French proverbs about work - Proverbes sur le travail
Here are the most common French proverbs about work.
Enjoy!
Proverbe / Proverb | Literal translation | Idiomatic translation / English equivalent | Meaning |
---|---|---|---|
Si de beaucoup travailler on devenait riche, les ânes auraient le bât doré. | If working hard made you rich, donkeys would be covered in gold. | - | Hard work does not necessarily make you rich |
Les cordonniers sont toujours les plus mal chaussés. | Shoemakers always have the worst shoes | The shoemaker’s son always goes barefoot | A skilled or knowledgeable person commonly neglects to give his own family the benefit of his expertise. |
Toute peine mérite salaire. / Tout travail mérite salaire. | Every trouble taken deserves a salary. | A laborer is worthy of his hire. | Someone should be properly recompensed for his/her effort. |
Un mauvais ouvrier a toujours de mauvais outils. | The bad workman blames his tools | The bad workman blames his tools | People do not want to take responsibility for their mistake / imcompetence |
Ce qui est fait n'est plus à faire. | What is already done needs not to be done | Don't leave till tomorrow what can be done today | Don't leave till tomorrow what can be done today |
Il n'est point de sot métier. | There is no stupid profession | - | All professions are respectable |
Ne remettez jamais à demain ce que vous pouvez faire le jour même. | Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today | Why put off until tomorrow what can be done today | Don't leave till tomorrow what can be done today |
On n'est jamais si bien servi que par soi-même. | You are never better served than by yourself | Don’t count too much on others. Help yourself! | If you want things to be done the way you want, you'd better do it yourself. |
On reconnaît l'arbre à ses fruits. | You recognize a tree by its fruit | The fruit tell the value of the three | You recognize the value of a man by his work (and/or children) |
Qui est propre à tout n'est propre à rien. | The one that is good at everything is a good for nothing | Good at everything, excellent at nothing. | You cannot be good at everything. |
Aide-toi et le ciel t'aidera. | help yourself, and the heavens will help you | God helps those who help themselves | Don't count on others and you'll be fine |
Qui peut le plus, peut le moins. | he who can do the most can do the least | - | If you can do hard things then you can do the easy ones. |
Chacun son métier, les vaches seront bien gardées | each to his craft/task, and the cows will be watched well | mind your own business; tend to your own | You should mind your own business |
c'est en forgeant qu’on devient forgeron | it is by forging that one becomes a blacksmith | practice makes perfect | practice makes perfect |