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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.

  • 164proverbs
  • 10languages
  • 6,185readings
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Refrán del día · November 4
Ken oye a la djente se kita de la mujer Whoever listens to people ends up leaving his wife.
Refrán № 145 Ladino
Ken no gusto amargura no puede apresiar lo dulse

Whoever has not tasted bitterness cannot appreciate sweetness.

22 Nov 2026
Refrán № 146 Ladino
Kada uno es rey en su kaza

Everyone is king in his own home.

22 Nov 2026
Refrán № 147 Ladino
El melon i la mujer son muy kolay a eskojer, ama el karpuz i el ombre no son

Melon and woman are very easy to choose, but watermelon and man are not.

22 Nov 2026
Refrán № 148 Ladino
Kada uno en su kaza i El Dio en la de todos

Each one in his own house, and God in everyone's.

21 Nov 2026
Refrán № 149 Ladino
Yerros de kazados ke no sepan vizindados

The faults of married couples should not be known to the neighbors.

20 Nov 2026
Refrán № 150 Ladino
La tierra vale tanto, komo el ombre ke la lavora

The land is worth as much as the man who works it.

20 Nov 2026
Refrán № 151 Ladino
Tu marido ke te kera komo la sal

A husband who loves you like salt (dearly, as something essential). (uncertain)

19 Nov 2026
Refrán № 152 Ladino
El savyo es el ke se ambeza una koza de kada persona

The wise one is he who learns something from every person.

19 Nov 2026
Refrán № 153 Ladino
El ke emprestado viste, en medyo de la kaleja lo disvisten

He who wears borrowed clothes gets undressed in the middle of the street.

19 Nov 2026
Refrán № 154 Ladino
La mujer i el vino kitan al ombre del tino

Woman and wine make a man lose his senses.

18 Nov 2026
Refrán № 155 Ladino
Hijos no tiene, inyetos le yoran

He has no children, yet grandchildren cry for him.

18 Nov 2026
Refrán № 156 Ladino
Kuando ombre i mujer kazan se eskapa su romansa i sus istorya empesa

When a man and a woman marry, their romance ends and their (real) story begins.

17 Nov 2026
Refrán № 157 Ladino
Kuento de kaza no sale a la plasa

Household matters don't go out to the square (don't air your dirty laundry).

17 Nov 2026
Refrán № 158 Ladino
Fruta de oy, pan de ayer, karne de antiyer, vino de un anyo antes, azen el ombre sano

Today's fruit, yesterday's bread, the day-before-yesterday's meat and last year's wine make a man healthy.

16 Nov 2026
Refrán № 159 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")

16 Nov 2026
Refrán № 160 Ladino
Lentejas... Si keres las komes i si no las deshas

Lentils... if you want, you eat them, and if not, you leave them (take it or leave it).

16 Nov 2026
Refrán № 161 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.

16 Nov 2026
Refrán № 162 Ladino
Kuando ase luvia yoran los sielos i riye la tierra

When it rains, the skies weep and the earth laughs.

15 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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