Het bloed kruipt waar het niet gaan kan

Meaning: Family ties, and inborn nature, always find a way to show themselves.

Literally: Blood creeps where it cannot walk

Example: “Zijn opa was schilder, en hij is ook kunstenaar geworden. Het bloed kruipt waar het niet gaan kan.” — His grandfather was a painter, and he became an artist too: blood will tell.

Equivalents in English, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 3 more languages

English: Blood is thicker than water
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)
Italian: Il sangue non è acqua (literally: Blood is not water)
Russian: Кровь не вода (Krov' ne voda) (literally: Blood is not water)
Korean: 피는 물보다 진하다 (Pineun mulboda jinhada) (literally: Blood is thicker than water)
Arabic: الدم ما بيصير مي (Ed-damm mā biṣīr mayy) (literally: Blood doesn't turn into water)