ProverbHuman Nature
French origin
French originQui se ressemble s'assemble
Meaning: People tend to seek out others like themselves.
Literally: Those who resemble each other gather together
Example: “Ces deux-là adorent se plaindre de tout. Qui se ressemble s'assemble.” — Those two love complaining about everything: birds of a feather flock together.
Equivalents in English, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 7 more languages
English: Birds of a feather flock together
Spanish: Dios los cría y ellos se juntan (literally: God raises them and they come together)
Japanese: 類は友を呼ぶ (Rui wa tomo o yobu) (literally: Like calls to like)
German: Gleich und gleich gesellt sich gern (literally: Like and like gladly keep company)
Italian: Chi si somiglia si piglia (literally: Those who are alike take to each other)
Portuguese: Cada qual com o seu igual (literally: Each one with his equal)
Dutch: Soort zoekt soort (literally: Kind seeks kind)
Russian: Рыбак рыбака видит издалека (Rybak rybaka vidit izdaleka) (literally: A fisherman spots a fisherman from afar)
Polish: Ciągnie swój do swego (literally: One's own draws to one's own)
Chinese: 物以类聚 (Wù yǐ lèi jù) (literally: Things gather by kind)
Korean: 가재는 게 편 (Gajaeneun ge pyeon) (literally: The crayfish sides with the crab)
Arabic: الطيور على أشكالها تقع (Aṭ-ṭuyūr ʿalā ashkālihā taqaʿ) (literally: Birds land with their own kind)
Origin: The rhyme does the work: ressemble, assemble. Cicero quoted the same idea as an old proverb: pares cum paribus facillime congregantur, equals gather most easily with equals.
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- Tête de linotte A scatterbrain who can't hold a thought.
- Courir sur le haricot To get badly on someone's nerves.
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