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Here are some common proverbs that belong to Urdu. Their literal translation as well as implied meaning are also given, though italized meanings are those that I'm not sure about:
| Engdu | Literal Meaning | Actual Meaning | اردو |
| Bacha baghal mein, dhindora shehr mein | Child is in the armpit, chaos in the city | The thing you are searching for everywhere is right under your nose | بچھ بغل میں ڈھنڈورا شھر میں |
| Tel dekho aur tel ki dhar dekho | Watch the oil and watch it pour | Sit back and see what happens | تےل دےکھو اور تےل کی دھار دےکھو |
| Samp bhee mar jaye, lathi bhee na tootay | The snake dies and the club doesn't break | Get rid of the problem while keeping yourself safe | سامپ بھی مر جاءے لاٹھی بھی نا ٹوٹے |
| Ek teer say do shikar | Two hunts with one arrow | Killing two birds with one stone | اےک تیر سے دو شکار |
| Budhi ghori lal lagam | Old mare, red reigns | Old is gold? | بڈھی گھوڑی لال لگام |
| Doodh ka doodh, pani ka pani | Milk of milk, water of water | To get the true picture | دودھ کا دودھ پانی کا پانی |
| Pathar peh lakir | Line on the rock | Something that is impossible to change | پتھر په لکیر |
| Bhagtay chor ki langoti hee sahi | A running thief's underwear is right | Get what you can before you lose it all | بھاگتے چور کی لنگوٹی هی سھی |
| Doobtay ko tinkay ka sahara | A drowning man relying on a stick | Even the smallest support is enough for someone in need | ڈوبتے کو تنکے کا سهارا |
| Dur kay dhol suhanay | Far away drums are nice | The grass is greener on the other side | دور کے ڈھول سهانے |
| Rassi jal gayi par bal na gaya | The rope is burnt, but the twist hasn't left | You can destroy something, but not its spirit? | رسی جل گءی پر بل نه گیا |
| Chor ki darhi mein tinka | There is a stick in the thief's beard | The guilty has left an obvious proof of his guilt | چور کی داڑھی میں تنکا |
| Ulta chor kotwal ko dantay | Upside down thief scolds a guard | The responsible person puts the blame on the one enquiring | الٹا چور کوتوال کو ڈانٹے |
| Ek anar so beemar | One pomegranite one hundred sick people | Even a small pretty thing can harm a lot of people? | اےک انار سو بیمار |
| Nach na janay angan tera | Doesn't know how to dance, the garden is bent | To give excuses for your own shortcomings | ناچ نا جانے آنگن ٹےڑھا |
| Chyunti ke bhi par nikal aye | Even the ant's wings came out | Someone unworthy is acting proud | چیونٹی کے بھی پر نکل آءے |
| Kawwa chala hans ki chaal aur apni bhi bhool gaya | The crow walked the laughing walk and forgot his own | To imitate someone else and forget your own | کوا چلا هنس کی چال اور اپنی بھی بھول گیا |
| Sau chuhay khake billi huj ko chali | After eating a hundred rats, the cat is going on a pilgrimage | Someone who has done a lot of bad things is claiming to have meant his ways | سو چوهے کھاکے بلی حج کو چلی |
| Bandar kya janay adrak ka suwaad | What does a monkey know about the joy of ginger | Monkeys have no taste? | بندر کےا جانے ادرک کا سواد |
| Aasman se gira khajur mein atka | Fell from the sky, stuck in a date | Out of the frying pan, into the fire | آسمان سے گرا کھجور میں اٹکا |
| Na kaam ka na kaaj ka, dushman anaaj ka | Useless at work and useless at sewing, enemy of grain | Used for a lazy person | نا کام کا نا کاج کا دشمن اناج کا |
| Haathi kay daant khanay kay aur dikhanay kay aur | An elephant's teeth/tusks are different for eating and different for showing | Using the same thing for different purposes? | هاتھی کے دانت کھانے کے اور دکھانے کے اور |
| Sabr ka phal meetha hota hai | The fruit of patience is sweet | Patience will pay off | صبر کا پھل میٹھا هوتا هے |
| Kuttay ki dum hamesha teri rehti hai | A dog's tail always remains bent | Used for someone incorrigible | کتے کی دم همےشا ٹےڑی رهتی هے |
| Baghal mein churi munh par raam raam | A knife in the armpit, "raam raam" on the mouth | A back-stabber | بغل میں چھری منه پر رام رام |
| Chachoondar kay sar mein chambeli ka tel | Jasmine oil in the head of a weasel | Something disgusting I guess | چھچھوندر کے سر میں چمبےلی کا تےل |
| Dhobi ka kutta na ghar ka na ghaat ka | The cleaner's dog is not of the home or the riverside | Someone who doesn't belong anywhere | دھوبی کا کتا نا گھر کا نا گھاٹ کا |
| Dhoodh ka jala chaach bhee phoonk phoonk kar pita hai | Someone burned by milk drinks even buttermilk after blowing blowing | Once bitten twice shy | دودھ کا جلا چھاچھ بھی پھونک پھونک کر پیتا هے |
| Ghar ki murghi daal barabar | Chicken of home is equal to beans | What you already possess has little value | گھر کی مرغی دال برابر |
| Daal mein kuch kala hai | There is something black in the beans | Something is fishy | دال میں کچھ کالا هے |
| Bakray ki maaN kab tak khair manae gi | Until when will the sheep's mother celebrate his health | Noone lives forever? | بکرے کی ماں کب تک کهےر مناءے گی |
| Chor chori se jaay, hera pheri se na jaay | The thief goes from theft, but not from deceit | A rehabilitated criminal can't avoid going back to a life of crime | چور چوری سے جاءے ھےرا پهیری سے نا جاءے |
| Zaroorat ijaad ki maaN hai | Need is the mother of inventions | Our needs drive all progress | زرورت ایجاد کی ماں هے |
| LaatoN ke bhoot baatoN se nahiN maantay | Ghosts of legs don't listen to advice | Lazy people or those too used to only working when forced to can't be reasoned with otherwise | لاتوں کے بهوت باتوں سے نهیں مانتے |
| Nayki kar darya mein Daal | Do a good deed, throw it in the river | To do something good and then have the effort wasted | نیکی کر دریا میں ڈال |
| Ek sunhar ki, sau lohar ki | One of the goldsmith, hundred of a blacksmith | 1 bit of gold is worth 100 bits of iron/steel? | اےک سنھار کی، سو لوھار کی |
| Mulla ki daur masjid tak | A moolah only runs to the mosque | Someone with limited reach or vision | ملا کی دوڑ مسجد تک |
| Jiski lathi, uski bhaince | Owner of the club/bat owns the buffalo | The one with power can lay claim to anything | چسکی لاٹھی اسکی بھینس |
| Girta hai shahsawar hee maidan-e-jang mein | It is the great rider that falls in the battlefield | There is no shame in defeat or loss since you must first be a winner to lose (used as an encouragement) | گرتا ھے شاه سوار ھی میدان جنگ میں |