English:
* "It's raining cats and dogs." This idiom means it's raining very heavily. While it's understood in English, it wouldn't make sense in other languages.
* "To kick the bucket." This means to die. It's an idiom with an obscure origin and wouldn't be understood in other languages.
* "Don't beat around the bush." This means to be direct and get to the point. It's a common idiom in English but wouldn't translate well to other languages.
Spanish:
* "No te preocupes por la gallina que canta, preocúpate por la que pone los huevos." This translates roughly to "Don't worry about the hen that sings, worry about the one that lays eggs." It's a proverb about focusing on what's important, not appearances.
* "Más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando." This means "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," highlighting the value of having something certain over something uncertain.
Chinese:
* "一山不容二虎" (Yī shān bù róng èr hǔ) This means "Two tigers cannot share one mountain," expressing the idea that two powerful individuals cannot coexist peacefully in the same environment.
* "塞翁失马，焉知非福" (Sàiwēng shī mǎ, yān zhī fēi fú) This translates to "The old man at the border lost his horse, who knows it’s not a blessing?" It expresses the idea that what seems like a misfortune might be a blessing in disguise.
Japanese:
* "猫の手も借りたい" (neko no te mo karitai) This literally means "I would borrow even the cat's paws," implying that someone is so busy they need all the help they can get.
* "百聞は一見にしかず" (hyakumon wa ikken ni shikazu) This translates to "Hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once," emphasizing the importance of firsthand experience.
Remember:
* These are just a few examples, and there are many other sayings with regional or cultural specificity.
* Translations often lose nuance and cultural context, so it's best to learn these sayings within their native context.
* Understanding these sayings helps us appreciate the unique ways different cultures express themselves and perceive the world.