ProverbHuman Nature
German origin
German originFreunde in der Not gehen tausend auf ein Lot
Meaning: True friends are rare when times are hard.
Literally: Friends in need — a thousand of them go to one lot (tiny weight)
Example: “Als ich krank war, kam niemand. Freunde in der Not gehen tausend auf ein Lot.” — When I was ill, nobody came: a friend in need is a friend indeed.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, and 4 more languages
English: A friend in need is a friend indeed
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)
Italian: Gli amici si conoscono nel bisogno (literally: Friends are known in times of need)
Dutch: In nood leert men zijn vrienden kennen (literally: In need you get to know your friends)
Russian: Друг познаётся в беде (Drug poznayotsya v bede) (literally: A friend is known in trouble)
Polish: Prawdziwych przyjaciół poznaje się w biedzie (literally: True friends are known in hardship)
Arabic: الصديق وقت الضيق (Aṣ-ṣadīq waqt aḍ-ḍīq) (literally: A friend is for times of hardship)
Turkish: Dost kara günde belli olur (literally: A friend shows on a black day)
Origin: A Lot was an old unit of weight, about half an ounce: a thousand fair-weather friends would barely tip the scales once trouble comes. Not and Lot rhyme.
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