Food & Hunger
కార్తెలు మోసం చేస్తే కరువులు వస్తాయి.
kartelu mosam cheste karuvulu vastayi.
If the seasons (Kartelu) deceive, famines will follow.
This traditional Telugu proverb emphasizes the dependency of agriculture on the 'Kartelu' (astrological seasonal periods that dictate rainfall). It means that if the rains do not arrive during their designated seasonal periods, it leads to crop failure and eventually famine. It is used to highlight the importance of timely natural cycles for survival.
బ్రతుకుటకై తినవలెనుగాని, తినుటకై బ్రతుకరాదు
bratukutakai tinavalenugani, tinutakai bratukaradu
One should eat to live, but one should not live to eat.
This proverb emphasizes that food is a necessity for survival and should be consumed in moderation to maintain health. It warns against gluttony and making the pursuit of food or sensory pleasure the sole purpose of one's life. It is used to encourage disciplined eating habits and a focus on higher life goals.
అది కడుపా, చెరువా?
adi kadupa, cheruva?
Is that a stomach or a lake?
This expression is used to describe someone who eats excessively or has an insatiable appetite. It compares the capacity of their stomach to that of a lake, implying it is unusually large or bottomless.
మఖ పంచకము సదా పంచకము
makha panchakamu sada panchakamu
Five days of Makha (rain) equals five months (of water/benefit).
This is a traditional agricultural proverb. It means that if it rains during the 'Makha' Karti (a specific period in the lunar calendar), the water received in those five days is as beneficial and sufficient as five months of regular rainfall. It emphasizes the importance of timely rain for a good harvest.
తిడితే గాలికి పోతాయి, తింటే లోపలికి పోతాయి
tidite galiki potayi, tinte lopaliki potayi
The abuse which is heaped on me goes to the winds, but the food which I eat goes within.
This expression is used to advise someone to be thick-skinned or indifferent to verbal abuse or insults. It suggests that harsh words have no physical form and vanish into the air without causing harm, whereas food provides actual nourishment. It is often said to encourage someone not to take criticism to heart as long as their basic needs are met.
A mean sycophant.
తిండి చింత, దండి చింత.
tindi chinta, dandi chinta.
Worry about food is a great worry.
This proverb highlights that basic survival and the struggle for sustenance are the most significant and constant burdens a person can face. It emphasizes that hunger or the lack of resources to eat outweighs all other worldly concerns.
తినగా తినగా గారెలు చేదు
tinaga tinaga garelu chedu
Eating and eating, even vada tastes bitter.
This proverb suggests that even something wonderful or delicious can become tiresome or unpleasant if experienced in excess. It is used to describe the point of satiety or boredom when someone overindulges in a particular pleasure, luxury, or activity.
దారిద్ర్యానికి ఆవలింత పంట.
daridryaniki avalinta panta.
A yawn is the harvest of poverty.
This expression refers to extreme poverty where a person has nothing to eat and is constantly hungry, leading to frequent yawning (a physical sign of exhaustion or an empty stomach). It is used to describe a state of utter destitution where physical weakness and hunger are the only things one 'possesses'.
ముంజేయి ఆడితే, మోచేయి ఆడుతుంది
munjeyi adite, mocheyi adutundi
If the forearm moves, the elbow moves.
This expression emphasizes the importance of hard work and action. It means that only when you put in the physical effort (moving your hands/forearm) will you get the momentum and results (the rest of the arm moving) needed to sustain yourself, typically referring to the act of working to earn a meal.
రెక్కాడితేగాని, డొక్కాడదు
rekkaditegani, dokkadadu
Unless the hand moves, the stomach will not move.
This is a popular Telugu proverb used to describe the lives of daily laborers and the poor. It means that one must work (hand/arm movement) every single day in order to have food to eat (stomach movement/digestion). It highlights a hand-to-mouth existence where there is no financial security without physical labor.
అరిసె ఆరునెలల రోగం బయట వేస్తుంది
arise arunelala rogam bayata vestundi
An Arise (sweet) will bring out an illness that has been hidden for six months.
