Bosnians use a lot of sayings and expressions in daily life which offer advice and even sometimes have hidden meanings.
Check out these Bosnian quotes and proverbs below to gain some insight into Bosnian beliefs and ways of thinking.
Below I’ve listed famous Bosnian quotes, inspiring Bosnian sayings and common Bosnian proverbs with English translation.
Table of Contents
Famous Bosnian Quotes With Translation in English
Below I’ve listed a range of famous and inspirational Bosnian quotes with translation.
- Ne zaboravi ko je bio uz tebe kad niko drugi nije – Don’t forget who was there when no one else was.
- Nije važno kako vas drugi vide, važno je kako vidite sami sebe – It doesn’t matter how others see you, it only matters how you see yourself.
- Veruj samo onom, koji je u stanju videti ove tri stvari u tebi: Tugu iza osmeha. Ljubav iza tvog besa. Svrhu tvog ćutanja – Trust only the one who is able to see these 3 things in you: sadness behind a smile, love behind your anger and the purpose for your silence.
- Ne teče rijeka, nego voda. Kao što ne prolazi vrijeme nego mi – It is not the river that flows but the water. As time does not pass but we do.
- Nikad nisi previše stara i nikad nije prekasno – You are never too old and it is never too late.
- Neke osobe su poput oblaka. kad nestanu, dan postane vedriji – Some people are like clouds, when they disappear, the day becomes brighter.
- Nećete pronaći svoj mir sve dok ne poslušate svoje srce – You will not find your peace until you obey your heart.
- Zaboravi sta osjecas i sjeti se sta zasluzujes – Forget what you feel and remember what you deserve.
- Ljudi nikad ne pamte onih 100 puta što im pomognete, pamte samo onaj jedan što niste – People never remember the 100 times you helped them, they only remember the one time you didn’t.
- Mnogi postignu ono što su htjeli a izgube sebe – Many achieve what they wanted but lose themselves.
- Nema veceg neprijatelja od ljubomornog prijatelja – There is no greater enemy than a jealous friend.
- Pusti to. Prošlost je prošlost. Uživaj u sadašnjem momentu da se ne bi kajao za nekoliko dana, mjeseci, godina – Let it go. The past is the past. Enjoy the present moment so that you don’t regret it in a few days, months, years.
- Živi život – Live life.
- Toliko žurimo odrasti, a onda? onda shvatimo da je biti dete najepša stvar – We are in such a hurry to grow up and then? Then you realize that being a child is the most beautiful thing.
- Postoji milion gradova u koje mozeš odlaziti, ali samo jedan u koji možes da se vraćaš – There are a million cities that you can go to but only one you can go back to.
- Hiljadu puta se pokajes za ono sto kazes, rijetko za ono sto precutis – You regret what you say but rarely what you keep quiet about.
- Čovek ne može da otkrije novi okean ako nema hrabrosti da izgubi iz vida obalu – You cannot discover a new ocean if you don’t have the courage to lose sight of the shore.
- Postoji samo jedan način da se izbjegne kritiziranje: ne radi ništa, ne govori ništa, i ne budi ništa – There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing and be nothing.
- Bacite sat i kupite kompas. šta vam znači vreme, ako idete u pogrešnom pravcu? – Throw away the clock and buy a compass. Why does time matter if you’re going in the wrong direction?
- Nije zlato sve što s’ja – Not everything that shines is gold.
- Oni koji vas mrze, zapravo ne mrze vas. Oni mrze sebe, jer ste vi odraz onoga što bi oni želeli biti – Those who hate you don’t really hate you. They hate themselves because you are a reflection of what they would like to be.
- Sve u životu možeš da stvoriš, osim duše. sa njom moraš da se rodiš – You can create everything in life except the soul. You have to be born with it.
- Ljubav pokazujemo i kroz kvalitet i količinu pažnje koju dajemo drugima – We show love through the quality and quantity of attention we give to others.
- Covek treba da ostari uz nekoga, a ne zbog nekoga – One should grow old with someone not because of someone.
Famous Bosnian Proverbs & Bosnian Sayings
Below I’ve listed the most famous Bosnian proverbs as well as some common Bosnian sayings and Bosnian idioms. These are used often in day to day life.
- Bolje vrabac u ruci, nego golub na grani – A sparrow in the hand is better than a pigeon on the branch.
The meaning of this Bosnian proverb is that the thing you have now is more valuable than something you may be able to get. It’s not worth losing what you have in order to get it.
- Tko drugome jamu kopa sam u nju pada – He who digs a trap for others ends up in it himself.
- Gvožđe se kuje dok je vruće – Iron is worked when it’s still hot.
This Bosnian saying is very similar to the English proverb of ‘strike while the iron is hot’.
- Ako dozvolite drugima da vam pune glavu, to je znak da je prazna – If you allow others to fill your head, that’s a sign that it is empty.
- Iver ne pada daleko od klade – A splinter doesn’t land far from the trunk.
This Bosnian idiom is very similar to the English proverb ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’ and is used to indicate that children copy their parent’s behavior.
- Tko rano rani, dvije sreće grabi – One who gets up early is doubly lucky.
- Pas koji laje ne ujeda – The dog that barks doesn’t bite.
This Bosnian saying means that someone who threatens too much does this to frighten enemies but in fact they don’t have enough courage to actually do anything.
- Nikada ne potcenjujte moć upornosti – Never underestimate the power of perseverance.
- Tko s vragom tikve sadi, o glavu mu se obiju – If one sows pumpkins with the devil, they will bash onto one’s head.
- Nema vatre bez dima – There is no fire without smoke.
This Bosnian proverb means that there is some truth to all rumors.
- Gdje ti mnogo obećavaju, malu torbu ponesi – Where people are promising much to you, bring a small bag.
- Vrana vrani oči ne vadi – A crow doesn’t pick out another crow’s eyes.
This Bosnian saying means that a thief will not steal from another thief.
- Prvo skoči pa reci hop – First leap then say ‘hop’.
This Bosnian quote is similar to the English proverb ‘walk the walk, then talk the talk’.
- Uzdaj se u se i u svoje kljuse – Trust yourself and your horse.
- Često svoje ‘nikad više’ pretvorimo u ‘samo još ovaj put’ – We often change our ‘never again’ for ‘just this one time’.
- Koliko god da vjeruješ ljudima, ipak svoje tajne zadrži za sebe – No matter how much you trust people, keep your secrets to yourself.
Bosnian Quotes & Proverbs In English
Below I’ve listed some famous Bosnian sayings and proverbs in English which have Bosnian origin.
- The eyes of all cheats are full of tears.
- Clean your own yard first before asking others to clean theirs.
- Beautiful words don’t put porridge in the pot.
- Do not look where the harvest is plentiful, but where the people are kind.
- Someone who lies for you will also lie against you.
- When an ant gets wings, it loses its head.
- A prudent man who knows proverbs, resolves problems.
- A tree does not grow from the sky.
- Don’t be misled by the tears of a beggar.
- Two things rule the world, reward and punishment.
- The sea isn’t polluted by the dog’s mouth.
- A lion cannot hear its own roar.
- During the battle you cannot lend your sword to anyone.
- A brave man seldom is hurt in the back.
- Don’t cross a bridge until you come to it.
- Why would you use poison if you can kill with honey.
Check out the video below which features a range of famous Bosnian quotes and well-known Bosnian sayings & proverbs.
Thanks for reading this post on the best Bosnian quotes about life, famous Bosnian sayings and fascinating Bosnian proverbs.
These Bosnian quotes & sayings give an interesting insight into the Bosnian beliefs and language.
Related Posts: