日本語で「郷に入っては郷に従え」ということわざがありますよね（中国のことわざに由来していると言われる）。新しい土地や集団に入るのであれば、そこの慣習やルールを尊重し、従うべきであるというような意味の言葉です。
英語では「When in Rome, do as the Romans do.」というのがこれに近い意味を持つフレーズ。
今回は、ことわざの英語表現をいくつか紹介していきたいと思います。
※本記事は2026年10月11日に執筆したものです。最新の情報はご自身で直接ご確認いただきますよう、お願いいたします。
英語のことわざ一覧
| 日本語 | 英語 |
| 郷に入っては郷に従え | When in Rome, do as the Romans do. |
| 覆水盆に返らず | It is no use crying over spilt milk. |
| 一石二鳥 | Kill two birds with one stone. |
| 二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず | If you run after two hares, you will catch neither. |
| 早起きは三文の得 | The early bird catches the worm. |
| 三人寄れば文殊の知恵 | Two heads are better than one. |
| ローマは一日にして成らず | Rome was not built in a day. |
| あばたもえくぼ | Love is blind. |
| 習うより慣れろ | Practice makes perfect. |
| 時は金なり | Time is money. |
| 塵も積もれば山となる | Many a little makes a mickle. |
| 急がば回れ | Haste makes waste. |
| 蛙の子は蛙 | Like father, like son. The apple never falls far from the tree. |
| 焼け石に水 | A drop in the ocean. |
| 類は友を呼ぶ | Birds of a feather flock together. |
| 意志あるところに道あり | Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| 馬子にも衣装 | Fine feathers make fine birds. |
| 弱い犬ほどよく吠える | Barking dogs seldome bite. |
| 泣きっ面に蜂 | When it rains, it pours. |
| 飴と鞭 | The carrot and the stick. |
| 雨降って地固まる | After a storm comes a calm. |
| 親しき仲にも礼儀あり | Politeness is not just for strangers. Good fences make good neighbours. |
| 一蓮托生 | in the same boat |
| 白羽の矢が立つ | be singled out |
| 虎子に入らずんば虎子を得ず | Nothing ventured, nothing gained. |
| 虎の威を借る狐 | an ass in a lion’s skin |
| 蓼食う虫も好き好き | There is no accounting for taste. |
| 歳月人を待たず | Time and tide wait for no man. Time waits for no one. |
| 百聞は一見にしかず | Seeing is believing. |
| 出る杭は打たれる | The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. |
| 隣の芝はいつも青い | The grass is always greener on the other side. |
| 鉄は熱いうちに打て | Strike while the iron is hot. |
| 好奇心は猫をも殺す | Curiosity killed the cat. |
| 長いものには巻かれろ | If you cannot beat them, join them. |
| 果報は寝て待て | Good things come to those who wait. |
| 犬猿の仲 | fight like cats and dogs |
| 石橋を叩いて渡る | Look before you leap. |
| 絵に描いた餅 | pie in the sky |
| 猿も木から落ちる | Even Homer sometimes nods. |
| 木を見て森を見ず | cannot see the forest (wood) for the trees |
| 縁の下の力持ち | unsung hero |
| 親の脛をかじる | live off one’s parents sponge off one’s parents |
| 転ばぬ先の杖 | Better safe than sorry. |
| 三度目の正直 | Third time’s the charm. Third time lucky. |
| 捨てる神あれば拾う神あり | When one door shuts, another opens. |
| 賽は投げられた | The die is cast. |
| ペンは剣よりも強し | The pen is mightier than the sword. |
| 失敗は成功のもと | Failure teaches success. |
| 美しい薔薇には棘がある | Every rose has its thorn. There’s no rose without a thorn. |
| タダより高いものはない | There’s no such thing as a free lunch. |
| 好きこそ物の上手なれ | What one likes, one will do well. |
| 割れ鍋に綴じ蓋 | Every Jack has his Jill. |
| 飛んで火に入る夏の虫 | Like a moth flying into the flame. |
| 良薬は口に苦し | Good medicine tastes bitter. |
