దొంగా మనిషే

donga manishe

Translation

A thief is but a man.

Meaning

This expression is used to remind others that even someone who has done something wrong (like a thief) is still a human being deserving of basic dignity or human rights. It is often invoked to discourage excessive cruelty or over-the-top punishment, suggesting that one should not lose their own humanity while judging another's mistakes.

Related Phrases

There is no medicine for the bite of a man. The bite of an enraged man is said to be fatally poisonous.

This proverb refers to the malicious nature of human behavior, specifically betrayal, gossip, or cruelty. While there are remedies for snake bites or animal wounds, the damage caused by a person's words or actions can be irreparable and impossible to heal with physical medicine.

He calls himself a man, and the bran he eats, bread. A vulgar person taking airs.

This proverb is used to dismiss someone's significance or capability by comparing them to something of poor quality, like bread made from bran (chaff). It is typically used when a person of low status or limited skill attempts to do something beyond their reach, or when someone is being ignored as insignificant.

A thief is a companion to another thief

This expression is used to describe how people with similar bad habits, questionable characters, or dishonest intentions tend to support and protect each other. It is equivalent to the English proverb 'Birds of a feather flock together' or 'Honor among thieves', often used in a negative context to highlight collusion between wrongdoers.

Like saying, 'If I get up, I am not a human'

This expression describes a person who makes grand, empty boasts or threats while being lazy or inactive. It is used to mock someone who talks big about their capabilities or temper but fails to take any actual action.

Warp and woof for a cloth, good and bad for a human.

Just as warp (vertical threads) and woof (horizontal threads) are essential components that define the structure of a cloth, good and bad qualities/actions are what define a human being. It is used to express that life or a person's character is a combination of both virtues and flaws, and one must accept this duality as a natural part of human existence.

He doesn't have a single grain to swallow, but he wants champaca oil for his mustache.

This proverb describes a person who lacks basic necessities or is in a state of poverty, yet tries to maintain a fake, luxurious, or boastful outward appearance. It is used to mock people who focus on superficial vanity while neglecting their essential needs.

A thief is known by a thief. A thief knows a thief, as a wolf knows a wolf.

This proverb implies that people of the same kind, especially those with malicious or secretive habits, can easily recognize each other's traits or motives. It is equivalent to the English proverb 'It takes one to know one' or 'Birds of a feather flock together.'

Only a thief knows the secrets of another thief

This proverb implies that people of the same kind, especially those involved in deceptive or specific activities, understand each other's tactics and mindsets better than outsiders. It is used to suggest that it takes one to know one.

Will [calamity] come to a tree and not to a man? Human beings are more liable to injury than inanimate objects.

This proverb is used to offer comfort or perspective when someone is facing difficulties. It implies that challenges, illnesses, or problems are an inherent part of the human experience. Since a tree cannot experience or handle human struggles, it is natural and expected for humans to face them.

Putting your bed in the yard of a thief's house. To watch his doings. Outwitting a crafty man.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone unknowingly or foolishly seeks protection or places their trust in the very person who intends to harm or rob them. It signifies an act of extreme negligence or lack of common sense.