Burmese people use a lot of sayings and expressions in daily life which offer advice and even sometimes have hidden meanings.
I spent hours and hours to find these Burmese proverbs and quotes to learn more about Burmese beliefs and ways of thinking.ย
Below Iโve listed famous Burmese quotes, common Burmese proverbs and inspiring Burmese sayings along with their meanings.
(My favourite is number 44.)
Table of Contents
Famous Burmese Quotes & Burmese Proverbs
Here’s some of the most famous Myanmar quotes as well as some common Burmese proverbs and their meanings in English. These are used often in day to day life.
- แแถแแฏแถแ แแฐแธแแฏแถแแแแบแธแแฌ – Donโt jump into a pit of thorns out of blind faith.
This Burmese proverb teaches that we should not carry out actions without proper reasoning.
- แแญแฏแแทแบแแฑแซแแบ แแญแฏแแบแแพแแบแแฑแฌแแบ – To pound on oneโs own thighs.
This Burmese proverb teaches that unwise actions and words will only end up hurting yourself.
- แแญแฏแธแแฝแฌแแฏแแบแธ แแฑแแถ – Collect rain water when it rains.
This quote teaches us to take full advantage of any opportunity that arises.
- แแผแฌแแผแฌแแซแธแแพ แแซแธแแพแแบแธแแญ – Bitter taste is only apparent after chewing for some time.
This Burmese quote means that the true character of a bad person will only become apparent after getting to know the person well.
- แแผแญแฏแธแ แฌแธแ แแฏแแฌแธแแผแ แบ – Strive and become a Buddha.
This Burmese saying means that if you work hard, anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
- แแซแธแแฏแถแธแแแ แบแแฑแฌแแบแแผแฑแฌแแทแบ แแ แบแแพแฑแแฏแถแธแแฏแแบ – One rotten fish fills the whole boat with a foul smell.
This Burmese quote is talking about reputation. The reputation of a family or business can be ruined by the behavior of one person.
- แแแพแฌแธแแฑแฌ แแพแฑแทแแฑแ แแแฑแแฑแฌ แแฑแธแแแฌแธ – A lawyer who wins all cases or a doctor who saves all patients is unheard of.
This Burmese saying teaches us that despite knowledge and experience, we all fail sometimes.
- แแแฏแแบแแญแแพ แกแแญแ – Stumble and fall, only then will mother be called.
This Burmese saying is used to talk about children ignoring the guidance of their parents and only calling for help when they get into trouble.
- แแผแฑแฌแแบแแญแฏแแบแธแแแบแธ แแแผแฑแฌแแบแแพแแทแบแ แแผแพแฑแฌแแบแแญแฏแแบแธแแแบแธแแแผแฌแแบแแพแแทแบ – Donโt be afraid of every intimidation but also donโt fall for every compliment.
- แแฐแธแแฑแซแบแแแบแแป แแแบแแฑแซแแบแ แแแบแแฑแซแบแแฐแธแแป แแแบแแฑแซแแบ – When the thorn falls on the leaf, the leaf is punctured. When the leaf falls on the thorn, the leaf is still punctured.
This proverb teaches that weak people are vulnerable and should be cautious.
- แแ แบแแซแแฑแแฐแธ แแปแแบแแญแฏแธแแฌแธแแแบ – Once there is death, one understands the cost of a coffin.
This Myanmar quote means that we learn from our experiences.
- แแแญแแฐแแปแฑแฌแบแแฝแฌแธแ แแญแแฐแแฑแฌแบแ แฌแธ – An ignorant person walks over the pot of gold, the informed person digs it up.
This quote stresses the value of knowledge and wisdom.
- โโแแ แบแแปแแบแแฏแแบ แแพแ แบแแปแแบแแผแแบ – One slash cuts in two places.
This Burmese saying teaches us about efficiency. For example, you can accomplish several tasks in one journey.
Itโs similar to the English proverb โkilling two birds with one stoneโ.
- โโแแฐแธแแญแฏแแปแพแแบ แแแฏแถแแแฎแธ – A marrow plant wonโt bear pumpkin fruit.
This proverb means that you canโt change people.
- แแแบแแฐแแแผแฏ แแญแแญแแพแฏ – We are the heir to our own deeds.
The meaning of this Burmese proverb is that we will face the consequences of our actions. There is no one to blame but ourselves.
- แแปแแบแแแบแธ แแ แนแแฑแแแผแฑแฌแแบ – A blind man is not afraid of a ghost.
This Myanmar quote means that a reckless person is blind to the danger ahead of him/her.
- แแแพแญแแฌแแแบ แแแญแแฌ แแแบ – Not knowing is worse than not having.
This quote means that in life, not having knowledge is worse than not having material things.
