своя рубашка ближе к телу (svoya rubashka blizhe k telu)

Meaning: self-interest comes before charity; one should prioritize one's own welfare and family.

Literally: One's own shirt is closer to the body

Example: “Он помог сначала брату: своя рубашка ближе к телу.” — He helped his brother first: charity begins at home.

Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and 2 more languages

English: Charity begins at home
French: Charité bien ordonnée commence par soi-même (literally: Well-ordered charity begins with oneself)
Spanish: La caridad bien entendida empieza por uno mismo (literally: Well-understood charity begins with oneself)
German: Jeder ist sich selbst der Nächste (literally: Everyone is his own nearest neighbor)
Italian: La carità comincia a casa propria (literally: Charity begins at one's own home)
Polish: Bliższa koszula ciału niż sukmana (literally: The shirt is closer to the body than the coat)
Arabic: الأقربون أولى بالمعروف (Al-aqrabūn awlā bil-maʿrūf) (literally: Relatives come first for kindness)

Origin: Origin uncertain; the literal image of a garment worn closest to the skin suggests that what is nearest to you naturally matters most.

Words that capture a feeling or idea English needs a whole sentence for.

Beloruchka Someone who dodges dirty or hard work — a person whose hands stay conspicuously clean.
Zapoi A bender running for days, in which a person drops out of ordinary life entirely.
Toska A dull ache of the soul; a great longing with nothing in particular to long for.

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