ఒక్కొక్క రాయి తీస్తూంటే, కొండయినా తరుగుతుంది.
okkokka rayi tistunte, kondayina tarugutundi.
If you keep removing one stone at a time, even a mountain will diminish.
This proverb emphasizes the power of persistence and consistency. It suggests that any task, no matter how monumental or seemingly impossible, can be completed by taking small, continuous steps. It is used to encourage someone facing a daunting challenge.
Related Phrases
కొద్ది కొద్దిగా తీస్తే కొండయినా కరిగిపోతుంది
koddi koddiga tiste kondayina karigipotundi
If you take away little by little, even a mountain will disappear.
This proverb emphasizes the impact of gradual depletion or persistent effort. It is used in two contexts: as a warning that constant small spending can exhaust even large wealth, or as an encouragement that consistent small steps can complete even the most daunting tasks.
గోరంత అంత కండి కొండవుతుంది
goranta anta kandi kondavutundi
A small grain becomes a mountain
This expression is used to describe a situation that starts as a minor issue but escalates into a major problem, or when someone exaggerates a tiny matter into something significant. It is similar to the English idiom 'to make a mountain out of a molehill'.
రాగులరాయి తిరుగుతూ ఉంటే రాజ్యమంతా చుట్టాలే.
ragularayi tirugutu unte rajyamanta chuttale.
As long as the grinding stone is spinning, the whole kingdom is family.
This proverb highlights the fickle nature of human relationships based on wealth. It suggests that when someone is prosperous and their kitchen fire is burning (symbolized by the grinding of grains), many people will claim to be friends and relatives. However, when wealth vanishes, those same people often disappear. It is used to describe fair-weather friends or the influence of money on social status.
పండాకు రాలుతుంటే, కొత్తాకు నవ్వుతుంది
pandaku ralutunte, kottaku navvutundi
While the old leaf falls, the new leaf laughs.
This proverb is used to describe the irony of the younger generation mocking or ignoring the elderly's decline, forgetting that they too will eventually age and face the same fate. It highlights the cycle of life and the inevitability of aging.
వాసి తరిగితే వన్నె తరుగుతుంది.
vasi tarigite vanne tarugutundi.
If the quality decreases, the shine decreases.
This expression means that a person's reputation or outward respect depends entirely on their character or the quality of their work. If one's inner worth or standard of work (vasi) declines, their fame and public standing (vanne) will automatically diminish.
కూర్చుని తింటే కొండలైనా కరిగిపోతాయి
kurchuni tinte kondalaina karigipotayi
If you sit and eat, even mountains will melt away
This proverb emphasizes the importance of work and warns against laziness. It means that if one keeps consuming wealth or resources without earning or replenishing them, even a massive fortune (like a mountain) will eventually be exhausted.
ఒక్కొక్క రాయి తీస్తుంటే, కొండైనా తరుగుతుంది
okkokka rayi tistunte, kondaina tarugutundi
If you keep removing one stone at a time, even a mountain will diminish.
This proverb emphasizes the power of persistence and consistency. It suggests that even the most monumental or impossible tasks can be completed if one works at them steadily, bit by bit. It is used to encourage someone facing a daunting challenge.
ఒక్కొక్కరాయి తీస్తూ ఉంటే, కొండయినా తరుగుతుంది
okkokkarayi tistu unte, kondayina tarugutundi
If you remove stone by stone, even a mountain will be levelled. You must pluck out the hairs of a horse's tail one by one. ( Latin. ); Drop by drop the lake is drained.
This expression emphasizes the power of persistence and consistency. It means that any task, no matter how monumental or impossible it seems, can be completed by taking small, steady steps. It is used to encourage someone facing a daunting project or goal.
ఎంచివేస్తే ఆరి తరుగుతుందా?
enchiveste ari tarugutunda?
Will the quantity decrease if you count them?
This expression is used when someone is reluctant to share or reveal a large quantity of items out of fear that counting or showcasing them will somehow diminish their value or amount. It highlights the irrationality of being overly secretive or stingy when nothing is actually lost by being transparent or acknowledging the truth.
ఏరు మూరెడు తీస్తే, కయ్య బారెడు తీస్తుంది.
eru muredu tiste, kayya baredu tistundi.
When the river goes down a cubit, the water in the field goes down a fathom. If you lose a little in the favor of the great, you sink four times as much in the estimation of the people.
This proverb highlights how small negligence or a minor initial damage can lead to a much larger disaster. In agriculture, it specifically refers to how a small breach in a water channel (eru) can quickly result in the total destruction of the field (kayya) due to the force of the water. It is used to advise people to address problems while they are still small.