- แแฎแธแแฑแฌแแบแแฌ แแฑแแแทแบ – Wind blows where there is fire.
This proverb is a metaphor meaning that trouble can be made worse by outside interference.
- แแแบแแฏแแบแแฒแ แแแบแแฒ – Beans from the same pot are fermented alike.
This saying is similar to the English proverb โthe apple doesnโt fall far from the treeโ and means that children often show similar behaviors to their parents.
- แกแญแแบแแปแแบแแฑแฌแแบแแฑแฌแแบแแฐ แกแแพแญแฏแธแแแแบ – Waking someone who is pretending to be asleep is difficult.
This proverb means itโs hard to deal with a deceitful person – youโll find it hard to see their true colors.
Beautiful Burmese Quotes & Burmese Sayings
Below Iโve listed a range of famous and inspirational Burmese quotes and Burmese sayings.
- แแผแฎแธแแฐแแญแฏ แแญแฏแแฑแ แแฝแแบแแฐแแญแฏ แแฑแธแ แฌแธแ แแแบแแฐแแญแฏ แแแฌแธ – Revere the elders, respect your peers and be kind to the young.
- แแฏแแญแฏแแบแแแบแธแ แแแบแธแแแบแธแ – Make merit and fill your stomach at the same time.
This Burmese saying is talking about doing good deeds. Itโs saying you can do good things, e.g. be a doctor, and it will give you a sense of purpose and joy.
- แแปแ แบแ แแญแฏแแพแแบแ แฑแ แแฏแแบแธแ แแญแฏแแญแฏแ แฑ – Let love live long, let hate live short.
- แแแฑแธแแพแแบแแฑแฌแทแแญแฏแ แแฐแแผแฎแธแแพแแบแแฑแฌแทแแแบ – When embarrassed, children tend to cry whilst adults tend to laugh.
- แแญแฏแแบแแแบ แแฏแแแบแแฝแพแฑแแแบ – Deluded people think their bed is a golden palace.
This Burmese quote tells us that some people get lost in their own world with unrealistic expectations.
- แแปแฝแแบแธแแญแฏแแบแธแแพแฎ แแญแฏแแบแธแแปแฝแแบแธแแพแฎ – An island depends on the reeds, the reeds depend on the island.
This Burmese saying describes relationships where people depend on each other – one could not survive without the other.
- แกแแฝแฑแธแแผแแบ แกแแแบแแญแ แกแแฝแฑแธแแผแแบ แกแแฝแแบแแญ – You can tell the tree by its bark and a man by his character.
- โโแแปแฝแฑแแฌแ แฏแแฑแฌแแบแธ แแฐแแฑแธแแฑแฌแแบแธ – Skimp, save and live a modest life to become rich.
- แแแบแแญแแบ แแปแฝแฒแแฑแฌแแบ – A skinny elephant is still the size of a buffalo.
This Burmese quote means that when a rich person gets poorer, they are still very rich.
- แแ แบแแฏแแบแ แฌแธแแฐแธ แแฐแทแแปแฑแธแแฐแธ – A bite of food, gratitude.
This quote teaches us that we should be thankful for the food we eat.
- แแแบแธแแฑแซแแบแแแบ แแแทแบแแแแบ – The night cannot be darker than the midnight hours.
This saying means that having gone through the worst, the situation will improve gradually.
- แแญแแบแแญแแบแแฑ แแฑแฌแแบแแแบ – Silence is worth a thousand words.
This Burmese saying is similar to the English version โsilence is goldenโ.
- แแฑแฌแแทแบแแฒแแแบแธแแญแแบ แแฐแทแ แแบแธแ แญแแบ – Contentment is the luxury of life.
This saying means that the person who needs the least is usually happier than the person who has the most.
- แแแฌแแญแฏ แกแญแฏแแแบแแแพแญ – Youโre never too old to gain new knowledge.
- แแญแแบแแแฑแฌแแบแแพแแทแบแแแบแ แแฝแแบแแแฑแฌแแบแแพแแทแบแแแบ – Shallow in appearance but deep, easy in appearance but hard.
This quote means that only after trying something may you realize that certain tasks are harder than they seem.
- แแฝแฌแธแแฝแฒ แแปแฌแธแแญแฏแแบ – Cows that do not stay as a herd become victims of the tiger.
This Burmese quote teaches us that a divided nation or a divided family is vulnerable to attack.
- แแแฌ แแแฌ แกแฌแแฌ แแแนแแญ – There is no light as bright as knowledge.
- แแผแ แบแแแปแพแกแแผแฑแฌแแบแธ แกแแฑแฌแแบแธแแปแแบแธแแฒ – Whatever happens is for the best.
