriú ann, éireoidh go geal le rudaí.
Meaning: There is strength in numbers.
Ní mhealltar an sionnach faoi dhó.
Ní léir locht don leannán.
Ní fhaightear aon rud gan saothrú.
Ciall: Ní féidir bob a bhualadh ar an sionnach faoi dhó.
Meaning: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Ciall: Ní fheiceann an duine atá i ngrá locht ar an duine eile.
Meaning: Love is blind.
Ciall: Ní bhíonn fáil ar aon rud gan a lán oibre.
Meaning: No pain, no gain.
Ní ualach do dhuine an fhoghlaim.
Ní hé lá na báistí lá na bpáistí.
Filleann an feall ar an bhfeallaire.
Ciall: Cuidíonn foghlaim le forbairt an duine.
Meaning: Learning is not a burden to anyone.
Ciall: Ní oireann sé do pháistí a bheith amuigh ag súgradh ar lá atá fliuch.
Meaning: The wet day isn’t the day for children to be outside playing.
Ciall: Gearrfar pionós ar dhuine mar gheall ar dhrochghníomhartha.
Meaning: Treachery returns to the treacherous person. / What goes around, comes around.
Go minic ní bhíonn áilleacht ach ar an taobh amuigh.
Éiríonn níos fearr le moladh ná le píonós.
Tagann gach rud chuig fear na foighne.
Ciall: Go minic bíonn cuma álainn ar dhuine ach nuair a chuireann tú aithne air, feiceann tú nach fiú mórán é.
Meaning: Beauty is only skin deep.
Ciall: Bíonn toradh níos fearr ag moladh na ag píonós.
Meaning: Reward works better than punishment.
Ciall: An fear atá foighneach gheobhaidh sé gach rud sa deireadh.
Meaning: Everything comes to the patient man.
Féasta inniu agus gorta amárach.
Coinnigh do shiopa agus coinneoidh do shiopa thú.
Bí go moch i do shuí is go luath i do luí, is ní fada go mbeidh tú chomh saibhir le rí.
Ciall: Bíonn féasta againn lá amháin agus ocras an domhain orainn an lá ina dhiaidh sin.
Meaning: It’s either a feast or a famine.
Ciall: Tabhair aire do do ghnó agus tabharfaidh do ghnó aire duit féin.
Meaning: Mind your business and your business will look after you.
Ciall: Má éiríonn tú go moch ar maidin agus má théann tú a chodladh go luath san oíche, beidh tú sláintiúil, saibhir agus críonna.
Meaning: Early to bed and early to rise, makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise.
Ná déan rud ar bith faoi dheifir.
Nuair a bhíonn an t-ól istigh bíonn an chiall amuigh.
Níor bhris an dea-fhocal béal duine riamh.
Ciall: Ná déan aon rud gan smaoineamh i gceart faoi.
Meaning: Don’t do anything in haste.
Ciall: Nuair a bhíonn duine ar meisce cailleann sé a chiall.
Meaning: When the drink is in, the sense is out.
Ciall: Níor thosaigh dea-chaint troid riamh.
Meaning: A kind word never caused any harm.
Bíonn blas ar an mbeagán.
Bíonn gach coileach teann ar a charn aoiligh féin.
Bíonn dhá insint ar gach scéal.
Ciall: Nuair nach bhfuil mórán le h-ithe agat, bíonn blas níos fearr ar an mbia.
Meaning: Half a loaf is better than none.
Ciall: Bíonn gach coileach cróga nuair atá sé sa bhaile.
Meaning: Every rooster is brave on his own patch.
Ciall: Bíonn dhá thaobh le gach scéal.
Meaning: There are two sides to every story.
An té a luíonn le madraí éiríonn sé le dreancaidí.
An rud is annamh is iontach.
Níl maitheas ar bith sa chearc nach lorgann bia di féin.
Ciall: An duine a théann a chodladh le madraí, éiríonn sé ar maidin le dreancaidí.
Meaning: He who sleeps with dogs rises with fleas.
Ciall: An rud nach dtarlaíonn go minic, cuireann sé níos mó iontais orainn.
Meaning: What’s rare is wonderful.
Ciall: Is droch-chearc í nach bhfaigheann bia di féin.
Meaning: It’s a bad hen that won’t scratch for herself.
Aithnítear cara agus tú i gcruachás.
Na rudaí nach féidir a cheilt – tart, tochas agus grá.
Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin.
Ciall: Feicfidh tú do chairde nuair atá tú i dtrioblóid.
Meaning: A true friend is one who stands by you in hard times.
Ciall: Beidh sé an-soiléir na rudaí seo a fheiceáil – tart, tochas agus grá.
Meaning: The things that cannot be concealed – a thirst, an itch and love.
Ciall: Níl aon áit chomh compordach agus slán sábháilte le do theach féin.
Meaning: There is no place like home.
Bígí páirteach!
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