ProverbWisdomChinese origin

入乡随俗 (Rù xiāng suí sú)

Meaning: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Literally: Enter the village, follow its customs

Example: “在日本进门要脱鞋,入乡随俗嘛。” — In Japan you take your shoes off indoors; when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 5 more languages

  • English: When in Rome, do as the Romans do
  • French: À Rome, fais comme les Romains (literally: In Rome, do as the Romans)
  • Spanish: Donde fueres, haz lo que vieres (literally: Where you go, do what you see)
  • Japanese: 郷に入っては郷に従え (Gō ni itte wa gō ni shitagae) (literally: When entering a village, follow the village)
  • German: Andere Länder, andere Sitten (literally: Other countries, other customs)
  • Italian: Paese che vai, usanza che trovi (literally: Every country you go to, a custom you find)
  • Portuguese: Em Roma sê romano (literally: In Rome, be Roman)
  • Dutch: 's Lands wijs, 's lands eer (literally: The country's ways are the country's honor)
  • Russian: В чужой монастырь со своим уставом не ходят (V chuzhoy monastyr' so svoim ustavom ne khodyat) (literally: You don't bring your own rulebook to someone else's monastery)
  • Polish: Kiedy wejdziesz między wrony, musisz krakać jak i one (literally: When you go among crows, you must caw like them)

Origin: A classical Chinese counsel to adapt gracefully to local ways wherever you happen to find yourself.

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