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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
  • 36,728readings
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 № 91 Ladino
Lo izo el echo komo su kara

He did the deed just like his face.

57 Nov 2026
Refrán № 92 Ladino
La mujer puede trokar la kolor de su pelo, ama nunka no puede trokar el karakter de su selo

A woman can change the color of her hair, but she can never change the character of her jealousy.

57 Nov 2026
Refrán № 93 Ladino
La ija en la fasha, el ashugar en la kasha

The daughter in swaddling clothes, the trousseau in the chest.

56 Nov 2026
Refrán № 94 Ladino
Mis ijos kazados mis males doblados

My children married, my troubles doubled.

56 Nov 2026
Refrán № 95 Ladino
Kuando la vieja se kere alegrar, se akodra de su ashugar

When the old woman wants to cheer up, she remembers her trousseau.

56 Nov 2026
Refrán № 96 Ladino
Esfuegra i ermuera son amigas solo en pintura

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

56 Nov 2026
Refrán № 97 Ladino
Detras de kada ombre ke reushe ay una mujer

Behind every successful man there is a woman.

56 Nov 2026
Refrán № 98 Ladino
Todos los dedos de la mano no son unos

All the fingers of the hand are not the same.

56 Nov 2026
Refrán № 99 Ladino
Yerno komo el sol de invierno

A son-in-law is like the winter sun.

56 Nov 2026
Refrán № 100 Ladino
Si keres ser buena esfuegra i por tu ermuera alavada, ten la bolsa bien avierta i la boka bien serrada

If you want to be a good mother-in-law, praised by your daughter-in-law, keep your purse wide open and your mouth tightly shut.

56 Nov 2026
Refrán № 101 Ladino
Ken te amara mas ke tu mama, kon palavras te enganyara

Whoever loves you more than your mother will deceive you with words.

55 Nov 2026
Refrán № 102 Ladino
Lo ke es la reyna para el rey, es la mujer para el marido

What the queen is to the king, the wife is to the husband.

55 Nov 2026
Refrán № 103 Ladino
Lavoro empesado no se mostra ni a esfuegra, ni a kunyada, ni a vizina ayreada

Unfinished work should not be shown to the mother-in-law, the sister-in-law, or the nosy neighbor. (uncertain: "ayreada")

55 Nov 2026
Refrán № 104 Ladino
Ijo fuites padre seras,lo ke izites te azeran

You were a son, you will be a father; what you did, will be done to you.

55 Nov 2026
Refrán № 105 Ladino
Maz vale vizino serkano ke ermano leshano

Better a near neighbor than a distant brother.

55 Nov 2026
Refrán № 106 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 № 107 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 № 108 Ladino
Esfuegra ni de barrio buena

No mother-in-law is good, not even one from a good neighborhood.

55 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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