I have listed many English Idioms and Proverbs with their meanings and their equivalent Hindi ones.
- Don’t cry over spilt milk– There is no use being upset over a situation that has already occurred.
अब पछताए होत क्या जब चिड़िया चुग गई खेत - Every cloud has a silver lining– There is always a happy time after going through difficulties or sadness.
हर अंधेरी रात के बाद सवेरा होता है - Kill two birds with one stone-Achieve two results by doing one thing.
एक पंथ दो काज, एक तीर से दो शिकार - Barking dogs seldom bite– People who talk too much or threaten a lot don’t possess the power to do anything.
जो गरजते हैं वो बरसते नहीं - Practice makes perfect– If one practices a certain skill often, he will excel in it.
करत-करत अभ्यास के जड़मति होत सुजान - Too many cooks spoil the broth-if too many people are involved in a task or activity, it will not be done well.
ज़्यादा जोगी मठ उजाड़ - The ball is in your court-it is up to you to make the next move
अब खेल तुम्हारे हाथ में है - As you sow, so shall you reap– The way you act in life is the same way you will receive from others.
जैसी करनी, वैसी भरनी - A stitch in time saves nine– If you sort out a problem immediately it may save a lot of extra work later.
काल करे सो आज कर, आज करे सो अब - An empty vessel makes the most noise/Deep rivers move with silent majesty, shallow brooks are noisy-People who talk a lot tend to be not much talented or knowledgeable as they often show to the world.
थोथा चना बाजे घना/ अधजल गगरी छलकत जाये - Where there’s a will, there’s a way-determination will overcome any obstacle.
जहां चाह, वहां राह - Birds of a feather flock together-People with similar interests likes and dislikes go along with each other.
एक ही थैली के चट्टे-बट्टे/चोर चोर मौसेरे भाई - Don’t put all your eggs in one basket-to risk all money in one enterprise
एक ही नाव में सवार मत हो - Necessity is the mother of invention-when the need for something becomes essential, you are forced to find ways of getting or achieving it.
आवश्यकता ही आविष्कार की जननी है - All that glitters is not gold-the attractive external appearance of something is not a reliable indication of its true nature.
हर चमकने वाली चीज सोना नहीं होती - Strike while the iron is hot-make use of an opportunity immediately.
लोहा गरम हो तो चोट कर लो - Once bitten, twice shy-Being extremely cautious as you have been hurt already
दूध का जला छाछ भी फूंक-फूंक कर पीता है - When in Rome, do as the Romans do-it is best to follow the traditions or customs of a place being visited
जैसे देश, वैसे वेश - To add fuel to the fire-To make a bad situation worse.
आग में घी डालना - Cut your coat according to your cloth-undertake only what you have the money or ability to do and no more.
जितनी चादर हो, उतने ही पैर फैलाओ - To beat around the bush-To talk about something unimportant instead of coming to the main topic.
गोलमोल बातें करना - There is no smoke without fire-used to say that if people are saying that someone has done something wrong there is usually a good reason for what they are saying.
बिना चिंगारी के आग नहीं लगती - All’s well that ends well-If the result of a present situation is happy then all the difficult situations of the past can be forgotten.
अंत भला तो सब भला - Burning the midnight oil-to work upto late hours
रातों की नींद हराम करना - A leopard doesn’t change its spots-things cannot change their innate nature.
नानी मर जाए, पर नानी की बात न जाए - Better late than never-it is better to do something or arrive after the expected time than not do it or arrive at all
देर आये दुरुस्त आये - By the sweat of your brow-through or because of one’s own efforts or hard work.
अपने पसीने से कमाना - Grass is always greener on the other side-means that things we don’t have or desire always seem better than what we have in life at the time.
दूर के ढोल सुहावने लगते हैं, घर की मुर्गी दाल बराबर - To leave no stone unturned-make all possible efforts
एड़ी-चोटी का ज़ोर लगाना / कोई कसर न छोड़ना - To make much ado about nothing / To Make Mountain Of the Mole – Making an issue out of an unimportant thing.
राई का पहाड़ बनाना, तिल से ताड़ बनाना - To say ditto to– to agree
ठकुर सुहाती करना - To rip up old sores-Reopening Past Issues
गड़े मुर्दे उखाड़ना - Casting pearls before swine-to offer to a person such valuable things, which he does not appreciate
बन्दर क्या जाने अदरक का स्वाद - Crying in Wilderness: Someone who gives an idea or says something but the other person does not pay attention to it.
भैंस के आगे बीन बजाना - To pull a long face – look sad
रीढ़ टूटना - To take to one’s heels-to run away
नौ दो ग्यारा हो जाना - Between the devil and the deep sea/Between Scylla and Charybdis-in a difficult situation where there are two equally unpleasant choices
आगे कुआ पीछे खाई - A burnt child dreads fire-someone who has gone through a negative experience or painful situation in their life and is now more cautious when facing similar or different situations in life
दूध का जला छाछ भी फूक-फूककर पीता है - First come, first served-used to indicate that people will be dealt with strictly in the order in which they arrive or apply
पहले आओ, पहले पाओ - It takes two to make a quarrel-Two people are responsible for an argument. One cannot blame it entirely on the other person.
