Explore Arabic traditional proverbsReviewed 2026-09-27
Sense: Verified- English translation
Keep a donkey beside another, and sooner or later it will sound like its neighbor.
- Literal wording
Tie the donkey beside its companion: if it does not learn its drawn-in cry, it will learn its bray.
- Meaning and lesson
People tend to pick up habits from those they spend time with, even if they do not become alike in every way.
- When it is used
Said when someone begins to resemble a companion in behavior, or as a warning about the influence of close company.
- Register
- Colloquial
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Keep a donkey beside another, and sooner or later it will sound like its neighbor.