నొప్పింపక చేస్తే కొయ్యకుండా పండును
noppimpaka cheste koyyakunda pandunu
If done without causing pain, it will ripen without being cut.
This expression emphasizes that when a task is performed with patience, care, and kindness (without force or causing distress), it yields the best results naturally. It is used to suggest that gentle persuasion or a steady, painless approach often achieves goals more effectively than aggressive or forceful methods.
Related Phrases
వేస్తే మునగకొయ్య, తీస్తే చండ్రకొయ్య
veste munagakoyya, tiste chandrakoyya
If planted, it's a drumstick stick; if removed, it's a sandalwood (hardwood) stick.
This proverb is used to describe a person who is extremely stubborn, difficult to handle, or double-tongued. It implies that a person may seem soft and compliant like a drumstick tree (which breaks easily) when they want something, but becomes as hard and unyielding as 'Chandra' wood (a very tough wood) when they are challenged or when they have the upper hand. It highlights the unpredictable or deceptive nature of a person's temperament.
దున్నక చల్లితే, కొయ్యక పండినది.
dunnaka challite, koyyaka pandinadi.
When the field was sown without being ploughed it yielded without being reaped. i. e. it yielded nothing. If you neglect the use of the right means you must expect poor results.
This proverb is used sarcastically to describe a situation where someone expects results without putting in the necessary hard work, or a situation that results in total failure/nothingness because the fundamental steps were skipped. It highlights that if you don't do the groundwork (plowing), you won't get a real harvest (cutting the crop).
లేకుండా చూచి పోకుండా పట్టు అన్నాడట.
lekunda chuchi pokunda pattu annadata.
If you see he's not there, catch him and don't let him go. Said by a cowardly man to another with reference to a thief.
This is a humorous proverb used to describe someone giving nonsensical, contradictory, or impossible instructions. It mocks people who demand results while imposing conditions that make the task impossible, or those who speak in riddles that lack practical logic.
నాకు తెలియకుండా నంబికిష్టయ్యకు కనికెడు జుట్టా?
naku teliyakunda nambikishtayyaku kanikedu jutta?
Without my knowledge, does Nambikishtaiah have a handful of hair?
This proverb is used to mock someone who pretends to have authority or exclusive knowledge over something that is either obvious or impossible to hide. It refers to a situation where a person is surprised or skeptical about someone else's unexpected possession or growth, often used when questioning how something happened without one's supervision or consent.
పండు పడకకు చెప్పకుండా పోయినాడు
pandu padakaku cheppakunda poyinadu
He left without telling the fruit or the bed.
This expression is used to describe someone who leaves a place very suddenly, secretly, or without informing anyone. It implies a quiet or abrupt departure where no one was given notice.
కర్ర విరగకుండా, పాము చావకుండా కొట్టు
karra viragakunda, pamu chavakunda kottu
Hit in such a way that the stick doesn't break and the snake doesn't die.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where a problem needs to be solved or a task accomplished without causing any damage or loss to the parties involved. It refers to finding a diplomatic or clever middle ground where the objective is achieved while maintaining perfect balance and avoiding negative consequences.
మన్ను విడవకుండా దున్నితే, వెన్ను విడవకుండా పండును.
mannu vidavakunda dunnite, vennu vidavakunda pandunu.
If you plow without leaving any soil untouched, the crop will yield without leaving any stalk empty.
This is a popular agricultural proverb emphasizing that thorough and hard work leads to high rewards. In farming, it means if the land is tilled perfectly without gaps, the grain ears (panicles) will grow abundantly. In a broader sense, it suggests that when you put in meticulous effort into any task, the results will be consistently successful.
బండకొయ్యకు బుద్ధి చెప్పినట్లు
bandakoyyaku buddhi cheppinatlu
Like trying to advise or teach a wooden log.
This expression is used to describe a situation where one tries to give advice or instructions to an extremely stubborn, thick-headed, or unresponsive person. It implies that any effort to change their mind or educate them is a complete waste of time, as they are as lifeless and unyielding as a piece of wood.
రొయ్యకు లేదు బారెడు మీసం
royyaku ledu baredu misam
The prawn doesn't even have a body, but it has a yard-long mustache.
This expression is used to describe someone who lacks basic substance, status, or capability, yet makes grand displays of arrogance or carries an oversized ego. It highlights the irony of having a massive 'identity' or 'show' without any actual foundation.
గొడ్డు కొట్టిన కొయ్యకాలు గొట్టానికి చాలు.
goddu kottina koyyakalu gottaniki chalu.
The wooden leg of a beaten cattle is enough for a tube.
This proverb is used to describe a person who is extremely stingy or a situation where every tiny resource is exploited to the point of exhaustion. It suggests that someone is so greedy or frugal that they would even try to extract use from the remains of a broken tool or a withered limb. It characterizes excessive miserliness.