the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence
Meaning: Other people's situations always seem better than one's own.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “He keeps changing jobs, but the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”
Category: Nature
Origin: The idea goes back to the Roman poet Ovid, who wrote that the harvest in other people's fields is always richer. The English wording became popular in the 20th century, helped by a 1956 song title.
Equivalents in other languages
- Vietnamese: Đứng núi này trông núi nọ — literally: Standing on this mountain, looking at that mountain
- Irish: Is glas iad na cnoic i bhfad uainn — literally: The hills far away are green
- Persian: مرغ همسایه غاز است (morgh-e hamsāye ghāz ast) — literally: The neighbor's chicken is a goose
More idioms — Nature
- every cloud has a silver lining — Something good can come out of any bad situation.
- still waters run deep — Quiet people often have deep thoughts or strong feelings.
- when it rains, it pours — Bad things tend to happen together.
- Avoir le vent en poupe — To be doing very well; everything is going your way.
- Avoir la tête dans les nuages — To be a daydreamer; out of touch with reality.
- Jeter de l'huile sur le feu — To make a bad situation worse.
More English idioms
- sleep on it — To delay a decision until the next day to think it over.
- it'll all come out in the wash — Things will work out in the end.
- haste makes waste — Doing things too quickly leads to mistakes.
- no pain, no gain — You must work hard or suffer to achieve something.
- where there's a will, there's a way — Determination will find a way to succeed.
- the early bird catches the worm — Those who act first or get up early get the best chances.
From our compliments & insults
- Eres un aguafiestas — You're a killjoy — you pour cold water on everyone's fun the moment you arrive.
- ¡Qué cara más dura! — You've got incredible nerve and cheek — the audacity is almost impressive.
- Es un/una pesado/a — A dreadful bore — their company feels like carrying extra weight.