ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
കെട്ടു പാടിനു കൊടുത്താൽ മട്ടിനു കിട്ടും”
— English Translation:
If you lend through loose, informal promises, you will be repaid only in dregs. (Vague agreements and lack of documentation result in defaulted debts and total loss.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൂനന്റെ പുറത്തു കുരു”
— English Translation:
A boil erupting upon a hunchback's hump. (Misfortune compounding upon an already heavy affliction; adding insult to injury.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കേമത്തനു കേടില”
— English Translation:
The capable and resourceful suffer no lasting harm. (A truly competent, resilient person always finds a way to navigate adversity safely.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൂനന്റെ നിഴലും കൂനിയിരിക്കും”
— English Translation:
Even the shadow of a hunchback is bent. (A warped character cannot project a straight, noble reputation; reality always reveals inner flaws.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കേട്ടയും മൂട്ടയും വീട്ടിലാകാ”
— English Translation:
Neither the ill-omened star Jyeshtha nor bedbugs should dwell inside the house. (Chronic discord, toxic presences, and pestilence must be kept far from the home.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൂറ കപ്പലിൽ (മണപ്പാട്ടു-ബങ്കാളത്തിനു)പോയപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like a cockroach hitching a ride on a sailing ship to Bengal. (Finding oneself on a grand, unintended voyage far beyond one's station, while remaining merely a helpless nuisance.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കേരളം ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു സ്വർഗ്ഗം, ശേഷംജാതികൾക്കു നരകം”
— English Translation:
Kerala is heaven for the Brahmins, and hell for the remaining castes. (A historical critique of the oppressive feudal order and severe caste hierarchy of old Kerala.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൂറപ്പേൻ ചിനത്താൽ കുതിരക്കുട്ടിയാമൊ”
— English Translation:
Even if a clothes louse conceives, will it ever give birth to a foal? (A base parasite will never produce something noble; nature cannot exceed its kind.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കേൾക്കാത്തവൻ ചത്താൽ ഖേദം ഇല്ല”
— English Translation:
If he who refuses to listen perishes, there is no cause for sorrow. (An obstinate fool who willfully ignores every warning deserves no pity when ruin catches him.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൂറകൂടിയാൽ കാള പുല്ലതിന്നുകയില്ല”
— English Translation:
If swarming with ticks, the bull will refuse to graze. (When overwhelmed by continuous, petty harassment, even the strongest worker breaks down.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കേൾക്കാത്തവനെപ്പോലൊരു പൊട്ടനില്ല”
— English Translation:
There is no fool quite like the one who refuses to listen. (There are none so deaf as those who refuse to hear; deliberate ignorance is the worst folly.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൂറ്റാൻ വെട്ടിയാൽ മുതുകത്തു”
— English Translation:
When a fighting bull strikes, the blow lands squarely on the back. (Dealing with volatile, untamed forces results in severe injuries where least expected.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൈക്കിലകൂടാതെ വാങ്ങിയേക്കുന്നുണ്ടു”
— English Translation:
Acquired cleanly without dispute or entanglement. (A smooth, straightforward transaction free of hidden complications or bitter quarrels.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൂറ്റാരുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ കോട്ട പിടിക്കാം”
— English Translation:
If you have resolute allies on your side, you can capture a fortress. (With steadfast solidarity and loyal companions, even the most daunting challenges can be overcome.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കേൾക്കുമ്പോൾ കെളുനമ്പ്യാർ, കാണുമ്പോൾ നൊട്ടകേളു (കൈയ്യുനോക്കുക)”
— English Translation:
By reputation he is the grand Kelu Nambiar, but in person he is just crippled Kelu. (A high, inflated reputation that crumbles upon seeing the underwhelming reality.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൂവത്തെക്കാളും കുത്തുകൂലി ഏറെയായി”
— English Translation:
The pounding fee cost more than the arrowroot itself. (The cost of repair, processing, or maintenance far exceeds the intrinsic value of the asset.)