Explore Arabic traditional proverbsReviewed 2026-10-12
Meaning: Verified- English translation
Look all through your house before asking the neighbors.
- Literal wording
Search your house's seven corners, then ask the neighbors.
- Meaning and lesson
Before suspecting or questioning other people, check the places under your own control carefully. What seems missing may still be nearby, overlooked in a corner rather than taken by someone else.
The saying urges orderly verification before blame. Start with the most immediate and likely places, then involve others only after a thorough search has given you reason to do so.
- When it is used
Use it when someone thinks a missing item was taken by a neighbor or another person, but has not yet searched their own home thoroughly.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Look all through your house before asking the neighbors.