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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
  • 37,528readings
Refrán del día · November 8
El mal i el bien en la kara se ven Good and evil show on the face.
Love 36

36 proverbs · Love

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Refrán № 01 Ladino
Ken kere a la rosa ke no mire al espino.

If you love a rose, you must ignore the thorns.

26 Nov 2026
Refrán № 02 Ladino
Ermuera dolor de muela

A daughter-in-law is a toothache.

66 Nov 2026
Refrán № 03 Ladino
Ken se kaza kon amor bive kon dolor

He who marries for love lives with pain.

71 Nov 2026
Refrán № 04 Ladino
Ni novya sin sejas ni boda sin keshas

Neither a bride without eyebrows nor a wedding without complaints.

64 Nov 2026
Refrán № 05 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 № 06 Ladino
Mijor kazar kon una prove ke pelear kon una rika

Better to marry a poor woman than to fight with a rich one.

62 Nov 2026
Refrán № 07 Ladino
Avaz sin aroz es komo boda sin tanyedor

Beans without rice are like a wedding without a musician.

59 Nov 2026
Refrán № 08 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.

56 Nov 2026
Refrán № 09 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 № 10 Ladino
El ke bien se kere en poko lugar kave

Those who love each other fit in a small place.

56 Nov 2026
Refrán № 11 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 № 12 Ladino
Gaste de boda no se aze kada dia

Wedding expenses are not made every day.

60 Nov 2026
Refrán № 13 Ladino
Esfuegra i ermuera son amigas solo en pintura

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

60 Nov 2026
Refrán № 14 Ladino
El ke no kere kazar demanda muncho ashugar

He who does not want to marry demands a big trousseau.

56 Nov 2026
Refrán № 15 Ladino
No save las bragas atar i se kere kazar

He doesn't know how to tie his trousers, yet he wants to marry.

62 Nov 2026
Refrán № 16 Ladino
Ija de kazar fierro de mashkar

A daughter to marry off is iron to chew.

60 Nov 2026
Refrán № 17 Ladino
Ni la esfuegra puede ser madre ni la ermuera ija

A mother-in-law can't be a mother, nor a daughter-in-law a daughter.

58 Nov 2026
Refrán № 18 Ladino
Ande no ay amor, no ay dolor

Where there is no love, there is no pain.

56 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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