Send
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
  • 34,558readings
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

Clear
Refrán № 01 Ladino
De boka a boka se va fin a Roma

From mouth to mouth, one gets all the way to Rome (by asking, you can find your way anywhere).

453 2 Nov 2026
Refrán № 02 Ladino
La mujer guadra el sekreto ke no save

A woman keeps the secret she doesn't know.

358 2 Nov 2026
Refrán № 03 Ladino
Las bokas de la djente no son ridomas ke las puedas tapar

People's mouths are not jars you can cover.

331 Nov 2026
Refrán № 04 Ladino
El padre peka, al ijo se le apega

The father sins, and it sticks to the son.

109 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 05 Ladino
Padre i Madre es una vez

Father and Mother is only once.

89 4 Nov 2026
Refrán № 06 Ladino
El lugar del ombre es la plasa i de la mujer es la kaza

A man's place is the square (marketplace) and a woman's place is the home.

79 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 07 Ladino
Detras de kada mujer komicha ay un ombre haragan i tembel ke la kita loka

Behind every nagging woman is a lazy, idle man who drives her crazy.

77 Nov 2026
Refrán № 08 Ladino
Las ideas son komo pulgas, saltan de uno al otro ma no pikan a todos

Ideas are like fleas: they jump from one person to another, but they don't bite everyone.

76 Nov 2026
Refrán № 09 Ladino
Ande no ay Madre no ay ni Padre

Where there is no mother, there is no father either.

76 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 10 Ladino
La mujer es komo la uva, kuando se aruga se aze mas dulse i mas savroza

A woman is like a grape: when she wrinkles, she becomes sweeter and tastier.

75 Nov 2026
Refrán № 11 Ladino
El ganar i el pedrer son haverim

Gaining and losing are companions.

75 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 12 Ladino
La mujer buena la kaza yena

A good woman fills the house.

75 Nov 2026
Refrán № 13 Ladino
Ken mete kara toma marido i kaza, ken no, keda en kaza

Whoever dares gets a husband and a home; whoever doesn't, stays at home (fortune favors the bold).

74 1 Nov 2026
Refrán № 14 Ladino
Ni mierkoles sin sol, ni ija sin amor

No Wednesday without sun, no daughter without love.

73 Nov 2026
Refrán № 15 Ladino
El Dio aprova a los buenos a padre aresentado da ijo alokado

God tests the good: to a settled father he gives a crazy son.

73 Nov 2026
Refrán № 16 Ladino
De tal palo tala estiya, de tal padre tal ijo

From such a tree, such a splinter; like father, like son.

72 2 Nov 2026
Refrán № 17 Ladino
El ke no oye a su mujerika se trava la orejika

He who doesn't listen to his dear wife gets his little ear pulled.

72 Nov 2026
Refrán № 18 Ladino
Mala la madre, mala la ija, mala la kolcha ke las kuvija

Bad the mother, bad the daughter, bad the quilt that covers them.

72 Nov 2026
Explore Ladino Forever

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.

About Ladino Forever and the Ladino language