Nepali proverbs, called ukhan tukka, are short sayings that carry advice in a line or two. The ones below are among the most commonly quoted: each is shown in Devanagari with a romanized reading, followed by what it means and when people say it. They are grouped by situation, because that is how a proverb is actually used.
When someone blames everything but themselves
नाच्न नजान्ने आँगन टेढो
Naachna najaanne agan tedo
Placing the blame on something after being unable to do a task
The dancer who cannot dance says the courtyard is uneven. It is the standard answer to a person who explains away their own failure by pointing at the conditions.
अरुको बारिको काँक्रो चोर्नी, आफ्नो भने नुनको ढिको नफोर्नी
Aru ko bari ko kakro chorne, aafno bhane nun ko dhiko naforni.
It is easy to find faults in others while ignoring one's own shortcomings
Combing through the faults in someone else's garden while ignoring your own. It is easy to find fault in others and hard to see the same fault in yourself.
अर्काको आङ्गको जुम्रा देख्ने, आफ्नो आङ्गको भैसी पनि नदेख्ने
Arka ko aang ko jumra dekhne, aafno aang ko bhaisi pani nadekhne.
It is easy to point out others' flaws but difficult to recognize one's own shortcomings
Close to the previous one: you notice the lice on another's body, but not the buffalo on your own. The buffalo is the joke, since a fault that large is hard to miss, and still we miss it.
आफ्नो हात जगन्नाथ
Aafno haat jagannaath.
We are responsible for our own actions and their consequences
Your own hand is Jagannath. Jagannath is a form of Vishnu, so the saying puts the power over your fortune in your own hands. It is read as taking responsibility for what you do and what follows.
Effort and reward
मेहनतको फल मिठो हुन्छ
Mehenat ko fal mitho hunchha.
Fruits of labor are always sweet.
The fruit of hard work is sweet. It is plain, and it gets said to people about to give up.
जसले मह काढ्छ, उसले हात चाट्छ
Jasle maha kaadchha usle haat chaatchha.
Fruits of labour are sweet/ The one who does hard work reaps his rewards
The one who digs out the honey licks their hand. Whoever does the hard work gets the first taste of the reward.
एकता नै बल हो
Ekataa nai bal ho.
Unity is strength.
Unity is strength, simply put. Nepali has several sayings in this spirit, and this is the shortest.
काम साँचे आफूलाई, खान साँचे अरूलाई
Kaam saache aafulai, khaana saache arulai.
If you want something done right, do it yourself.
If you want a job done right, do it yourself. Leave the eating to others.
खाने मुखलाई जुँगाले छेक्दैन
Khaane mukh lai jungaa le chhekdaina
Where there is will there is way.
A moustache does not stop a mouth from eating. It is used in the sense of "where there is a will, there is a way": a small obstacle should not block someone who really wants something.
Character and words
भुक्ने कुकुरले टोक्दैन
Bhukne kukur le tokdaina.
Barking dog seldom bites.
A barking dog seldom bites. The ones who make the most noise are usually the least dangerous. There is a whole set of related sayings on the subject in our article on animal proverbs.
अकबरी सुनलाई कसी लाउनु पर्दैन
Akabari sun lai kasi laaunu pardaina.
Good person is good by own, don't need to praise
You do not need to polish pure gold. Real quality does not need to be advertised.
गर्जने बादल वर्षदैन
Garjane baadal barshadaina.
Thunder clouds do not always give rain.
Thundering clouds do not always bring rain. The loudest threats and the biggest promises often come to nothing.
गोलीको घाउ निको हुन्छ, बोली को हुँदैन
Goli ko ghau niko hunchha, boli ko hudaina
Pain inflicted by world never heals so be wise and aware about how you talk and converse with people.
A wound from a bullet heals, but one from a word does not. Be careful what you say, because words hurt for longer than injuries.
अचानो को पिर खुकुरी ले जान्दैन
Achaano ko pir khukuri le jaandaina
Someone who has not experienced a situation cannot fully understand the pain of those who have.
The pain of the board is not known to the khukuri. A person who has not been through something cannot understand the hurt of the one who has. It is usually said about people who cause pain without noticing it.
Time, patience and fate
आजको कामलाई भोलि नभन्नु
Aaja ko kaam lai bholi nabhannu.
Don't procrastinate, complete today's tasks today
Never tell today's work that it can wait until tomorrow. It is a short, direct instruction against putting things off.
आउँछ समय पर्खंदैन, बग्छ खोलो फर्कंदैन
Aauchha samaye parkhadaina, bagchha khola farkadaina.
Time waits for no one, opportunities once lost do not return
The time that is coming will not wait for you, and the river that has flowed by does not turn back. Missed moments do not return.
आफू नमरी स्वर्ग देखिँदैन
Aafu namari swarga dekhidaina.
One cannot see heaven without dying first
You cannot see heaven without dying yourself. You have to go through something personally to really understand it, and secondhand advice only goes so far.
भोजन हैन भोक मिठो
Bhojan haina bhok mitho.
Hunger doesn't judge the taste of food.
Hunger does not judge the taste of the food. Need makes the simplest meal delicious, and it works as a reminder not to be fussy when you are truly in need.
How to use this list
Treat the meanings above as a guide rather than a rule. Proverbs are said aloud, and the same line can be used affectionately in one house and sharply in another. Where we are less certain of the wording or the reading, we have said so in the note. If you know a better reading of any of these, the About page explains how to send a correction.
If you want to go further, Nepali proverbs about hard work and proverbs about pride and faults go deeper on the first two groups here. The full collection is on the proverbs page.