Animal idioms
Translate into English and give the meaning:
Купити кота в мішку
“To buy a cat in a sack”
To buy or accept something without examining it carefully first, with the possibility that it may be something of poor quality or not what you want. In English, "a pig in a poke."
Translate and give the meaning:
Крапля в морі
“A drop in the sea”
An insignificant amount (when compared with the amount that is needed, was previously available, etc).
Translate and give the meaning:
Не завдавай їсти цукру вчорашнього дня
"Don't try to eat yesterday's sugar"
Someone is asking for something that they don’t need.
Translate and give the meaning:
Два чоботи – пара
“Two shoes make a pair”
The two people in question are similar with regard to personality traits, behaviors, etc (which are usually negative, undesirable).
Translate and give the meaning:
Гратися з вогнем
“To play with fire”
To do something dangerous or risky; to do something that could cause you trouble later.
Translate into English and give the meaning:
Біла ворона
“A white crow”
This idiom is used to describe a person who is unusual or extraordinary, not like others. In English “a black sheep.”
Translate and give the meaning:
Німий як риба
“Mute as a fish”
Someone that says very little or nothing (often in order to keep a secret); reserved, uncommunicative. In English, "silent as the grave."
Translate and give the meaning:
Ложка дьогтю у бочці меду
“A spoonful of tar in a barrel of honey”
Something small that spoils something valuable and nice; a single thing that is spoiling a situation that could have been very positive or enjoyable. In English, "a fly in the ointment." Or, about a person, "one rotten apple spoils the barrel."
Translate and give the meaning:
Під каблуком
“Under (one’s) heel”
Сompletely under the control or influence of someone, entirely dependent on someone (often of a husband in relation to his wife). In English, "under someone's thumb."
Translate and give the meaning:
Розставити всі крапки над “і”
“To put all the dots over the letter i"
To clarify some matter fully and in all its details, leaving no ambiguities. In English, "dot your i's and cross your t's"
Translate into English and give the meaning:
Про вовка промовка
“Talking about the wolf”
Something that you say when someone you have been talking or thinking about suddenly appears. In English, "speak of the devil."
Translate and give the meaning:
Як дві краплі води
“Like two drops of water”
To bear a very close resemblance; to be exactly alike. In English "two peas in a pod"
Translate and give the meaning:
Вичавлений лимон
“A squeezed lemon”
Used to talk about a very tired, physically exhausted person.
Translate and give the meaning:
Копійка гривню береже
“Kopiyka saves hryvnia”
Look after small expenses in order to save big money. In English, "Look after the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.
Translate and give the meaning:
Були б як то було
“If it were so”
Used to express frustration or dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. In English, "if only saying it made it so."
Translate into English and give the meaning:
Підсунути свиню
“To plant a pig on someone”
To do a vile thing to someone, to make trouble for someone secretly.
Translate and give the meaning:
Чекати з моря погоди
“To wait for the weather from the sea”
To wait before doing something, not undertaking any action; to wait while there’s no point in waiting. In English "waiting for the sun to shine."
Translate and give the meaning:
Берегти як зіницю ока
“To guard as the apple of eye”
To guard (cherish) someone or something like the apple of one’s eye; to guard someone or something with one’s life. In English, "guard it with your life."
Translate and give the meaning:
Не стріляйте у ворон, щоб ворон не стріляв у вас.
"Don’t shoot at a crow, so the crow won’t shoot at you."
Used to describe someone who is trying to avoid trouble. In English, "let sleeping dogs lie."
Translate and give the meaning: слово – не горобець, вилетить – не спіймаєш!
"A word is not a sparrow. It will fly and you will not catch it."
Words that are said cannot be taken back.
Translate into English and give the meaning:
Показати де раки зимують
“To show where the crayfish is wintering”
Often used as a threat. To punish, to teach someone a lesson; to show someone what’s what.
Translate and give the meaning:
Під лежачий камінь вода не тече
“Under the lying stone water does not flow”
If a person makes no effort, he will make no progress, get nowhere (said when someone is inactive and does nothing toward attaining a goal or furthering some matter, etc). In English "no pain, no gain"
Translate and give the meaning:
Заварити кашу
“To make porridge”
To cause a situation that brings about troublesome or unpleasant consequences. In English, "to stir the pot."
Translate and give the meaning:
Поки хвіст у вузькому дядька, нема грошей
"While the tail is in the narrow uncle, there is no money"
Someone is trying to save money
Translate and give the meaning:
Не по тому стрибає конь, що його гнать
“It’s not the horse that he’s been galloping after that he’ll catch but the one he’s been running away from”
Someone who is in a hurry to do something, but is not very successful.