По одежке встречают, по уму провожают
по одежке встречают по уму провожают
Judge by appearance, assess by wisdom
Bedeutung
First impressions matter, but character is key.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In Russia, dressing well for public outings is a sign of respect for others. Even if you are poor, being 'opryatny' (neat/tidy) is expected. During the Soviet period, luxury clothes were scarce. This proverb was often used to remind people that their contribution to society (their 'um') was more important than 'zapadny' (Western) fashion. In Moscow's 'City' district, the first half of the proverb is king. Brand names matter for the 'meeting' phase, but the 'seeing off' phase is brutal—if you don't deliver results, the clothes won't help. The proverb is often attributed to the collective wisdom of the Russian people, appearing in collections of proverbs as early as the 17th century.
Use the first half
In casual speech, you can just say 'Ну, встречают по одёжке...' and people will know exactly what you mean.
Don't say 'одежде'
Using the full word 'одежде' makes you sound like a textbook. Use 'одёжке' to sound like a native.
Bedeutung
First impressions matter, but character is key.
Use the first half
In casual speech, you can just say 'Ну, встречают по одёжке...' and people will know exactly what you mean.
Don't say 'одежде'
Using the full word 'одежде' makes you sound like a textbook. Use 'одёжке' to sound like a native.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing words in the proverb.
По ______ встречают, по ______ провожают.
The standard form uses 'одёжке' (Dative of одёжка) and 'уму' (Dative of ум).
Which situation best fits the proverb?
A man in a cheap suit gives a brilliant scientific lecture.
The situation shows a contrast between a poor first impression (cheap suit) and a great final impression (brilliant lecture).
Choose the correct grammatical case for the word 'ум' in this proverb.
По ____ (ум) провожают.
The preposition 'по' in this context requires the Dative case.
🎉 Ergebnis: /3
Visuelle Lernhilfen
The Two Stages of Judgment
Aufgabensammlung
3 AufgabenПо ______ встречают, по ______ провожают.
The standard form uses 'одёжке' (Dative of одёжка) and 'уму' (Dative of ум).
A man in a cheap suit gives a brilliant scientific lecture.
The situation shows a contrast between a poor first impression (cheap suit) and a great final impression (brilliant lecture).
По ____ (ум) провожают.
The preposition 'по' in this context requires the Dative case.
🎉 Ergebnis: /3
Häufig gestellte Fragen
3 FragenAbsolutely. It's frequently used in discussions about branding, social media, and professional networking.
In this proverb, no. It's a traditional folkloric form. In other contexts, it might sound a bit informal or diminutive.
Yes, but usually as a lighthearted comment or a piece of shared wisdom, not as a formal rule.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Не всё то золото, что блестит
similarNot all that glitters is gold.
С лица воду не пить
similarYou can't drink water from a face.
Встречают по одёжке
specialized formPeople judge by appearances.
