User:ClaudeHelper/Proverbs

Draft – waiting for Natalia. One saying for each of the 48 steps of Course 0/Russian, all chosen from the book of М. И. Дубро́вин, «Ру́сские фразеологи́змы в карти́нках» (the PDF on this site). Each one uses a word or the topic of its step.

The explanations below are our own words, and the pictures are our own with a similar idea (the book's drawings are protected; ideas are free).
Click «p. N» to see Dubrovin's page with his picture and explanation.

How it would look

A small box under «Уро́ки ша́га N» on every lesson of the step, with our picture (made 23 Oct 2026 from Noto Emoji – see the column below). All 48 live in one template (Template:Step proverb) – changing one is one edit.

🦉 Посло́вица · Saying
Кот напла́кал.
The cat has cried it – very, very little.

The 48 sayings

Step	Saying	Word for word	What it means	Picture idea	Dubrovin
1 Еда	Па́льчики обли́жешь!	You'll lick your fingers!	Very, very tasty.	a child licking a finger over a plate of pancakes	p. 194
2 Цвета	Бе́лая воро́на	A white crow	Someone not like the others.	one white crow among black crows	p. 20
3 Красный, красная, красное	Кра́сный как рак	Red as a crayfish	Very red in the face – from the sun, or from shame.	a red face next to a red crayfish	p. 135
4 Числа 1–10	Знать как свои́ пять па́льцев	To know it like your own five fingers	To know something very well.	a hand with five fingers, each with a number	p. 100
5 Буквы по слуху	Чёрным по бе́лому	Black on white	Written very clearly – you can't miss it.	black letters on a white page	p. 309
6 Машина, поезд	Зелёная у́лица	A green street	The way is open – nothing stops you (all lights are green).	a car on a street with only green lights	p. 99
7 Одежда	Оде́т с иго́лочки	Dressed from the needle	Wearing brand-new, very neat clothes.	a smart boy in a new suit with a needle and thread	p. 33
8 Дом	Как за ка́менной стено́й Full: «За му́жниной спино́й – как за ка́менной стено́й»	As if behind a stone wall	About people, not houses: someone you can rely on completely. Traditionally a wife says it about a good husband – he protects and supports the family, and she feels safe from every storm.	a woman safe behind a brick wall, a storm outside	p. 119
9 Кто это?	Ти́ше воды́, ни́же травы́	Quieter than water, lower than grass	A very quiet, shy person.	a shy girl sitting in the grass by a pond	p. 290
10 Школа	Заруби́ть на носу́	To notch it on your nose	Remember it well!	a pupil with a pencil mark on his nose	p. 97
11 Привет! Спасибо!	Ско́лько лет, ско́лько зим!	So many summers, so many winters!	Said when you meet a friend after a long time.	two friends hugging, sun on one side, snow on the other	p. 261
12 Он, она, я, вы. Как вас зовут?	Называ́ть ве́щи свои́ми имена́ми	To call things by their names	To say things simply and honestly.	name labels on a cup, a chair, a cat	p. 160
13 Что он делает?	Сиде́ть сложа́ ру́ки	To sit with folded hands	To do nothing.	a man sitting with folded arms while others work	p. 260
14 Я хочу	Слю́нки теку́т	Saliva is running	You want to eat it very much.	a cat looking at a fish, mouth watering	p. 265
15 Я люблю	Влюби́ться по́ уши	To fall in love up to the ears	To be very much in love.	a boy with hearts up to his ears	p. 48
16 Где?	Показа́ть, где ра́ки зиму́ют	To show where crayfish spend the winter	To punish someone (said as a joke threat).	crayfish under ice in a river	p. 211
17 Семья	Из одного́ те́ста	From the same dough	Very alike – like brothers and sisters.	gingerbread people cut from one piece of dough	p. 108
18 У меня есть	Ни кола́ ни двора́	No stake, no yard	He has nothing at all.	an empty field with no house and no fence	p. 176
19 Руки	Золоты́е ру́ки	Golden hands	Someone who can make or mend anything.	two golden hands holding tools	p. 102
