- English translation
The jar won't come through unbroken every single time.
- Literal wording
Not every time does the jar come out safe.
- Meaning and lesson
A fragile earthenware jar that survives one knock or fall has simply been lucky, and that luck is no promise for the next time. The saying turns this everyday image into a warning that a single lucky escape proves nothing about what will happen when the same risk is faced again.
In practice it advises caution after a close call: someone who got away unharmed should not grow overconfident or keep walking back into the same danger, since repeated exposure makes harm likelier.
- When it is used
Say it to someone who narrowly escaped trouble and seems ready to repeat the same risky act, or to yourself as a reminder not to push your luck. It suits friendly warnings, mild rebukes, and reflection after a lucky outcome.
- Register
- Colloquial Arabic
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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