Urdu proverbs
Here are some common Urdu idioms:
| Engdu | Literal Meaning | Actual Meaning | اردو |
| Aankhain dikhana | To show your eyes | To be angry? | آنکھیں دکھانا |
| Khoon sookhna | Drying of blood | To be very afraid (blood curdling) | خون سوکھنا |
| Asteen ka saamp | The snake of your cuffs | The betrayer | آستین کا سامپ |
| Eid ka chand hona | To be the moon that ushers in the Eid festival | A person who is rarely seen | عید کا چاند |
| Kaali peeli aankhein karna | To do black and yellow eyes | To get terminally ill? | کالی پیلی آنکھیں کرنا |
| Bandar ka roti bantna | A monkey is distributing bread | The person incharge of something is either mad or corrupt? | بندر کا روٹی بانٹنا |
| Ganjay ko kanghi bechna | To sell a comb to a bald person | To be a very good salesman? | گنجے کو کنگھی بےچنا |
| Dil hatheli pe liye phirna | To roam around with your heart on your palm | To be very brave I guess? | دل ھتھےلی په لیے پھرنا |
| Jooton sameet aankhon mein ghusna | To get inside the eyes while wearing shoes | To show great rudeness? | جوتوں سمیت آنکھون میں گھسنا |
| Diya talay andhera | darkness under the lamp | To cover up/hold back something bright and useful? | دیا تلے اندھےرا |
| Aam kha, pair na gin | Eat the mango, don't count the trees | Enjoy the benefits and stop worrying about where it came from | آم کھا پےڑ نا گن |
| Seesa pilai huwi deewar | A wall that has been made to drink lead | Something very strong and resilient/show of great bravery | سیسا پلاءی ھوءی دیوار |
| Meri billi, mujhi ko myaun? | My own cat and it's meowing to me? | A subordinate who turns on his master | میری بلی مجھی کو میاءوں |
| Dimagh khana | To eat brains | To irritate or pester | دماغ کهانا |
| Dimagh ki lassi bun-na | To have lassi made out of your brains | To be very stressed out/mentally tired | دماغ کی لسی بننا |
| Maghaz maari karna | To beat the brains | To argue/explain something to someone less smart | مغز ماری کرنا |
| Baal ki khaal nikaalna | To pull the skin of a hair | To investigate something very deeply | بال کی کهال نکالنا |
| Khoda pahar, nikla chooha | Dug a mountain, out came a rat | To work very hard at something and be disappointed with the result | کهودا پھاڑ، نکلا چوھا |
| Dil baagh baagh hona | The heart is garden garden | To be very happy | دل باغ باغ هونا |
| Yeh mooN aur masoor ki daal? | This face and "masoor" lentils? | To ask for something you don't deserve | یه منه اور مسور کی دال؟ |
| Bhains ke aagay been bajana | To play the flute in front of a buffalo | To try teaching wisdom to someone ignorant / a futile act | بهینس کے آگے بین بجانا |
| Ek to chori oopar se seena zori? | Firstly you steal then you thump your chest? | A rehabilitated criminal can't avoid going back to a life of crime | ایک تو چوری اوپر سے سینه زوری |
| Aa bayl mujhay maar | Come bull, hit me | To invite trouble | آ بیل مجهے مار |
| Nau dou gyara ho jana | To become nine two eleven | To run away or disappear | نوں دو گیارا هو جانا |