కట్టినవానికి ఒకయిల్లు అయితే కట్టనివానికి వెయ్యిండ్లు.
kattinavaniki okayillu ayite kattanivaniki veyyindlu.
For the one who built, there is one house; for the one who hasn't built, there are a thousand houses.
This proverb highlights the freedom and lack of responsibility that comes with not owning property or being tied down. While a homeowner is restricted to their one house and its maintenance, a traveler or a person without a permanent home can find shelter and hospitality in many places, effectively making the whole world their home.
Related Phrases
లేనివానికి తెంపు, ఉన్నవానికి మొండి.
lenivaniki tempu, unnavaniki mondi.
The one who has nothing is daring, the one who has everything is stubborn.
This proverb highlights how people's attitudes are shaped by their circumstances. A person with no possessions or status often acts with great courage or recklessness because they have nothing to lose (tempu), whereas a wealthy or powerful person may become stubborn or obstinate (mondi) because of their ego or desire to protect what they have.
వెయ్యి ఆవులున్న వానికి ఒకటి ఎగజేపితే నేమి?
veyyi avulunna vaniki okati egajepite nemi?
What does it matter if a person who owns a thousand cows loses one?
This expression is used to describe a situation where a minor loss or expense does not impact a person of great wealth or status. It suggests that for someone with abundant resources, losing a small portion is inconsequential.
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.
కటికవానికి కత్తి అందించినట్లు
katikavaniki katti andinchinatlu
Like handing a knife to a butcher
This expression is used when someone assists an already cruel or harmful person in their wrongdoings, thereby enabling more damage. It describes a situation where a dangerous person is provided with the exact tool or opportunity they need to cause further destruction.
నరకానికి నవద్వారాలు, నాకానికి ఒకటే.
narakaniki navadvaralu, nakaniki okate.
Hell has nine gates, but Heaven has only one.
This proverb suggests that there are many ways to fall into vice or make mistakes (symbolized by the nine openings of the human body and worldly distractions), whereas the path to virtue or liberation is singular and requires disciplined focus. It is used to caution someone that it is easy to go astray but difficult to find the right path.
దున్ననివానికి గుడ్డ ఎందుకు? ఏలనివానికి పెళ్లామెందుకు?
dunnanivaniki gudda enduku? elanivaniki pellamenduku?
Why does the one who doesn't plow need a cloth? Why does the one who cannot rule need a wife?
This proverb highlights the importance of effort and responsibility. It suggests that a person who is unwilling to perform basic labor or fulfill their duties does not deserve the rewards or status that come with them. It is used to mock lazy or incompetent individuals who demand privileges without doing the necessary work.
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.
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.
కట్టినవానికి ఒక ఇల్లు అయితే కట్టనివానికి వెయ్యి ఇళ్లు.
kattinavaniki oka illu ayite kattanivaniki veyyi illu.
A man that has built a house has one house, a man that has built no house has a thousand houses. A man without a house can change his residence as often as he pleases. He who has no house of his own is every where at home. (Spanish.)
This proverb is used to highlight the freedom of choice and lack of burden that comes with not being tied down to a specific commitment or property. While a homeowner is restricted to their one house and its maintenance, a person who hasn't built or bought a home is free to live anywhere. It can also imply that someone without responsibilities has many options, whereas someone committed to a task is limited to that one path.
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.