ProverbHuman Nature
French origin
French originL'habit ne fait pas le moine
Meaning: Appearances do not establish what someone is.
Literally: The habit does not make the monk
Example: “Il porte un costume impeccable, mais c'est un escroc : l'habit ne fait pas le moine.” — He wears an immaculate suit, but he's a crook: don't judge a book by its cover.
Equivalents in English, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 7 more languages
English: You can't judge a book by its cover
Spanish: Las apariencias engañan (literally: Appearances deceive)
Japanese: 人は見かけによらぬもの (Hito wa mikake ni yoranu mono) (literally: A person is not what they appear)
German: Der Schein trügt (literally: Appearances deceive)
Italian: L'abito non fa il monaco (literally: The habit doesn't make the monk)
Portuguese: O hábito não faz o monge (literally: The habit doesn't make the monk)
Dutch: Schijn bedriegt (literally: Appearances deceive)
Russian: По одёжке встречают, по уму провожают (Po odyozhke vstrechayut, po umu provozhayut) (literally: They greet you by your clothes and see you off by your mind)
Polish: Nie szata zdobi człowieka (literally: Clothes don't adorn the man)
Chinese: 人不可貌相 (Rén bù kě mào xiàng) (literally: People can't be judged by their looks)
Korean: 뚝배기보다 장맛이 좋다 (Ttukbaegiboda jangmasi jota) (literally: The sauce is better than its clay pot)
Turkish: Hayvanın alacası dışında, insanın alacası içinde (literally: An animal's spots are outside, a person's are inside)
Origin: A medieval saying, in Latin as cucullus non facit monachum, and originally aimed at people who put on religious dress without the vocation. English says you cannot judge a book by its cover.
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