కడుపు కాలి ఏడుస్తుంటే మనోవర్తి ఏమిస్తావన్నదట
kadupu kali edustunte manovarti emistavannadata
When one is crying because their stomach is burning (with hunger), someone asks what maintenance or alimony they will provide.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person is suffering from a fundamental, urgent need (like hunger or survival), but others offer irrelevant, long-term, or bureaucratic solutions that don't solve the immediate crisis. It highlights the disconnect between someone's desperate reality and the useless suggestions or terms offered by others.
Related Phrases
కొట్టక ముందే ఏడుస్తావేమంటే, ముందు కొట్టబోతావని ఏడుస్తున్నానన్నట్లు
kottaka munde edustavemante, mundu kottabotavani edustunnanannatlu
When asked why you are crying before being hit, the reply is 'I am crying because you are about to hit me'
This expression refers to people who anticipate trouble or react to a situation before it even occurs. It is used to describe overly anxious behavior or someone who complains in advance to gain sympathy or avoid an impending consequence.
ఇల్లు కాలి ఇల్లాలు ఏడుస్తుంటే రంకు మొగుడొచ్చి రాళ్ళేశాడట
illu kali illalu edustunte ranku mogudochchi ralleshadata
While the housewife was crying because her house was on fire, her paramour came and pelted stones.
This proverb describes a situation where someone is already in deep distress or a catastrophic crisis, and instead of receiving help, someone else adds to their misery or takes advantage of the situation in a cruel or insensitive way. It is used to highlight the extreme insensitivity of others during a person's worst moments.
నందుకు ఏడుస్తున్నాను అన్నదట.
nanduku edustunnanu annadata.
She said she was crying for 'Nandu'.
This phrase is used to describe a situation where someone is pretending to be sad or upset for a noble reason, while their true motive is hidden or entirely different. It highlights hypocrisy or deceptive behavior.
జుట్టు కాలి ఏడుస్తుంటే, చుట్టకి నిప్పడిగినట్లు
juttu kali edustunte, chuttaki nippadiginatlu
When someone is crying because their hair is on fire, another person asks them for a light for their cigar.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone is insensitive or indifferent to another person's severe distress. It highlights the contrast between one person's major crisis and another person's trivial or selfish needs.
ఏడుస్తావు ఏమి ఎలుకా అంటే నా బాధ నీకేమెరుక అన్నదట.
edustavu emi eluka ante na badha nikemeruka annadata.
When asked 'Why are you crying, little mouse?', it replied 'What do you know of my pain?'
This proverb is used to highlight that an outsider or a bystander cannot truly understand the depth of someone else's suffering or personal struggles. It is often used when someone dismisses another person's problems lightly without having experienced them.
ఇల్లు కాలి ఒకడు ఏడుస్తుంటే, ఒళ్ళు కాలి ఒకడు ఏడ్చినట్లు
illu kali okadu edustunte, ollu kali okadu edchinatlu
When one is crying because his house is on fire, another is crying because his body is burning.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where two people are experiencing suffering, but their problems are of completely different scales or natures, making it impossible for them to console each other. It can also refer to a situation where someone is bothered by a trivial personal matter while another person is facing a major catastrophe, highlighting a lack of shared perspective or misplaced priorities during a crisis.
గడ్డం కాలి ఏడుస్తుంటే, చుట్టకు నిప్పిమ్మని వెంటపడ్డాడట
gaddam kali edustunte, chuttaku nippimmani ventapaddadata
While one's beard was on fire and they were crying, another person chased them for a light for their cigar.
This proverb describes a situation where a person is incredibly insensitive or selfish, seeking a trivial favor from someone who is already in the midst of a major crisis or personal tragedy. It highlights a lack of empathy and the absurdity of prioritizing small needs over someone else's dire situation.
ఇల్లు కాలి ఏడుస్తుంటే చుట్టకు నిప్పిమ్మన్నట్లు
illu kali edustunte chuttaku nippimmannatlu
Like asking for fire to light a cigar while the house is burning down and someone is crying.
This proverb describes a situation where someone is being extremely insensitive, selfish, or opportunistic during another person's tragedy. It is used when a person focuses on their own trivial needs or petty desires while ignoring a major crisis happening right in front of them.
విన్నమ్మ వీపు కాలినది, కన్నమ్మ కడుపు కాలినది
vinnamma vipu kalinadi, kannamma kadupu kalinadi
Vinnamma's back burned, Kannamma's belly burned. The first mourned the loss of a son-in-law, the second that of a son.— Kannamma signifies ' she who bore ; ' Vinnamma signifies ' she who heard' [ of the death.]
This proverb highlights the profound difference between superficial sympathy and true maternal grief. While an outsider (the one who hears the news) might feel a fleeting pain or 'burn' on the surface (the back), the biological mother (the one who gave birth) feels the intense, internal agony of a 'burning' womb/stomach. It is used to express that only those directly affected by a tragedy can truly understand its depth.
* Det kommer vel der ske skall.
కడుపు కాలి ఏడుస్తుంటే, మనవర్తి ఏమిస్తావు అన్నదట.
kadupu kali edustunte, manavarti emistavu annadata.
When [someone] is crying because their stomach is burning [from hunger], she asked 'What maintenance/allowance will you give?'.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person is suffering from a fundamental or immediate crisis, but someone else offers an irrelevant, future, or secondary solution instead of addressing the urgent need. It highlights the disconnect between a person's basic needs and the superficial help being offered.