proverb
Loading your saved state.
proverb
A short, generally known sentence that expresses a piece of life wisdom, a rule, or a common experience.
„Was du heute kannst besorgen, das verschiebe nicht auf morgen“ ist ein bekanntes deutsches Sprichwort.
'Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today' is a well-known German proverb.
'Sprichwort' (proverb) is a compound word made up of 'sprich' (the imperative form of 'sprechen' (to speak)) and 'Wort' (word). So it is literally a 'spoken word' that passes on wisdom or a rule.
Mein Opa kennt für jede Situation ein passendes Sprichwort.
My grandpa knows a fitting proverb for every situation.
Proverbs are often introduced in a sentence with fixed phrases. Typical formulations include 'Ein altes Sprichwort besagt, dass…' (An old proverb says that...) or 'Wie das Sprichwort sagt, …' (As the proverb says, ...).
Wie das Sprichwort sagt: Ende gut, alles gut.
As the proverb says: all's well that ends well.
Common adjectives used with 'Sprichwort' (proverb) are 'alt' (old), 'bekannt' (well-known), or 'passend' (fitting). A typical verb in this context is 'besagen' (to state/say).
Ein altes deutsches Sprichwort besagt, dass Lügen kurze Beine haben.
An old German proverb says that lies have short legs.
motto
'das Motto' and 'das Sprichwort' are both short sentences with a special message. A motto is a guiding idea for a person, an event, or an activity. A proverb is a generally known sentence that expresses an experience or rule of life. You can use a proverb as a motto, but then it takes on a specific function. The words are confused because both often sound wise or memorable. The simple question is: If it is a well-known sentence from the language, then it is a proverb; if it serves as a guiding idea, then it is a motto.
Im Deutschkurs lernen wir das Sprichwort: Übung macht den Meister.
In German class, we are learning the proverb: practice makes perfect.
Unser Motto für den Sommer ist: jeden Tag ein bisschen Bewegung.
Our motto for the summer is: a little exercise every day.