A friend in need is a friend indeed
Meaning: True friends show their worth during difficult times.
Origin: The Roman poet Ennius wrote, as Cicero quotes him, that a sure friend is known in an unsure time — amicus certus in re incerta cernitur. The idea is recorded in English from the 11th century, and the rhyming form became standard later.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: C'est dans le besoin qu'on reconnaît ses amis (literally: It's in need that we recognize our friends)
- Spanish: En la necesidad se conoce al amigo (literally: In need, the friend is known)
- Japanese: 真の友は逆境で知る (Shin no tomo wa gyakkyō de shiru) (literally: True friends are known in adversity)
- German: Freunde in der Not gehen tausend auf ein Lot (literally: Friends in need — a thousand of them go to one lot (tiny weight))
More proverbs about Human Nature
- The squeaky wheel gets replaced — Constant complainers may be removed rather than accommodated.
- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder — Perception of beauty is subjective and personal.
- The bigger they are, the harder they fall — Powerful people suffer greater consequences when they fail.
- Beauty is only skin deep — Physical appearance is superficial; character matters more.
- East or west, home is best — No matter where you go, home remains the best place.
- Variety is the spice of life — Diversity makes life interesting.
From our untranslatable words
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