బీదవానికి మాట ఇయ్యరాదు, కలిగినవానికి చోటు ఇయ్యరాదు
bidavaniki mata iyyaradu, kaliginavaniki chotu iyyaradu
Do not give your word to a poor man, and do not give space to a wealthy man.
This proverb advises caution in social and financial dealings. If you make a promise to a poor person and fail to keep it, their despair may lead to bitterness or social shame for you. Conversely, if you give a wealthy or powerful person space (or a foothold in your affairs/property), they may use their influence to eventually usurp or dominate you.
Related Phrases
ఇల్లు ఇచ్చినవానికి మజ్జిగ పోసినవానికి మంచిలేదు
illu ichchinavaniki majjiga posinavaniki manchiledu
There is no gratitude for the one who gave a house or for the one who served buttermilk.
This proverb highlights the irony of human ingratitude. It suggests that people often fail to show appreciation or give credit even to those who have provided significant help (like a home) or basic hospitality (like buttermilk). It is used when someone's kindness is met with indifference or negativity.
ఆలు చచ్చినవానికి మనుముపోరాదు, వండుకొని తినేవానికి వండిపెట్టరాదు
alu chachchinavaniki manumuporadu, vandukoni tinevaniki vandipettaradu
Do not suggest a second marriage to a widower; do not offer to cook for one who can cook for himself.
This proverb highlights the importance of boundary-setting and the futility of offering unwanted help or interference. It suggests that someone who has already experienced a situation (like a widower) or is self-sufficient (like one who cooks) does not need unsolicited advice or assistance that might complicate their current state of peace or routine.
అదృష్టవంతునికి ఆశపెట్టరాదు, బలవంతునికి చోటివ్వరాదు.
adrishtavantuniki ashapettaradu, balavantuniki chotivvaradu.
You should not encourage vain hopes in a helpless dependant, nor give place to a powerful man.
This proverb warns against unnecessary interference with powerful or exceptionally lucky individuals. Giving hope to a lucky person is futile because their fortune already favors them, and allowing a strong or influential person to gain a foothold in your affairs can lead to them eventually dominating or displacing you.
ఇప్పుడు వచ్చినవానికి ఇరస, అప్పుడు వచ్చినవానికి అడ్డెడు
ippudu vachchinavaniki irasa, appudu vachchinavaniki addedu
Two measures for the one who just arrived, and one measure for the one who arrived earlier.
This proverb highlights unfairness or lack of appreciation for seniority and loyalty. It describes a situation where a newcomer is given greater rewards or importance than someone who has been present or working for a long time.
కూర్చున్నవానికి కుప్పలు, తిరిగినవానికి తిప్పలు
kurchunnavaniki kuppalu, tiriginavaniki tippalu
Heaps for the one who sits, troubles for the one who roams.
This proverb contrasts physical labor with strategic or steady placement. It suggests that someone who stays focused or 'sits' (often referring to a landowner or a steady worker) accumulates heaps of grain or wealth, whereas someone who wanders aimlessly or works without a plan faces hardships and troubles. It is used to highlight the rewards of stability versus the difficulties of being unsettled.
అతంత్రునికి ఆశ పెట్టరాదు, బలవంతునికి చోటు ఇవ్వరాదు.
atantruniki asha pettaradu, balavantuniki chotu ivvaradu.
Do not give hope to a person without self-control, and do not give space to a person who is powerful.
This proverb advises caution in dealings with specific types of people. Giving false hope to someone who lacks discretion or independence (atantrudu) leads to unnecessary trouble or harassment. Similarly, giving a foothold or space to a powerful person can lead to them eventually dominating or displacing you. It is a warning about maintaining boundaries for self-protection.
సాకులు చెప్పినవానికి కాసు, ఇల్లు కప్పినవానికి దుగ్గాని
sakulu cheppinavaniki kasu, illu kappinavaniki duggani
A 'kasu' for the one who gives excuses, and a 'duggani' for the one who thatched the house.
This proverb highlights unfairness in rewards or wages. It describes a situation where someone who does little work or offers only excuses receives more benefit (a kasu) than the person who performed the actual hard labor of roofing a house (who receives a lesser coin, a duggani). It is used to critique systems where talkers are valued more than doers.
తప్పు చేసినవానికి, అప్పు చేసినవానికి ముఖం చెల్లదు
tappu chesinavaniki, appu chesinavaniki mukham chelladu
One who has committed a mistake and one who has taken a loan cannot show their faces.
This proverb highlights the guilt and shame associated with wrongdoing or being in debt. Just as a person who has committed a crime or mistake avoids eye contact out of guilt, a person who owes money feels a similar sense of inferiority or hesitation to face their creditor. It is used to describe the loss of confidence and social standing that comes with debt or moral failure.
కలిగినవాని కందటూ చుట్టాలే
kaliginavani kandatu chuttale
Everyone is a relative to a wealthy person.
This proverb highlights the social reality that people flock towards those who are rich or successful. It suggests that when a person has wealth, even strangers or distant acquaintances try to claim a relationship with them, whereas a poor person is often ignored by their own kin.
చచ్చేవాడికి తమ్ముడు, పుట్టేవాడికి అన్న
chachchevadiki tammudu, puttevadiki anna
Younger brother to the one dying, elder brother to the one being born
This expression describes a person who is in a middle-aged or transitional stage of life. It is often used to refer to someone who is neither too young nor too old, bridging the gap between generations, or someone who is an experienced adult who has seen both the end of one era and the start of another.