25 Corsican Proverbs with English Translations
Ah, Corsican! At first glance, one might regard this language as merely a dialect of Italian. And, indeed, it’s not difficult to see why.
Generally, people think Corsican’s just Italian with a funny accent and a bunch of misspelt words. That’s because, for the most part, that’s kinda true. Corsican sounds like a drunk Italian trying to speak French (don’t tell the natives I said that)!
Yet, it does have its own flare. I’d call it the love child of Italian and French – not quite one or the other, but something all its own.
This uniqueness extends to its proverbs as well, hence why we’re here today. Proverbs are like the Twitter of old times – short and snappy with a bit of wisdom and/or humour tossed in. And with Corsican proverbs especially, you’ll get a mix of sharp wit and charm that’s unique to the beautiful island whence they come.
Below you’ll find 25 awesome Corsican proverbs along with their English translations. Though the translations aren’t always literal, you’ll still get the general sense of the original meanings.
Hope you like!
Corsican proverbs 1-5
| Corsican | English |
|---|---|
| I penseri invechjanu prestu à chì i porta | Worry ages quickly those who wear it |
| Una disgrazia ùn vene mai sola | A misfortune never comes alone |
| A casa a più sicura hè a cascia | The safest house is the coffin |
| U sangue ùn si vende micca à baiocche sunanti | Blood doesn’t sell for cheap |
| Bisogna à rispettà u cane pè u patrone | You must respect the dog out of consideration for its owner |
Corsican proverbs 6-10
| Corsican | English |
|---|---|
| U mondu ghjè un mare di lacrime | The world is an ocean of tears |
| Ghjè a donna chì face l’omu | It is the woman who makes the man |
| Incù i vechji nemici, un fà nova amicizia | With old enemies, don’t make new friendships |
| I ricchi ùn sò boni ch’è à circà i poveri quand’elli ne anu bisognu | The rich are only concerned about the poor when they need them |
| Dura più u vechju ch’è u novu | The old lasts longer than the new |
Corsican proverbs 11-15
| Corsican | English |
|---|---|
| A speranza, prima chì nasce, ultima chì more | Hope is the first to be born and the last to die |
| Saccu viotu ùn pò stà rittu | An empty sack cannot stand |
| Si manghja pè campà, ùn si campa micca pè manghjà | You eat to live, you don’t live to eat |
| I più parenti sò quelli chì facenu u bè | The best relatives are those who do good |
| Ùn ci hè pesciu senza lische | There is no fish without bones |
Corsican proverbs 16-20
| Corsican | English |
|---|---|
| Un bon bichjeru di vinu face stancià u sudore | A good glass of wine makes the sweat stop |
| Miseria è puvertà sò listesse | Misery and poverty are the same |
| In casa soia, ancu u cecu sà induve ellu mette e so mani | In his home, even the blind man knows where to put his hands |
| A moglia di u vicinu ghjè sempre più bella ch’è a soia | The neighbour’s wife is always more beautiful than his own |
| Ognunu trova scarpu à so pede | Everyone finds a shoe for their foot |
Corsican proverbs 21-25
| Corsican | English |
|---|---|
| I so panni brutti si lavanu in famiglia | Dirty laundry is washed in the family |
| U Diavule a face fà, è pò dopu a palesa | The Devil makes you do it, and then denounces you |
| U biscottu vene à chì hà i denti | The cookie comes to he who has teeth |
| Più si campa, più si ne vede | The more we live, the more we see |
| A chì troppu ride u venneri pienghjerà a dumenica | He who laughs too much on Friday will cry on Sunday |
Thanks for reading!
If you’re interested in furthering your Corsican studies, check out our post Starting with Corsican: 15 Key Phrases for Beginners.
