ఏమిటికీ లేదు, మూడింటికీ ఎసరు.
emitiki ledu, mudintiki esaru.
Nothing for anything, but boiling water for three.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone gains nothing from their efforts, and instead, even the existing essential resources or people are put in jeopardy or lost. It signifies a total loss or a counterproductive outcome where one ends up worse off than before.
Related Phrases
బంగారముంటే, సింగారానికి ఏమి తక్కువ?
bangaramunte, singaraniki emi takkuva?
If you have gold, what is the shortage for decoration?
This proverb suggests that if one has the fundamental wealth or resources (the gold), then outward appearances or secondary enhancements (the decoration) are easy to achieve. It is used to describe situations where having the core essential makes everything else possible.
ఇంటి ఎద్దుకు బాడుగ ఏమిటి?
inti edduku baduga emiti?
Why pay rent for one's own ox?
This proverb is used to describe situations where one shouldn't have to pay or seek permission for using their own resources, or when someone expects payment for helping their own family or close ones. It emphasizes that it is unnecessary or absurd to charge for services within a household or for things one already owns.
ఆశకు ముదిమిలేదు, ఆర్థికి సౌఖ్యంలేదు.
ashaku mudimiledu, arthiki saukhyamledu.
Desire has no old age, a beggar has no comfort.
This proverb highlights two human conditions: first, that human desires and greed never age or diminish even as the body gets old; second, that someone constantly seeking or begging for favors from others can never truly enjoy peace of mind or comfort, as they are always dependent on others' whims.
పందికేమి తెలుసు పన్నీరు వాసన
pandikemi telusu panniru vasana
What does a pig know of the scent of rosewater?
This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks the refinement, taste, or intelligence to appreciate something valuable or sophisticated. It suggests that high-quality things are wasted on those who cannot understand their worth, similar to the English expression 'casting pearls before swine.'
మూడింటికీ ముడివేస్తే ఏమీ లేదు
mudintiki mudiveste emi ledu
If you tie all three together, there is nothing left.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone tries to balance or manage three different things simultaneously, but ends up failing at all of them or finding that they are incompatible. It highlights how over-complicating matters or being indecisive often leads to a zero result or total loss.
నీపై ఆశ లేదు, నాపై పస లేదు, ఏడు సేర్ల తప్పేలకెసరు పెట్టమను
nipai asha ledu, napai pasa ledu, edu serla tappelakesaru pettamanu
No hope in you, no strength in me, yet ask to boil water in a seven-seer pot.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where there are no resources or capabilities available, yet someone makes grand, unrealistic demands. It highlights the irony of planning a massive feast or task when both the provider and the recipient lack the basic means to even start.
కూనలు కూటి కేడిస్తే, అవ్వ అంకు మొగుడి కేడ్చిందట
kunalu kuti kediste, avva anku mogudi kedchindata
While the children were crying for food, the grandmother was crying for a paramour.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone ignores the basic or urgent needs of those dependent on them to pursue their own inappropriate or selfish desires. It highlights a complete lack of priorities and responsibility.
ఏరాలికి ఏడూ, నాకు మూడా?
eraliki edu, naku muda?
Seven for the sister-in-law, and only three for me?
This expression is used to describe a situation of unfair distribution or partiality. It is typically used when someone feels they are receiving significantly less than another person despite being in a similar position or having similar needs. It highlights a sense of grievance regarding inequality.
ఆడుది నీతి తప్పిన తరువాత, అంతేమిటి ఇంతేమిటి?
adudi niti tappina taruvata, antemiti intemiti?
Once a woman loses her character, what is the difference between this and that?
This proverb suggests that once a person crosses the boundaries of morality or ethics, they lose all sense of shame or restraint, and their further actions no longer hold any surprise or value. It is used to describe a state where a person has abandoned their principles and becomes indifferent to social consequences.
పిల్లకాకికి ఏమి తెలుసురా ఉండేలు దెబ్బ
pillakakiki emi telusura undelu debba
What does a young crow know about the blow of a slingstone?
This expression is used to describe an inexperienced or young person who talks boldly or dismissively about a danger or hardship they have never personally faced. It suggests that one cannot truly understand the gravity of a situation until they have experienced the consequences firsthand.