This proverb refers to the heavy and oily nature of the traditional sweet 'Arise'. It suggests that eating such rich food can trigger or reveal dormant health issues or digestive problems that haven't surfaced for a long time. It is used to caution someone about overindulgence or to describe how a specific action can have delayed but significant consequences.
కూడు ఒల్లనమ్మను కటికవేమి చేస్తుంది?
kudu ollanammanu katikavemi chestundi?
What can a famine do to a woman who refuses food?
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone who is already indifferent or has renounced something cannot be threatened by the loss of it. If a person is unwilling to eat, the threat of starvation or a lack of food has no impact on them. It highlights that you cannot punish or coerce someone who doesn't value what you are trying to take away.
సున్నము పుట్టని ఊళ్ళో అన్నము పుట్టునా?
sunnamu puttani ullo annamu puttuna?
In a village where lime is not produced, can food be produced?
This proverb is based on the traditional Indian habit of chewing betel leaves (paan), which requires slaked lime (sunnam). Traditionally, lime production was a sign of a prosperous or active settlement. Metaphorically, it implies that if basic social or infrastructural necessities are missing in a place, one cannot expect to find sustenance or a livelihood there. It highlights that certain conditions must be met for a community to thrive.
కరువులో అధికమాసాలు
karuvulo adhikamasalu
In a time of famine, there are extra months.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where one misfortune is followed by another, compounding an already difficult situation. It is similar to the English expression 'When it rains, it pours.'
ఆవు పొదుగులోనే అరవై ఆరు పిండివంటలున్నాయి.
avu podugulone aravai aru pindivantalunnayi.
There are sixty-six varieties of delicacies right inside the cow's udder.
This proverb highlights the immense value and versatility of milk provided by a cow. It implies that from a single source (milk), one can create a vast multitude of foods, sweets, and nutrients, emphasizing the cow's sacred and provider status in Indian culture.
కరువులో అరువు
karuvulo aruvu
Borrowing during a famine
This expression describes a situation where one is forced to seek a loan or credit during a time of extreme scarcity or crisis. It signifies an act of desperation or a burden upon an already struggling person, as borrowing during a famine is difficult to repay and even harder to obtain.
కూడు గుండెకాయ, మెతుకు మేనమామ
kudu gundekaya, metuku menamama
Food is the heart, and every grain is like a maternal uncle.
This proverb emphasizes the supreme importance of food and survival. It suggests that food is as vital as the heart to a body, and every single grain of rice is as precious as a close protector or relative (like a maternal uncle). It is used to teach gratitude for food and to discourage wasting even a single grain.
వదినలు వండకపోతే, వరిబువ్వ ఎవరు పెడతారు?
vadinalu vandakapote, varibuvva evaru pedataru?
If sisters-in-law do not cook, who will serve the rice meal?
This proverb is used to highlight dependency on those who manage the household. It suggests that if the primary caretakers or those responsible for a task do not perform their duties, others will inevitably suffer or go hungry. It emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the role of family members who sustain the home.
పెడితే శాపం, ఇస్తే వరం
pedite shapam, iste varam
If kept, it's a curse; if given, it's a blessing.
This proverb is most commonly used in the context of food or charity. It suggests that keeping something (like excess food) until it spoils is a waste and a 'curse', whereas giving it to someone in need turns it into a 'blessing'. It encourages generosity and the timely sharing of resources.
రాయి దెబ్బ తిన్నా, కర్ర దెబ్బ తిన్నా కడుపులోకి దొరికితే కైలాసం పోయినట్టే
rayi debba tinna, karra debba tinna kadupuloki dorikite kailasam poyinatte
Whether hit by a stone or hit by a stick, if it gets into the stomach, it is like going to heaven.
This proverb is used to describe an extremely hungry person or a glutton who does not care about the hardships, insults, or physical pain they endure as long as they get a meal. It implies that for someone desperate for food, the satisfaction of eating outweighs any suffering or loss of dignity.