Germanein Esel schimpft den andern Langohr
Meaning: A person criticizes another for the same fault they themselves possess.
Literally: One donkey scolds the other long-ear
Example: “Er nennt mich unordentlich, und sein Auto ist voller Müll: ein Esel schimpft den andern Langohr.” — He calls me untidy while his car is full of trash: the pot calling the kettle black.
English equivalent: The pot calling the kettle black
Equivalents in other languages
Hungarian: Bagoly mondja verébnek, hogy nagyfejű Literally: The owl tells the sparrow it's big-headed
Arabic: الجمل ما يشوف عوجة رقبته (Al-jamal mā yshūf 'awjat raqabatuh) Literally: The camel can't see the bend in its own neck
French: C'est l'hôpital qui se fout de la charité Literally: It's the hospital making fun of the charity ward
Spanish: cachicamo diciéndole a morrocoy conchudo Literally: Armadillo telling tortoise shell-backed
Portuguese: sujo falando do mal lavado Literally: Dirty speaking of the badly washed- French: La paille et la poutre Literally: The straw and the beam
English: the pot calling the kettle black- Spanish: Dijo la sartén al cazo Literally: Said the frying pan to the saucepan
Italian: Il bue che dice cornuto all'asino Literally: The ox calling the donkey "horned"
Japanese: 目くそ鼻くそを笑う (Mekuso hanakuso o warau) Literally: Eye gunk laughs at nose gunk
Korean: 똥 묻은 개가 겨 묻은 개 나무란다 (Ttong mudeun gaega gyeo mudeun gae namuranda) Literally: The dog with dung on it scolds the dog with chaff on it
Dutch: De pot verwijt de ketel dat hij zwart is Literally: The pot reproaches the kettle for being black
Polish: Przyganiał kocioł garnkowi Literally: The cauldron scolded the pot- Portuguese: Diz o roto ao nu: porque não te vestes tu? Literally: Says the ragged man to the naked one: why don't you get dressed?
Russian: Чья бы корова мычала, а твоя бы молчала (Ch'ya by korova mychala, a tvoya by molchala) Literally: Anyone's cow might moo, but yours should keep quiet
Turkish: Tencere dibin kara, seninki benden kara Literally: "Pot, your bottom is black!" "Yours is blacker than mine."
Chinese: 五十步笑百步 (Wǔshí bù xiào bǎi bù) Literally: Fifty paces laughing at a hundred paces
Origin: Langohr (long-ear) is a nickname for the donkey, so one donkey calling another "long-ears" is insulting it for a feature they share. Redensarten-Index classifies it as a proverb (Sprichwort) for criticizing in others a fault one has oneself, like English "the pot calling the kettle black."
More German idioms
- außer Rand und Band geraten To lose control and behave wildly or unruly.
- nah am Wasser gebaut Someone who cries easily or is prone to tears.
- feucht hinter den Ohren Young, inexperienced, or naive.
- alles im grünen Bereich sein Everything is functioning well or is satisfactory.
- ein Liedchen singen können To have direct, personal knowledge of something through lived experience.
- sein Damaskus erleben To undergo a sudden, transformative spiritual or moral awakening.
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