Hi, everybody! I am Georgiana, your English teacher and founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help you speak English fluently. Speaking English is way easier than it seems! You just have to use the right material and techniques.

Today, I’ll teach you some English proverbs. If you don’t know what proverbs are, continue listening.

SpeakEnglishPodcast.com/podcast >

And with a story, you will improve your grammar intuitively but without memorizing any rules!

Ok. Let’s get started!

First of all, what’s a proverb?

A proverb is a popular saying that highlights the basic facts of life. Some of them are quite serious, although others are very funny.

Just like idioms, proverbs often have a greater meaning. It’s not just individual words put together.

Great. So, what's the difference between an expression and a proverb?

Many English learners find it hard to learn idioms, and that's because they don't usually make literal sense.

Proverbs, on the other hand, are easier to guess, although their significance is greater, usually more philosophical.

Let’s learn some proverbs:

1) Growing old is mandatory. Growing up? Definitely optional.

Oh, yeah! This first one is quite philosophical, and especially those who are growing old understand the meaning of this proverb.

While our body inevitably ages, our behavior doesn’t need to change. We can be young forever 🙂

2) Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it.

Usually foolish people don’t take any advice, otherwise they wouldn’t be foolish. Right?

3) Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

Another wise proverb. Our lives are short, so it’s best to observe how other’s make mistakes and learn from them.

That's why we don't need to try everything ourselves. For example, we have been told that fire burns, so we don’t stick our hands in the oven when it is at a high temperature. Right?

4) There is no difference between a wise man and a fool when they fall in love.

Yes, it's true. We're all fools when we fall in love, so I guess this proverb is true. No matter how smart or wise you think you are, in the face of love you're just a poor fool. 🙂

5) A closed mouth catches no flies. It means it's better not to talk too much.

There are times in life when it is better to keep your mouth shut or give the least amount of information.

This way we avoid mentioning something unpleasant or even hurtful.

I'm sure we've all been in a situation where we've regretted saying something.

6) Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

It’s true that biting off more than we can chew can cause digestive problems or even choking, however, in this case the proverb indicates a deeper meaning.

It tells us indirectly that sometimes we try to take on more than we can handle, or we try to do something that is beyond our ability.

You see, these proverbs won't just make you laugh, they also make you think about life's most serious problems.

Can you share with us some typical proverbs from your country?

Want more speaking practice? Continue with a complete audio course.

See the Courses →One payment · Downloadable lessons

Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.

Want more speaking practice? Continue with a complete audio course.

See the Courses →One payment · Downloadable lessons