एक हाथ से ताली नहीं बजती - One man’s meat is another man’s poison-No two persons are alike; everyone has his own preferences
अपनी-अपनी डफली, अपना-अपना राग - Put one’s back into something-Make a strenuous effort
आकाश पाताल एक करना
एड़ी चोटी का ज़ोर लगाना
खून पसीना एक करना - To breathe one’s last/ To kick the bucket-to die
आँखे बंद करना
चल बसना
Note-To kick the bucket in not used in formal and serious situations. - To cast a slur upon-to disrepute
नाक कटना, - To break the ice-make a beginning
श्री गणेश करना - To carry the day-To win or succeed
छक्के छुड़ाना - A Hard Nut To Crack-Something which is difficult to deal with.
लोहे के चने चबाना - Apple of my eye-a person of whom one is extremely fond and proud
आँखों का तारा - Cast an evil eye-a look or glance superstitiously supposed to have the power of inflicting harm or injury
नज़र लग जाना - Might is right-those who are powerful can do what they wish unchallenged, even if their action is in fact unjustified
जिसकी लाठी उसकी भैंस - A bad workman quarrels with his tools/The fault is in ourselves, not in our stars-people with limited skill or talent often attribute their failures to external factors rather than their own shortcomings.
नाच ना जानें आँगन टेढ़ा - Do evil and look for same-when someone commits harmful acts, they often face negative consequences as a result.
जैसी करनी वैसी भरनी - A honey tongue, a heart of gall-someone who speaks sweetly (represented by “honey tongue”) but has a bitter or harsh interior (symbolized by “heart of gall”).
मुह में राम बगल में छुरी - A drop in the ocean-a very small amount compared with what is needed or expected
ऊँट के मुँह में जीरा - A nine days wonder-a person or thing that generates interest for only a short amount of time.
चार दिन की चांदनी फिर अंधेरी रात - A figure among cyphers-a distinguished or notable person among a group of insignificant or unimportant people.
अन्धों में काना राजा - From the frying pan into the fire-to go from a bad situation to a situation which is even worse
आसमान से गिरा खजूर पर अटका - A bad name is better than a bad fame-it’s preferable to have a minor personal reputation issue than to be widely known for negative reasons.
बद अच्छा बदनाम बुरा - Drowning man catches at straw-Someone who is in a difficult situation will use every opportunity to come out of it.
डूबते को तिनके का सहारा - Gather thistles & expect pickles-means that one cannot expect positive outcomes from negative actions.
बोए पेड़ बबूल का तो आम कहाँ से होय- - Avarice is root of all evils-greed is the fundamental cause of many wrongdoings and immoral actions.
लालच बुरी बला है - Add a feather in a cap-Additional success
चार चाँद लगाना - God’s mill grinds slow but sure-justice may be slow but it will come eventually
भगवान के घर देर है अंधेर नहीं - It’s never too late to mend-it is always possible to improve oneself or correct mistakes, regardless of how much time has passed.
जब जागो तब सवेरा- - Tit For Tat: When a person takes revenge on the other person because the person has done something similar to him.
जैसे को तैसा, शठे शाठ्यम - Sweet are the Fruits of Patience-The process of waiting is hard but the result is always rewarding.
सब्र का फल मीठा होता है - To Build a Castle in The Air: Unrealistic plans for the future.
हवाई किले बनाना, धुएँ का महल खड़ा करना - A piece of cake-An easy task
बाये हाथ का खेल, गुड़ियों का खेल - To say in a nutshell-To sum up the points and be brief
गागर में सागर भरना - Better late than never-To do something rather than not doing
दुर्घटना से देर भली - To grease the palm/Hush money- To bribe
मुट्ठी गरम करना - To be under one’s thumb-to be under control
अंकुश लगाना - To cool one’s heels-to be kept waiting
आँखे बिछाना, गलीचा बिछाकर इंतज़ार करना - Rack and ruin-complete destruction
ईट से ईट बजाना - To pay off old scores-to take revenge
ईट का जवाब पत्थर से देना - Diamond cut diamonds-two people who are equally skilled or strong can challenge and compete with each other effectively.
लोहा लोहे को काटता है - Lay bare/ lay open-to disclose or reveal a secret thing
कच्चा चिट्ठा खोलना - To make light of-not to care
कान पर जूँ ना रेंगना - A rotten apple injures its companions—one bad individual can negatively influence or harm others in a group
एक मछली सारे तालाब को गन्दा कर देती है - Beggars and borrowers could not be choosers/Do not look a gift horse in the mouth-when you’re in a position of dependency or need, you have to accept what is given, even if it’s not exactly what you wanted.
दान की बछिया के दाँत नहीं देखे जाते - Coming events cast their shadows before-significant events are often preceded by signs that they are about to happen
होनहार बिरवान के होत चिकने पात - It is hard to live in Rome and to fight with the Pope-it is difficult to oppose or challenge someone powerful in their own territory or domain.
जल में रहकर मगर से बैर उचित नहीं - Let bygones be bygones-forget past offences or causes of conflict and be reconciled.
बीती ताहि बिसार दे, आगे की सुधि ले - To hold one’s tongue -to be silent
ज़बान पर ताला लगना - The wearer best knows where the shoe pinches-only the person experiencing a problem truly understands its difficulty or discomfort.
जाके तन न फटी बिवाई, सो क्या जाने पीर पराई - To get down to brass tacks-deal with the matter straight
डंके की चोट पर कहना - Once in a blue moon-Very rarely
ईद का चाँद होना - To set Thames on fire-to achieve something impossible
आकाश के तारे तोड़ना - To play fast and loose-repeatedly change one’s attitude
गिरगिट की तरह रंग बदलना - A green horn –inexperienced
दूध के दांत न टूटना - Much cry and little wool-A lot of fuss with little effect
ऊंची दूकान फीके पकवान