- แแฏแแฌแธแแพแแบแแญแฏแท แแญแฏแธแแฝแแบแแซแ แแฝแแบแแฝแแบแแพ แแฑแฌแแบแแญแฏแทแแพแแบแธแแญ – A mound was mistaken to be a pagoda until the lizard came out.
This Burmese quote is referring to a bad person who may be mistaken for a good person until their immoral traits show.
- แแแผแแบแแฐแธ แแฐแธแแผแ แบแแแบ – A naive person thinks the Mu stream is a river.
The Mu stream is a small stream in Myanmar. This proverb teaches about naivety and to always try to learn more.
- โโแ แแฌแธแแแบแธ แแแบแ แฒ – Less talk, less enemies.
This quote teaches us to be careful with our words.
- แแผแฝแฑแแแฑ แแฏแแบแแแปแญแฏ – Let the snake live and keep the stick unbroken.
This Burmese quote teaches that you should compromise in times of conflict for a win-win situation.
In this example, the snake kept its life and the person kept their stick intact.ย
- แแฐแแญแฏแแบแแพแแทแบแแฝแฑ แกแแฐแแแฑ – An unwise person and money do not stay together.
This quote simply means that a fool or someone who is not clever will lose all their money.
- แแแญแแแฐ แแฐแแแผแแบแ แแแญแแฐแ แแผแฐแแญแฏแแผแแบ – Reckless people donโt see a big cave, vigilant people see even the fine mist.
This saying emphasizes mindfulness and that we should always recognise the opportunities that surround us.
- โโแแฝแฌแธแแแบแแปแฌแธ แแแฎแธแแฑแฌแแบ – Make frequent trips to reach the destination.
This quote is about perseverance. Keep going until you achieve your goals.
- โโแกแแแฌแธแแแแทแบแแฝแฌแธ แแฝแฌแธแแผแฒแแผแแทแบ – Donโt examine the teeth of a cow you get as a gift.
This Burmese proverb teaches us that it would be inappropriate to look for imperfection and complain about something we didnโt pay for.
Be appreciative and say thank you.
- แกแแญแฏแแผแฎแธแ แกแแแแบแธ – A greedy person ends up with less.
- แฅแ แนแ แฌแแฐแแแบ แแปแแบแแพแแทแบแแปแญแฏแธแ แแแฌแแฐแแแบ แแผแแบแแฝแพแฑแกแญแฏแธ – Material things will perish but knowledge is valuable like a pot of gold.
This Burmese quote emphasizes the importance of knowledge over material possessions.
Best Burmese Idioms & Burmese Expressions
Below Iโve listed the most well-known Burmese idioms and expressions. Many of these have hidden meanings.
- แแผแแบแแแบแธ แแแบแกแญแฏแธแแญแฏแธ – Like a blind chicken stumbling into a pot of rice.
This Burmese idiom is used to describe someone who has found success by chance and not through hard work.
- แแปแฝแฒแแซแธแ แฑแฌแแบแธแแฎ – Like playing a harp to a buffalo.
This Burmese idiom is used to describe an uncultured person who does not appreciate the finer things in life.
- แแฝแฒแแผแฎแธ แแฎแธแแฑ – The fire went out as soon as the show was over.
This Burmese idiom describes when initial enthusiasm dies down after a fad.
- โโแแฎแธแแฒแแผแฌแแฏแถแธ – Red hot charcoal covered with ash.
This idiom is used when a skillful person is unable to accomplish something due to circumstances.
- แแฎแธแ แฌแแฏแแบแแฎแแแบแธ – The lamp runs out of wick and oil.
This idiom is used to describe an older person who has reached retirement age. Their physical strength, work and sometimes wealth may have gone.
- แแฏแแบแแฑแฌแแบ แแผแฑแฌแแบแแญ – A trap for a rabbit caught a cat.
This Burmese idiom is used to describe a situation where you planned for something but the result was something different.
- โโแกแญแฏแธแ แแแฐ แ แแฑแฌแแบแธแ แแฐ – The lid is hot but the pot is not.
This idiom is used to describe when a person who has no business in a situation becomes restless and the person experiencing the difficult situation remains calm.
- แกแญแแบแแฑแซแแบแแพแแทแบ แแฌแธแแฑแฌแแบ – To collect frogs using a bag with a hole.
This Burmese expression is used to describe a wasted effort.
- แกแญแแบแแฑแฌแแบแแฑแธ แแฑแธแแญแฏแแบแแแบ – To open a shop in the backyard.
This expression is used to refer to growing vegetables in your backyard.
Thanks for reading this post on the best Burmese quotes about life, famous Burmese sayings and fascinating Burmese proverbs.
What was your favourite quote?
These Burmese quotes & sayings give an interesting insight into the Burmese beliefs and language.
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