TC Speaks Fluently: Some English Proverbs Equivalent to Indonesian Proverbs

Often times, when you translate an English literature, you will stumble upon some proverbs in the language and do not want to translate it per words. Instead, you want to find equal proverbs which have the similar meaning in your target language (in this post, it will be Indonesian). Here are some examples of those proverbs:

1. To have an axe to grind = Ada udang di balik batu
2. One scabbed sheep is enough to spoil a flock = Sebab nila setitik rusak susu sebelanga
3. To cherish a viper in one’s bosom = Air susu dibalas air tuba
4. To fish in troubled waters = Memancing di air keruh
5. Cut your coat according to your cloth = Bayang-bayang hendaklah sepanjang badan
6. To carry coals to New-castle = Membuang garam ke laut
7. The pot calls the cattle black = Udang hendak mengatai ikan
8. He is a dog in the manger = Badak-badak, minta aku daging; Bangau2, minta aku leher
9. A thorn in one’s flesh = Seperti duri dalam daging
10. Home, sweet home = Hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri awak, elok juga di negeri awak
11. Huge winds blow on high hills = Besar kapal besar gelombangnya, besar kayu besar dahannya
12. Barking dogs seldom bite = Anjing menggonggong tidak akan menggigit
13. No rose without thorn = Tiada gading yang tak retak
14. Like father, like child = Air cucuran atap jatuhnya ke pelimpahan juga
15. Misfortunes never come singly = Antan patah, lesung hilang
16. Out of the frying-pan into the fire = Lepas dari mulut harimau jatuh ke mulut buaya
17. To behold the mote in the eye of one’s neighbour, but not the beam in one’s own = Gajah di kelopak mata tak tampak, kuman di seberang lautan tampak
18. Once a use and ever a custom = Kebiasaan menjadi tabiat
19. Strike the iron while it is hot = Menjemur di waktu hari panas.
20. Such things bring grist to his mill = Pucuk dicinta ulam tiba
21. Such as the tree, such is the fruit = Bagaimana biduk, bagaimana pengayuh
22. The apple falls near the tree = Air cucuran atap jatuhnya ke pelimpahan juga
23. Harm set, haram get= Siapa menggali lubang, ia juga terperosok ke dalamnya
24. After rain comes sunshine = Sesudah hujan datang terang
25. His bread is buttered on both sides = Seperti parang bermata dua
26. There is no smoke without a fire = Kalau tak ada api takkan ada asap
27. The right man in the right place = Asal ayam pulang ke lesung, asal itik pulang ke pelimpahan
28. The tongue wounds more than a lance = Berkata peliharakan lidah
29. To show the white feather = Malu berani, mati takut
30.  When at Rome, do as Rome does = Di mana tanah dipijak, disitu langit dijunjung
31. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king = Dimana tiada elang, kata belalang, akulah elang
32. To kill two birds with one stone = Sekali merangkuh dayung, dua, tiga pulau terlampaui
33. To pour water into a broken basin = Bagai menghasta kain sarung
34. Too much of a good thing is good for nothing = Seperti kersik di pulau
35. To save money for a rainy day = Sebelum hujan sediakan payung
36. Where there is a will there is a way = Dimana ada kemauan disitu ada jalan
37. You must not countyour chickens before they are hatched = Belum beranak sudah ditimang
38. Repentance always comes too late = Sesal dahulu pendapatan, sesal kemudian tiada berguna
39. So many countries, so many customs = Lain ladang lain belalang, lain lubuk lain ikannya
40. Spare the rod and spoil the child = Kasih akan anak dipertangis, kasih akan istri dipertinggalkan
41. Falling crumb one must be content with crust = Tidak ada rotan, akar pun jadi
42. Bean-pods are noisiest when dry = Tong kosong nyaring bunyinya
43. The die is cast = Nasi sudah menjadi bubur
44. Many a little makes a mickle = Sehari selembar benang, lama2 menjadi sehelai kain
45. To put the cart before the horse = Dahulu bajak dari jawi
46. With one’s back to the wall = Seperti ikan dalam belat
47. Once bitten twice shy = Sekali jalan terkena, dua kali jalan tahu
48. Let sleeping dogs lie = Jangan dibangunkan kucing tidur
49. No pains, no gains = pahit dahulu manis kemudian
50. A penny saved is a penny gained = Hemat pangkal kaya
51. If the blind lead the blind, both fall into the ditch = Seperti kapak menyelam beliung
52. Between the devil and the deep sea = Bagai memakan si mala kama, jika dimakan ibu mati, tidak dimakan ayah mati.
53. Don’t cut your nose off to spite your face = Menepuk air di dulang, terpercik muka sendiri
54. As the twig is bent, the tree is inclined = Kecil termanja-manja, besar terbawa-bawa
55. A dwarf is on a giant’s shoulder can see of the two = Berdiri sama tinggi, duduk sama rendah
56. A golden key opens every door = Ada uang abang sayang, tidak ada uang abang melayang
57. Little helps =Sedikit demi sedikit lama-lama jadi bukit
58. Live and learn = Jauh berjalan banyak dilihat
59. A well-regulated family often gets the accident = Sepandai-pandai tupai melompat, suatu saat akan jatuh juga

