ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
നാറ്റാൻകൊടുത്താൽ നക്കരുതു”
— English Translation:
If offered something merely to sniff, do not lick it up. (Do not take improper, greedy liberties when someone extends only a limited, polite gesture.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നായ്ക്കാഷ്ടത്തിനുണ്ടൊ ഇളന്തലയും മുതുതലയും”
— English Translation:
Does dog filth have a tender end and an aged end? (Dross is dross through and through; making pedantic distinctions among base, worthless things is absurd.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നാലാംകുരുന്തല നഷ്ടം”
— English Translation:
The fourth terminal sprout brings only loss. (Folk agricultural wisdom warning that over-harvesting or pushing growth into a fourth cycle leads to diminishing returns and ruin.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നായെ പേടിച്ചോടീട്ടു നരിയുടെ വായിൽ”
— English Translation:
Fleeing in panic from a barking dog straight into the jaws of a tiger. (Out of the frying pan into the fire; escaping a petty annoyance only to fall into mortal peril.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നാലാമത്തെ ആണു നാടുപിടിക്കും”
— English Translation:
A fourth son will conquer the realm. (A traditional folk belief that the fourth male child possesses exceptional drive, daring, and fortunes.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നായ്ക്കാഷ്ടത്തിനു ധൂപംകാട്ടൊല്ല”
— English Translation:
Never wave fragrant incense before dog dung. (Do not squander honor, reverence, or precious gifts upon vile and undeserving rogues.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നാലാമത്തെപെണ്ണു നടപൊളിക്കും”
— English Translation:
A fourth daughter will disrupt family custom. (A traditional folk superstition cautioning against the disruptive impact of birth order upon household traditions.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നായ്ക്കാഷ്ടത്തിനു മേൽകാഷ്ടം ഉണ്ടെങ്കിൽ നായ്ക്കാഷ്ടവും വിലക്കുപോകും”
— English Translation:
If there is a filth even viler than dog dung, even dog dung will fetch a price. (In an atmosphere of complete degradation, the lesser evil becomes prized; everything is relative when compared to a worse catastrophe.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നാലുക്കൊപ്പംവേണംതാനും നാഴിക്കൊരുകോപ്പുമില്ല”
— English Translation:
Insisting on standing equal with the four grand houses, while lacking even grain to fill a measuring cup. (Absurd social posturing and aristocratic pretensions maintained amid complete destitution.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നായ്ക്കു നറുനൈ തങ്ങുമൊ”
— English Translation:
Can a dog's stomach ever hold pure clarified butter? (Base natures cannot handle high honors, unearned luxury, or rich fortunes; it only spoils them or makes them sick.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നാലുതമ്പിദൈവം”
— English Translation:
Four united brothers are equal to a deity. (Steadfast family solidarity and sibling unity hold invincible, godlike strength.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നായ്ക്കു പൊതിയൻതേങ്ങാ കിട്ടിയപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like a dog that stumbled upon an unhusked coconut. (Possessing a prized object that one is completely incapable of opening, using, or enjoying.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നാല്പതൂദിവസം കട്ടാൽ ഉമ്മറപ്പടിയും വിളിച്ചുപറയും”
— English Translation:
If you steal for forty days, even the front threshold will cry out your guilt. (Persistent wrongdoing cannot remain hidden forever; habitual deceit will eventually be exposed by the walls themselves.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നായ്ക്കു മീശവളർന്നാലുണ്ടൊ അമ്പട്ടനുകാര്യം”
— English Translation:
If a dog sprouts whiskers, does it bring any trade to the barber? (Irrelevant occurrences and changes in base quarters create no practical benefit or concern for respectable society.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നാലുതലചേരും, നാലു മുലചേരുകയില്ല”
— English Translation:
Four men's heads can unite in council, but four women's breasts will never dwell in peace. (A traditional patriarchal adage expressing that men can find practical consensus, while rival mistresses under one roof will inevitably clash.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നായ്ക്കൊരുവേലയുമില്ല, നിന്നുപെടുപ്പാൻ നേരവുമില്ല”
— English Translation:
The dog has no work to do, yet has no time even to stand still and relieve itself. (Perpetual, frantic restlessness that produces no meaningful work or purpose.)