20 Голова и тело	Име́ть го́лову на плеча́х	To have a head on your shoulders	To be clever and sensible.	a smiling head with a light bulb	p. 110
21 Числа 1–20	Ни два ни полтора́	Neither two nor one and a half	Neither this nor that – not clear.	a shrugging man between 2 and 1½	p. 175
22 Кот – коты	Кот напла́кал	The cat has cried it	Very, very little.	a cat crying one tiny tear into a saucer	p. 133
23 Утро, день, вечер, ночь	Встава́ть с петуха́ми	To get up with the roosters	To get up very early.	a man and a rooster waking up at sunrise	p. 55
24 Тик-так: часы	Че́рез час по ча́йной ло́жке	A teaspoon every hour	Very, very slowly.	a clock and a teaspoon	p. 308
25 Сколько стоит?	Влете́ть в копе́ечку	To fly into a little kopeck	To cost a lot of money.	a man flying into a giant coin	p. 47
26 Алло! С днём рождения!	Роди́ться в соро́чке	To be born in a shirt	To be very lucky.	a smiling baby in a little shirt with a star	p. 243
27 Мы, они	Водо́й не разольёшь	You can't separate them with water	Best friends, always together.	two friends under one umbrella in the rain	p. 49
28 Ты	Жить душа́ в ду́шу	To live soul in soul	To live in love and peace.	two hearts holding hands	p. 87
29 В комнате	Хоть ша́ром покати́	You could even roll a ball	Completely empty.	a ball rolling across an empty room	p. 305
30 Что есть и чего нет	Пти́чьего молока́ не хвата́ет	Only bird's milk is missing	They have everything you can think of.	a full table – and a bird with an empty milk bottle	p. 234
31 Муха: где? куда?	Де́лать из му́хи слона́	To make an elephant out of a fly	To make a big problem out of a little thing.	a fly turning into an elephant	p. 74
32 Кто-нибудь дома?	Но́са не вы́сунуть	Not to stick your nose out	To stay at home (rain, cold…).	a nose at the door, rain outside	p. 180
33 Сувенир 1–3	На вес зо́лота	Worth its weight in gold	Very precious.	scales with a souvenir and gold	p. 156
34 Сувенир 4–6	Купи́ть кота́ в мешке́	To buy a cat in a bag	To buy something without looking at it.	a bag with a cat's tail sticking out	p. 138
35 Еда 2	Завари́ть ка́шу	To cook up porridge	To start a lot of trouble.	a pot of porridge boiling over	p. 90
36 Дни недели	Семь пя́тниц на неде́ле	Seven Fridays a week	Someone who changes their mind all the time.	a calendar where every day says Friday	p. 256
37 Песни о днях недели	По́сле до́ждичка в четве́рг	After a little rain on Thursday	Maybe never.	a calendar page Thursday with a rain cloud	p. 223
38 Буквы 2 – читаем	Ста́вить то́чки над «и»	To put the dots over the i	To make everything clear.	a pen putting a dot over a big i	p. 279
39 Пишем	Писа́ть как ку́рица ла́пой	To write like a hen with its paw	Very bad handwriting.	a hen scribbling with its foot	p. 198
40 Какого цвета?	Смотре́ть сквозь ро́зовые очки́	To look through pink glasses	To see only the good things.	a girl in pink glasses, everything pink	p. 270
41 Кто купил красную картошку?	Оста́ться на боба́х	To be left with beans	To be left with nothing.	a man at an empty market stall with three beans	p. 188
42 Животные	Голо́дный как волк	Hungry as a wolf	Very hungry.	a wolf with a knife and fork	p. 70
43 Кто говорит «му»?	Жить как ко́шка с соба́кой	To live like a cat with a dog	To quarrel all the time.	a cat and a dog arguing	p. 88
44 Месяцы	Ну́жен как прошлого́дний снег	Needed like last year's snow	Not needed at all.	a snowman melting in summer	p. 181
45 Времена года	Как снег на́ голову	Like snow on the head	Suddenly, when nobody expects it.	snow falling from a roof on a man's head	p. 126
46 Такой же или другой?	Два сапога́ – па́ра	Two boots – a pair	Two people who are very alike.	two boots with faces, smiling	p. 73
47 Такой же как	Как две ка́пли воды́	Like two drops of water	Exactly the same.	two twin girls, two water drops	p. 119
48 Мы ехали, ехали	Е́хать за́йцем	To travel as a hare	To travel without a ticket.	a hare hiding in a bus	p. 86