A form of (obsolete) “An old dog will learn no tricks”.[1]
you can't teach an old dog new tricks
- It is impossible to change people's habits, traits, or mindset.
too old to change
- Bulgarian: не може да научиш старо куче на нови номера (ne može da naučiš staro kuče na novi nomera)
- Czech: starého psa novým kouskům nenaučíš
- Danish: man kan ikke lære en gammel hund nye kunster
- Estonian: vanale koerale juba uusi trikke ei õpeta
- Finnish: vanhalle koiralle ei voi opettaa uusia temppuja (literally “an old dog can not be taught new tricks”)
- French: il faut ployer l’arbre pendant qu’il est jeune (literally: a tree must be bent while it is young), on ne change pas les vieilles habitudes
- German: was Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr (de)
- Greek: παλιός γάιδαρος καινούρια περπατησιά δε μαθαίνει (paliós gáidaros kainoúria perpatisiá de mathaínei, literally “the old donkey cannot learn a new walk”), τώρα στα γεράματα, μάθε γέρο γράμματα (tóra sta gerámata, máthe géro grámmata)
- Hungarian: öreg/vén muzsikusnak/zenésznek nem lehet (már) új nótát tanítani, késő az agg ebet táncra tanítani
- Icelandic: það er erfitt að kenna gömlum hundi að sitja (literally “teaching an old dog to sit is a daunting task”)
- Irish: nuair a chríonann an tslat is deacair í a lúbadh (literally “when the rod gets old, it is difficult to bend”)
- Italian: il cane vecchio non si abitua più alla catena
- Latin: senex psittacus negligit ferulam (literally “the old parrot neglects ferule”)
- Norwegian: man kan ikke lære en gammel hund apport
- Polish: przyzwyczajenie jest drugą naturą człowieka, czego Jaś się nie nauczy, tego Jan nie będzie umiał (pl)
- Portuguese: papagaio velho não aprende a falar, pau que nasce torto nunca se endireita
- Russian: горба́того моги́ла испра́вит (ru) (gorbátovo mogíla isprávit, literally “a hunchback will be corrected by the grave”), ста́рого пса но́вым шту́кам не нау́чишь (stárovo psa nóvym štúkam ne naúčišʹ)
- Scottish Gaelic: an t-aon nach teagaisgear ris a' ghlùin chan fhoghlamar ris an uilinn
- Spanish: perro viejo no aprende trucos nuevos
- Swedish: man kan inte lära gamla hundar sitta
- Telugu: కుక్కతోక వంకర తీయలేము (kukkatōka vaṅkara tīyalēmu)
- Thai: ไม้อ่อนดัดง่าย ไม้แก่ดัดยาก (th) (máai òn dàt ngâai, máai gàe dàt yâak)
- Turkish: ağaç yaşken eğilir
- Welsh: anodd dysgu hen gostog (literal), anodd diddyfnu hen (literally “difficult to wean old”)
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- ^ Nathan Bailey (1721) Divers Proverbs[1], page 72
