Где тонко, там и рвётся
With accent marks:
Где то́нко, там и рвётся.
Translation:
Where it is thin, it breaks.
Meaning:
Everything that is in a poor, unsustainable, neglected state becomes a cause of great misfortune, problem, disaster. New troubles begin exactly where it was already bad before.
The same idea is expressed in other languages by many peoples of the world.
The closest English equivalents of this Russian proverb are:
- The chain is no stronger than its weakest link.
- The worst spoke in a cart breaks first.
Other Russian proverbs
-
Волков бояться – в лес не ходить
Don't go to the woods if afraid of wolves.
-
Яблоко от яблони недалеко падает
The apple never falls far from the tree.
-
The morning is wiser than the evening.
-
Time for business, an hour for fun.
-
Не имей сто рублей, а имей сто друзей
Don't have a hundred rubles, but have a hundred friends.
-
When the job is done, you can go for a walk.
-
You can't hide an awl in a bag.
-
Чем дальше в лес, тем больше дров
The further into the forest, the more firewood is there.
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