ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊക്കിനുവെച്ചതു നത്തിനുകൊണ്ടു”
— English Translation:
What was aimed at the crane hit the barn owl. (A blow or penalty meant for one party ends up striking a completely different recipient.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊട്ടിൽക്കൽ പഠിച്ചതെ കോയിക്കൽ പാടൂ”
— English Translation:
What was learned beside the cowshed is all that will be sung at the royal palace. (Rustic upbringing and vulgar habits inevitably show through, no matter how elevated the setting.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊങ്ങണംവളഞ്ഞതു എന്തുപറ”
— English Translation:
Why take the circuitous route all the way around Konganam? (Why take a convoluted, endless detour when a direct path and straightforward point are right before you?)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊട്ടിലിൽ കട്ടിലിട്ടാൽ കയ്യനുംകട്ടിലേറും”
— English Translation:
Place a woven cot inside the cowshed, and even a rogue stable-hand will climb up to lounge on it. (Lowering standards and bringing refined comfort into base settings invites disrespect and improper liberties.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊച്ചികണ്ടവനച്ചിവേണ്ട, കൊല്ലംകണ്ടവനില്ലംവേണ്ട, അമ്പലപ്പുഴവേലകണ്ടവനമ്മയുംവേണ്ടാ”
— English Translation:
He who has seen Kochi cares no more for a wife, he who has seen Kollam cares no more for his home, and he who has seen the Ambalappuzha festival forgets his own mother. (A celebrated saying illustrating how dazzling cities and magnificent spectacles can make one completely forget all domestic ties and responsibilities.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊണിയിരുന്നാൽ ഗുണത്തിനുകൊള്ളാം”
— English Translation:
A touch of sharpness serves a good purpose. (Maintaining a healthy reserve, vigilance, and firmness prevents others from walking all over you.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊച്ചിലെനുള്ളാഞ്ഞാൽ കോടാലിക്കറുകയില്ലാ”
— English Translation:
If you do not pinch it off when it is a tender shoot, even an axe will not cut it down once it is full-grown. (Nip evil in the bud; vices, flaws, and problems must be checked early before they become impossible to control.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊണ്ടവൻ അഞ്ചും”
— English Translation:
He who has received the charge must stay watchful. (Holding ownership, custody, or debt naturally brings vigilance and anxiety.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊഞ്ചൻ കോർത്തു കുളവൻ വറ്റു”
— English Translation:
Hooked the prime prawn as bait, only to have the pond run dry. (Expending your best resources and investments in pursuit of a prize, only to lose both the bait and the opportunity.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊണ്ടവൻ കൊടുക്കും”
— English Translation:
He who has received will repay. (Obligations must ultimately be honored; borrowed resources must find their way back.)

“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.)