ProverbWisdom
Russian origin
Russian originВек живи — век учись (Vek zhivi — vek uchis')
Meaning: You keep learning as long as you live.
Literally: Live a lifetime, learn a lifetime
Example: “Бабушка в восемьдесят лет научилась пользоваться смартфоном. Век живи — век учись.” — Grandma learned to use a smartphone at eighty: you're never too old to learn.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 2 more languages
English: You're never too old to learn
French: On apprend à tout âge (literally: You learn at every age)
Spanish: Nunca es tarde para aprender (literally: It's never late to learn)
Japanese: 六十の手習い (Rokujū no tenarai) (literally: Taking up calligraphy at sixty)
German: Man lernt nie aus (literally: One never finishes learning)
Dutch: Men is nooit te oud om te leren (literally: One is never too old to learn)
Polish: Człowiek uczy się całe życie (literally: A person learns all their life)
Origin: It is often said to go back to Seneca, who quoted as a proverb that one must keep learning as long as one lives; the Russian form itself has no traced author. A joking ending is often added: а дураком помрёшь, and you'll still die a fool.
Explore another collection: False Friends
Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
- Magazin (Магазин) (Magazin) Actually means 'shop' or 'store'. A magazine (periodical) is журнал (zhurnal).
- Familiya (Фамилия) (Familiya) Actually means 'surname'. A family is семья (semya).
- Intelligentny (Интеллигентный) (Intelligentnyy) Actually means 'cultured' and 'well-mannered'. For clever, say умный (umny).
Keep exploring