Armenian Proverbs

To be willing is only half the job.

If you chase two rabbits [at the same time], you won’t catch either of them.

Even if the nightingale is in a gold cage, she still dreams of returning to the forest.

When someone’s wealth improves, all of a sudden their house’s columns appear to be crooked.

If you speak too much, you will learn too little.

The wolf is upset about what he left behind, and the shepherd is upset about what he took away.

There is no reason for war that reasonable men can’t settle.

Clouds and thunder don’t always result in rain.

A small cloud can hide the sun and the moon.

Men have three ears: one on the left of the head, one on the right of the head, and one in the heart.

Priest on the outside, Satan on the inside.

When the cart breaks down, advice is plentiful.

On a rainy day, many people volunteer to water the chickens.

More Proverbs

Armenian roots come from an ancient kingdom of Van that ruled from the 1200s to 800s BC. It was later assimilated into Median, Macedonian, and Roman Empires. Armenia was one of the first regions in the world to adopt Christianity as its religion, which it did in the early 300s AD.

In the 1500s, Armenia was part of the Ottoman Empire, and in the late 1800s, it aligned with Russia (later the USSR). Armenia became independent in 1990. The country’s official language is Armenian

Some themes of Armenia include Christianity, literature (including legendary novelist Raffi), wine grape production, folk songs, opera, ballet, textiles, and mineral mining.