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.
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.
Ciall: Tá sé níos fearr teacht go mall ná gan teacht ar chor ar bith.
Meaning: Better late than never.
Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí.
Ciall: Má mholann tú an duine óg, éireoidh leis ina shaol.
Meaning: Praise the youth and it will succeed.
Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir.
Ciall: Beidh an scéal níos soiléire tar éis tamaill.
Meaning: Time will tell.
Má chailltear an capall ná caith uait an diallait.
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.
Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile.
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.
Is é an cleachtadh a dhéanann máistreacht.
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.
Ciall: Má chuireann tú síolta ag tús na bliana, feicfidh tú an toradh níos moille sa bhliain.
Meaning: You reap what you sow.
Is glas iad na cnoic i bhfad uainn.
Ciall: Ceapaimid go bhfuil na háiteanna atá i bhfad uainn níos fearr.
Meaning: Far away hills are green.
Is fearr an tsláinte ná na táinte.
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.
Ciall: Más maith leat a bheith sláintiúil faigh codladh ceart.
Meaning: Health’s doctor is sleep.
Thuas seal, thíos seal, sin mar a bhíonn an saol.
Ciall: Bíonn maitheas agus donas ag baint leis an saol i gcónaí.
Meaning: Life is full of ups and downs.
Tar éis a fheictear gach ní.
Ciall: Tuigtear achan rud nuair atá an eachtra thart.
Meaning: Hindsight is 20/20.
Ar mhaithe leis féin a dhéanann an cat crónán.
Ciall: Taispeánann crónán an chait go bhfuil sé sásta le gach rud.
Meaning: It is for his own sake that the cat purrs.
An iomarca cócairí a mhilleann an t-anraith.
Ciall: Má bhíonn an iomarca cócairí i mbun oibre, milltear an bia.
Meaning: Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Iarr ar bhean uair nó dhó, agus muna dtaga sí, ná bac léi go deo.
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.
Ciall: Tiocfaidh an oíche, is cuma cé chomh fada is atá an lá.
Meaning: Even the longest day must come to an end.
Ní bhíonn saoi gan locht.
Ciall: Tá laigí agus lochtanna ag gach duine.
Meaning: Even the wise person has faults.
Ní mhaireann aon rud ach seal.
Ciall: Ní mhaireann rud ar bith ach ar feadh tamaill.
Meaning: Nothing lasts more than a while.
Is treise dúchas ná oiliúint.
Ciall: Cad a dhéanfaidh mac an chait ach luch a mharú?
Meaning: Nature is stronger than nurture. / A leopard can not change its spots.
Is fearr beagán cúnamh ná mórán trua.
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.
Is maith an t-anlann an t-ocras.
Ciall: Íosfaidh duine ocrach bia ar bith.
Meaning: Hunger is a good sauce.
Is fearr cara sa chúirt ná punt sa sparán.
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.
Is iad na muca ciúine a itheann an mhin.
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.
Is leor nod don eolach.
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.
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.
Is éasca an t-amadán is a mhaoin a scaradh óna chéile.
Ciall: Caitheann fear na míchéille an iomarca airgid.
Meaning: A fool and his money are easily parted.
Is minic ciúin ciontach.
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.
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.
Is mór idir inné agus inniu.
Ciall: Tá a lán difríochtaí ann idir an seansaol agus an saol nua-aoiseach.
Meaning: There are many differences between olden and modern times.
Ní neart go cur le chéile.
Ciall: Nuair atá comhoibriú ann, éireoidh go geal le rudaí.
Meaning: There is strength in numbers.
Ní mhealltar an sionnach faoi dhó.
Ciall: Ní féidir bob a bhualadh ar an sionnach faoi dhó.
Meaning: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Ní léir locht don leannán.
Ciall: Ní fheiceann an duine atá i ngrá locht ar an duine eile.
Meaning: Love is blind.
Ní fhaightear aon rud gan saothrú.
Ciall: Ní bhíonn fáil ar aon rud gan a lán oibre.
Meaning: No pain, no gain.
Ní ualach do dhuine an fhoghlaim.
Ciall: Cuidíonn foghlaim le forbairt an duine.
Meaning: Learning is not a burden to anyone.
Ní hé lá na báistí lá na bpáistí.
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.
Filleann an feall ar an bhfeallaire.
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.
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.
Éiríonn níos fearr le moladh ná le píonós.
Ciall: Bíonn toradh níos fearr ag moladh ná ag píonós.
Meaning: Reward works better than punishment.
Tagann gach rud chuig fear na foighne.
Ciall: An fear atá foighneach gheobhaidh sé gach rud sa deireadh.
Meaning: Everything comes to the patient man.
Féasta inniu agus gorta amárach.
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.
Coinnigh do shiopa agus coinneoidh do shiopa thú.
Ciall: Tabhair aire do do ghnó agus tabharfaidh do ghnó aire duit féin.
Meaning: Mind your business and your business will look after you.
Bí go moch i do shuí is go luath i do luí, is ní fada go mbeidh tú chomh saibhir le rí.
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.
Ciall: Ná déan aon rud gan smaoineamh i gceart faoi.
Meaning: Don’t do anything in haste.
Nuair a bhíonn an t-ól istigh bíonn an chiall amuigh.
Ciall: Nuair a bhíonn duine ar meisce cailleann sé a chiall.
Meaning: When the drink is in, the sense is out.
Níor bhris an dea-fhocal béal duine riamh.
Ciall: Níor thosaigh dea-chaint troid riamh.
Meaning: A kind word never caused any harm.
Bíonn blas ar an mbeagán.
Ciall: Nuair nach bhfuil mórán le h-ithe agat, bíonn blas níos fearr ar an mbia.
Meaning: Half a loaf is better than none.
Bíonn gach coileach teann ar a charn aoiligh féin.
Ciall: Bíonn gach coileach cróga nuair atá sé sa bhaile.
Meaning: Every rooster is brave on his own patch.
Bíonn dhá insint ar gach scéal.
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.
Ciall: An duine a théann a chodladh le madraí, éiríonn sé ar maidin le dreancaidí.
Meaning: He who sleeps with dogs rises with fleas.
An rud is annamh is iontach.
Ciall: An rud nach dtarlaíonn go minic, cuireann sé níos mó iontais orainn.
Meaning: What’s rare is wonderful.
Níl maitheas ar bith sa chearc nach lorgann bia di féin.
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.
Ciall: Feicfidh tú do chairde nuair atá tú i dtrioblóid.
Meaning: A true friend is one who stands by you in hard times.
Na rudaí nach féidir a cheilt – tart, tochas agus grá.
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.
Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin.
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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