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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.

  • 556proverbs
  • 10languages
  • 34,178readings
Refrán del día · November 8
Asukar en la boka no ayuda si tu korason es amargo Sugar in the mouth does not help if your heart is bitter.
Love 36

36 proverbs · Love

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Refrán № 19 Ladino
No save las bragas atar i se kere kazar

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

56 Nov 2026
Refrán № 20 Ladino
Kuando el ambre entra por la puerta, el amor sale por la ventana

When hunger comes in through the door, love goes out through the window.

56 Nov 2026
Refrán № 21 Ladino
Ija de kazar fierro de mashkar

A daughter to marry off is iron to chew.

55 Nov 2026
Refrán № 22 Ladino
Kada dia no es boda

Every day is not a wedding.

55 Nov 2026
Refrán № 23 Ladino
Gaste de boda no se aze kada dia

Wedding expenses are not made every day.

55 Nov 2026
Refrán № 24 Ladino
Esfuegra i ermuera son amigas solo en pintura

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

55 Nov 2026
Refrán № 25 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.

55 Nov 2026
Refrán № 26 Ladino
Avaz sin aroz es komo boda sin tanyedor

Beans without rice are like a wedding without a musician.

55 Nov 2026
Refrán № 27 Ladino
Mas vale pan kon amor ke gayna kon dolor

Better bread with love than a hen with sorrow.

54 Nov 2026
Refrán № 28 Ladino
Antes de kazar la muchacha tiene siete brasos i una boka, despues de kazar tiene un braso i siete bokas

Before marriage a girl has seven arms and one mouth; after marriage she has one arm and seven mouths.

54 Nov 2026
Refrán № 29 Ladino
Ande no ay amor, no ay dolor

Where there is no love, there is no pain.

53 Nov 2026
Refrán № 30 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.

53 Nov 2026
Refrán № 31 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.

52 Nov 2026
Refrán № 32 Ladino
Barre la ermuera komo ve la esfuegra

The daughter-in-law sweeps as the mother-in-law sees fit.

52 Nov 2026
Refrán № 33 Ladino
El ke bien se kere en poko lugar kave

Those who love each other fit in a small place.

51 Nov 2026
Refrán № 34 Ladino
El ke no kere kazar demanda muncho ashugar

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

50 Nov 2026
Refrán № 35 Ladino
Si de tu novya izites tu mujer, aze tambien te tu mujer tu novya

If you made your bride your wife, make your wife your bride too.

41 Nov 2026
Refrán № 36 Ladino
Ken kere a la rosa ke no mire al espino.

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

24 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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