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TC Speaks Fluently: Spanish Alphabets (Part One)

So, one of my goals this year is to be able to speak yet another language. And for that I choose Spanish. Why, you said? It's because there are over 400 million Spanish speakers world-wide. With more than 33 million speakers, Spanish is the second largest language in the United States. Hispanics are the largest minority in the United States, with the majority of them being Spanish speakers. By learning Spanish, you'll be better able to communicate with Spanish speakers. Latin American countries are our most important trading partners. Being able to speak Spanish greatly enhances your resume. If you are bilingual you are more competitive in the workplace. Whether as a Spanish teacher or that of any discipline, you can make a difference in the field of education. Your language skills will enable you to interact with English Language Learners. You can travel to a Spanish-speaking country and really get to know the culture. Your ability to understand Spanish enables you to gain important insights which monolinguals cannot. As we grow older, our memory begins to fade. Learning a foreign language actually helps keep your memory sharp. so that I could watch Spanish TV series without english subtitle despite the dissapointing news from the most waited show La Casa de Papel just now.

To not wasting too much space, let's start learning this beautiful language from the very basic of its alphabets. For this part one, I'll show you a table from letter A to LL

Letter	Letter Name	Pronunciation Tips	Word Examples
a	a	This letter sounds like the ah sound you use to express realization in English: Ah, that's the one!	Arroz, Azul, Arepa, Comida
b	be	This letter often sounds like an English b. Especially when it occurs between two vowels, it is pronounced with the lips not touching, much like the Spanish v.	Bueno, Alberto, Barco
c	ce/td>	This letter often sounds like the English k. Before e or i, it sounds like an s (or like the th in thick in many parts of Spain.) "a, o, u -> ka, ko, ku e, i -> che, chi, Latin America -> s h -> c"	Cambiar, Carro, Coche, Comer, Cocina, Cucaracha Cebolla, Cerrado, Cerdo, Cebra, Cine Chorizo, Coche, Chimenea
d	de	This letter sounds much like an English d, except you should place your tongue against your upper teeth instead of the roof of your mouth when pronouncing it. It often sounds like the th in English then, especially when it comes between two vowels.	Dormir, Dormitorio, Diego, Duro
e	e	This letter sounds like the eh sound you make when asking for clarification or agreement in English: Eh? What did you say?	Elena, Empanada, Espejo, Elefante
f	efe	This letter sounds like the English f.	Fantasma, Flor, Fuego, Fuerte
g	ge	'e', 'i' -> kh 'a','o','u' -> ge 'ue' -> ge 'ui' -> gi This letter usually sounds much like an English g. Before e or i, it sounds like a harsh English h. It's very similar to the j in Spanish."	Gimnasio, Gerardo, General, Girasol, Gerente Gato, Galleta, Gol,Gorra, Guante Guerra, Guerrero Guia, Aguila
h	hache	"In general, this letter is silent. However, in words adopted from other languages, the breathy aspiration is maintained. For example, Hawái.	Hermana, Hermosa, Hablar, Alcohol
i	i	This letter sounds like English ee but shorter.	Ignacio, Indonesia, Idioma, Ingles
j	jota	This letter sounds close to the English h sound, though it varies from country to country. In some places, it makes a harsh sound (almost like you are trying to spit something up). It never sounds like the j in English judge.	Jose, Juan, Jirafa, Jabon, Jalapeno
K	ka	This letter is uncommon in Spanish, but sounds much like the English k.	Kiwi, Koala, Ketchup, Kimono, Kiosko
l	ele	This letter sounds close to the English l, but with the tongue raised closer to the roof of the mouth (rather than dipped down).	Lapiz, Luna, Libro, Lampara, Leon
LL	elle / doble ele	'ij' or 'y' While this is not considered a letter anymore by the RAE, it sounds like the y sound in English yellow in many places. It can also be pronounced like the j in judge or the s in pleasure. You may also hear it called doble	Llamar, Llave, Lluvia, Galletas, Botella

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TC Speaks Fluently: Greetings in Indonesian Language

Thank you for having interest in learn Indonesian Language! Whether you plan to visit for short-term or long-term, the ability to speak the local language is necessary, since a lot of locals are having a hard time understand other languages. You can try resorting to English, but a lot of times you could only get some responses in broken English or on the least form of it, Yes and No answers. 

On this first part of the series, let's take a look on how you can greet others using Indonesian language.

Indonesian	English
Halo!	Hello!
Selamat Pagi!	Good Morning!
Selamat Siang!	Good Afternoon!
Selamat Malam!	Good Evening / Good Night!
Apa kabar?	How are you? / How's it going? / What's new?
Terima Kasih	Thank You
Selamat Tinggal	Good Bye
Sampai Jumpa	See You Later

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