Blood is thicker than water
Meaning: Family bonds are stronger than other relationships.
Origin: The medieval German beast epic Reinhart Fuchs (c. 1180) has an early version: kin-blood is not spoiled by water. In English, John Ray's proverb collection of 1670 includes "Blood is thicker than water," and Walter Scott used it in Guy Mannering (1815). A popular claim that the original was "the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb" has no early source.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Les liens du sang sont les plus forts (literally: Blood ties are the strongest)
- Spanish: La sangre es más espesa que el agua (literally: Blood is thicker than water)
- Japanese: 血は水よりも濃い (Chi wa mizu yori mo koi) (literally: Blood is thicker than water)
- German: Blut ist dicker als Wasser (literally: Blood is thicker than water)
More proverbs about Human Nature
- Birds of a feather flock together — People with similar interests or characteristics tend to associate with each other.
- You can't judge a book by its cover — Appearances can be deceiving.
- Too many cooks spoil the broth — Too many people involved can ruin a project.
- Curiosity killed the cat — Being too inquisitive can lead to trouble.
- The apple doesn't fall far from the tree — Children often resemble their parents.
- Laughter is the best medicine — Humor and joy can help overcome difficulties.
From our untranslatable words
- Schadenfreude — The guilty little pleasure of taking satisfaction in someone else's misfortune.
- Wabi-sabi — Finding beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and the worn or incomplete.
- Tsundoku — Buying books and letting them pile up unread — a habit, not a crime.