- English translation
When it's time to feed, the calf remembers who its mother is.
- Literal wording
At the suckling, the calf knows its mother.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying observes that need restores forgotten ties. A person who has kept their distance from someone, or treated them coldly, will seek that same someone out when they need what only that person can provide.
The image is a calf that may wander freely but heads straight for its mother once hunger makes it want milk. The point is that dependence, more than affection, governs the return.
- When it is used
Fits a remark about someone who ignored or shunned a person and now comes back because they need help, money, or support. It can be said with wry amusement or mild reproach, either about that person or directly to them.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: When it's time to feed, the calf remembers who its mother is.