- English translation
Everyone knows where the sun comes up over their own house.
- Literal wording
Every one knows from where the sun of his house rises.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying holds that each person understands the conditions of their own home better than anyone looking in from outside. The sun is figurative, standing for a household's inner workings rather than literal sunrise direction; residents know the hidden realities of their own lives.
In practice it discourages outsiders from second-guessing someone's private decisions or circumstances. It can defend one's own judgment against unwanted advice, or acknowledge respectfully that another person is better placed to assess matters that concern them directly.
- When it is used
Suited to moments when an outsider presumes to judge someone's private affairs. Depending on delivery, it may defend one's own understanding or concede that another knows their household best, so tone should be judged from the surrounding exchange.
- Register
- Colloquial Arabic, judging by dialectal forms such as منين
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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