Pashto is a member of the southeastern Iranian branch of Indo-Iranian languages spoken in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. There are three main varieties of Pashto, Northern Pashto, spoken mainly in Pakistan; Southern Pashto, spoken mainly in Afghanistan; and Central Pashto, spoken mainly in Pakistan.
Just like English, Pashto is also a wide and broad language, it has a short way to convey the meaning of long sentence, i.e. Proverbs used as in English. Here are some of the examples given below with English translation:
- Da bad kaar anjaam bad vee, A bad way has a bad end.
- Sta kho peenza waara gotey pa ghwaro ke dee, Your bread is buttered on both sides.
- Daroghjan au lafajan wroona dee, A boaster and a liar are cousins.
- Khwara khola au sarbey khabaray, A whining mouth and proud words.
- Allah hum paak darbaar ye hum paak, Allah is Clean and so is his court.
- Uuboo woray har booti ta laas achvee, A drowning man catches at a straw.
- Uuba pa khkata zor kavee, Water always seeks a lower level.
- Uuba pa daang na byalegi, Water cannot be separated with a club.
- Adab la bey adaba zda kegi, Manners can be learned from the manner-less.
- Akhtar pat meerah na dey, The Eid is not a secret husband.
- Rishwat har zay ke lara wobasi, A bribe will enter without knocking.
- Kha khaza jannat dey, A cheerful wife is the joy of life.
- Kha da che da khar khkar nishta, A crust cow hatch short horns.
- Che sanga plaar hum haghasay zwey vee, He is his father’s son.
- Dost hagha che pakar rashi, He is my friend that grinds at my mill.
- Che soomra kholey hoomra khabarey, Many men, many words.
- Da spee joota da spee haq dey, Any food or drink a dog tastes becomes his property.
- Da ghal pa geera k khas vee, The thief has a straw in his beard.
- Da faqeer che charta kha halta ye shpa, The beggar spends the night wherever it is convenient.
- Khaza da koor chiraagh dey, Woman is the lamp of the family.
Check out 2023 famous Pashto proverbs and their meaning in English.
1. Da bad kaar anjaam bad vee
A bad beginning makes a bad ending.
A bad way has a bad end.
2. Zwani lewanay vee.
Youth will have its swing.
3. Sta kho peenza waara gotey pa ghwaro ke dee.
Your bread is buttered on both sides.
4. Daroghjan au lafajan wroona dee.
A boaster and a liar are cousins.
5. Rishwat har zay ke lara wobasi.
A bribe will enter without knocking.
6. Kha khaza jannat dey.
A cheerful wife is the joy of life.
7. Kha da che da khar khkar nishta.
A crust cow hatch short horns,
8. Che sanga plaar hum haghasay zwey vee.
He is his father’s son.
9. Dost hagha che pakar rashi.
He is my friend that grinds at my mill.
10. Che soomra kholey hoomra khabarey.
Many men, many words.s
11. Elam da kha sarhi na der kha ao da bad sarhi na der bad joravee
Learning makes a good man better, and an ill man worse.
12. khpal kaar sara kaar lara.
Let each one turn his mind to his own troubles.
13. daasey matal nishta che reekhtya na vee.
There is no proverb which is not true.
14. Wakht da har ghum dawa vee.
Time softens all grieves.
15. taley wakht byarta pa laas na raazi.
Time flies never to be recovered.
16. Izzat kawa izzat ba dey kegi.
He that respects is respected.
17. shtamana khaza ba darna ghulaam joravee.
He that marries for wealth sells his liberty.
18. Kaar pa kawalo kegi.
You cannot do anything by doing nothing.
19. Da taaqat na maharat kha dey.
Skill is stronger than strength.
20. Khairat da koor na shuru kegi.
Charity begins at home.
Da spee joota da spee haq dey.
English : Any food or drink a dog tastes becomes his property
22. Da ghal pa geera k khas vee.
English : The thief has a straw in his beard.
23. Da faqeer che charta kha halta ye shpa.
English : The beggar spends the night wherever it is convenient.
24. Da ooney sal kaala umar dey kho da marghay pakey yawa shpa da.
English : The tree may live for a hundred years, while the bird will perch in it for only one night.
25. Khaza da koor chiraagh dey.
English : Woman is the lamp of the family.
26. Kha khovee ba dey sultan kri au bad khovee ba dey hairan kree.
English : Good behavior will make you a kind, while bad conduct will make you worry.
27. Ghwakhey da har cha khwakhey dee kho peesho prey emaan rawrey dey.
Everyone likes meat, but the cat worships it.
28. Kaga khola pa sook samaigi.
English: A crooked mouth can be set right by a punch.
29. Khwaar au muraad laray khabara da.
English : There is a vast difference between a poor man and luck.
30. Khwar pa hindustan hum khwar vee.
English : Poor here, poor in India.
31Khwara khola au sarbey khabaray. English : A whining mouth and proud words
32. Da abaseen na che uuba ghwaray tagey na ye.
English : If you ask for water from “Abasin” it seems that you are not thirsty.
33. Allah hum paak darbaar ye hum paak.
English : Allah is Clean and so is his court.
34. Uuboo woray har booti ta laas achvee.
English : A drowning man catches at a straw..
35. Uuba pa khkata zor kavee.
English : Water always seeks a lower level.
36. uuba pa daang na byalegi.
English : Water cannot be separated with a club.
37. Adab la bey adaba zda kegi.
English : Manners can be learned from the manner-less.
38. Akhira zamana shwa da chargaano yaarana shwa.
English : The world is coming to an end, the cocks(roosters) are friends.
39. Akhtar pat meerah na dey.
English : The Eid is not a secret husband.
40. Akhtar che tair shi no nakreezay pa dewal utapa.
English : After Eid, of what use is henna ? Paint the walls with it.
41 Chi si krii, hagha ba rebi You reap what you sow.
