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Ladino Forever · Refranes

Ladino proverbs

The proverbs of Ladino Forever: sayings from the Sephardic kitchen table, the wisdom of our grandmothers in Judeo-Spanish, each with its meaning in English and up to six more languages.

  • 557proverbs
  • 10languages
  • 36,959readings
Refrán del día · November 8
El mal i el bien en la kara se ven Good and evil show on the face.
Family 137

137 proverbs · Family

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Refrán № 19 Ladino
Kunyadika Kulevrika

Little sister-in-law, little snake.

63 Nov 2026
Refrán № 20 Ladino
Como el vino son los amores, cuanto mas viejos son mas mijores

Love is like wine: the older, the better.

66 Nov 2026
Refrán № 21 Ladino
Las bokas de la djente no son ridomas ke las puedas tapar

People's mouths are not jars you can cover.

336 Nov 2026
Refrán № 22 Ladino
Ijo mio Manuel, tu padre te keriya haham yo merkader, agora estas en legen

My son Manuel, your father wanted you a hakham and I a merchant; now you are in the legion.

59 Nov 2026
Refrán № 23 Ladino
La bien kazada es la ke no tiene ni esfuegra ni kunyada

The happily married woman is the one who has neither a mother-in-law nor a sister-in-law.

55 Nov 2026
Refrán № 24 Ladino
No kontes los sekretos de tu alma ni a tu ermana

Do not tell the secrets of your soul, not even to your sister.

59 Nov 2026
Refrán № 25 Ladino
Ken madruga desayuna

He who rises early has breakfast.

62 Nov 2026
Refrán № 26 Ladino
El ganar i el peryer son ermanos

Winning and losing are brothers.

61 Nov 2026
Refrán № 27 Ladino
Lo ke te aze tu mano no te lo aze ni tu ermano

What your own hand does for you, not even your brother will do for you.

54 Nov 2026
Refrán № 28 Ladino
Madrasta el nombre ya abasta

For a stepmother, the name alone is enough.

61 Nov 2026
Refrán № 29 Ladino
Ni Mierkoles sin sol, ni ija sin amor, ni bivda sin dolor

Neither a Wednesday without sun, nor a daughter without love, nor a widow without pain.

55 Nov 2026
Refrán № 30 Ladino
Maz vale vizino serkano ke ermano leshano

Better a near neighbor than a distant brother.

55 Nov 2026
Refrán № 31 Ladino
La madre mokoza alava a su ija la tinyoza

The snotty mother praises her scabby daughter.

61 Nov 2026
Refrán № 32 Ladino
Lo ke izites kon tus padres de tus ijos esperes

What you did to your parents, expect from your children.

52 Nov 2026
Refrán № 33 Ladino
Kuando fui ermuera no topi esfuegra i kuando fui esfuegra no topi ermuera

When I was a daughter-in-law I found no mother-in-law, and when I was a mother-in-law I found no daughter-in-law.

60 Nov 2026
Refrán № 34 Ladino
Ken tiene ijos de kazar i en Shabat deve de lavorar

Whoever has children to marry off must work even on Shabbat.

59 Nov 2026
Refrán № 35 Ladino
Ken rey es, de la kara se le ve

Whoever is a king, it shows in his face.

63 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 36 Ladino
Esfuegra i ermuera son amigas solo en pintura

Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are friends only in a painting.

57 Nov 2026
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Ladino proverbs, songs, stories and more

Ladino Forever is a home for the Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) language: proverbs, songs, stories and more, gathered by Michael Halphie for Sephardic families around the world.

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