ProverbWisdom
Dutch origin
Dutch origin's Lands wijs, 's lands eer
Meaning: Respect the customs of the country you are in.
Literally: The country's ways are the country's honor
Example: “In Japan buig je bij de begroeting. 's Lands wijs, 's lands eer.” — In Japan you bow when you greet someone: 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)
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)
Chinese: 入乡随俗 (Rù xiāng suí sú) (literally: Entering a village, follow its customs)
Origin: Literally: the country's way is the country's honor. To follow local customs is to honor the place.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Liesje leerde Lotje lopen langs de lange Lindelaan. Eight consecutive l-words, with the vowel behind the l changing every time.
- De kat krabt de krullen van de trap. A 'kr' cluster drill — Dutch consonant pileups that beginners approach with dread.
- Als vliegen achter vliegen vliegen, vliegen vliegen vliegen achterna. The same noun/verb homograph trap as the German version — vliegen does triple duty.
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