ProverbChallenge
French origin
French originIl faut hurler avec les loups
Meaning: To get along, you sometimes have to go along with the people around you.
Literally: One must howl with the wolves
Example: “Tout le monde critiquait le projet, alors il a fait pareil : il faut hurler avec les loups.” — Everyone was criticizing the project, so he did too: if you can't beat them, join them.
Equivalents in English, Spanish, Japanese, German, Russian, and Turkish
English: If you can't beat them, join them
Spanish: Si no puedes con tu enemigo, únete a él (literally: If you can't beat your enemy, join them)
Japanese: 長い物には巻かれろ (Nagai mono ni wa makarero) (literally: Wrap yourself around long things)
German: Mit den Wölfen muss man heulen (literally: With the wolves one must howl)
Russian: С волками жить — по-волчьи выть (S volkami zhit' — po-volch'i vyt') (literally: Live with wolves, howl like a wolf)
Turkish: Bükemediğin eli öp, başına koy (literally: Kiss the hand you can't bend, and raise it to your head)
Origin: Among wolves, you howl as they do rather than stand out. It is said as practical advice, and also as an excuse for joining in something you know is wrong. German has the same wolves: mit den Wölfen muss man heulen.
Explore another collection: Untranslatable Words
Words that capture a feeling or idea English needs a whole sentence for.
- Épanouissement The full flourishing of a person — blooming into your most complete, radiant self. More t…
- Ressourcement The act of returning to one's roots or origins to find renewal — going back to a place, t…
- Dépaysement The disorienting yet often pleasant feeling of being far from home, immersed in the unfam…
Keep exploring