Old habits die hard

Definition

It is very difficult to change established patterns of behavior, even when you want to or know you should.

Etymology

This phrase emerged in the mid-18th century, with the earliest recorded use around 1758. The metaphor compares habits to living things that resist death, emphasizing how deeply ingrained behaviors cling to life even when we consciously try to eliminate them.

Kelly Says

Neuroscience has proven this idiom remarkably accurate - habits literally carve neural pathways in our brains that become stronger with repetition, making them genuinely difficult to 'kill.' The phrase inspired the title of the 1988 Bruce Willis action film, though the movie has nothing to do with changing personal habits!

Translations

AMአማርኛ
የቀድሞ አለባበስ አይተን አልፈው
yeqedmo alebabeS ayten alfeW
ARالعربية
العادات القديمة تموت ببطء
al-ʿādāt al-qadīmah tamūtu bi-baṭʾ
BNবাংলা
পুরানো অভ্যাস মরতে কষ্ট হয়
puraano abhyas mor-te kosh-ta hoy
CACatalà
les velles habituds moren difícilment
lay vell-ehs ah-bee-TOO-dehs moh-REHN dee-fee-SEE-lay
CSČeština
staré zvyky umírají těžce
STAH-reh ZVEE-kee oo-MEE-rah-yoot TYEH-tseh
DADansk
gamle vaner dør svært
GAH-meh vah-ner dyhr svayrt
DEDeutsch
alte Gewohnheiten sterben schwer
AHL-tah gay-HOH-nen SHTERN blyu-ehr
ELΕλληνικά
παλιές συνήθειες πεθαίνουν δύσκολα
paliés synítheies pethaíne dýskola
ESEspañol
los viejos hábitos mueren difícilmente
lohs bee-EH-hohs AH-bee-tohs MWEHR-dehn dee-fee-SEE-lay
FAفارسی
عادت‌های قدیمی به سختی می‌میرند
aadat-haaye ghadeemi be sakhti mirmind
FISuomi
vanhat tavat kuolevat vaikeasti
VAH-nah-tah TAH-vah-tah KOO-oh-leh-vah-tah VAI-keh-ah-stee
FRFrançais
les vieilles habitudes meurent difficilement
lay vee-YAY ah-bee-TEWD muh-RHN dee-fee-SEE-lay
GUGU
જૂની ટેવો મરવામાં મુશ્કેલી આવે છે
joo-nee tay-vo mar-va-maan mush-keh-lee aa-ve cheh
HAHA
al'adun da suka gabata suna mutuwa da wuya
ah-lah-DOON dah SOO-kah gah-BAH-tah SOO-nah moo-TOO-wah dah WOO-yah
HEעברית
הרגלים ישנים מתים קשה
hargalim yeshanim metim kashah
HIहिन्दी
पुरानी आदतें मुश्किल से मरती हैं
puraanee aadaten mushkil se marte hain
HUMagyar
régi szokások nehezen halnak meg
REH-gee SOH-kah-shohk NEH-heh-zen HAL-nak mehg
IDBahasa Indonesia
kebiasaan lama sulit mati
KEH-bi-ah-sahn LAH-mah SOO-leet MAH-tee
IGIG
omume ochie dị ka nkọ
oh-moo-meh OH-chee dee kah ng-koh
ITItaliano
le vecchie abitudini muoiono difficilemente
lay vech-AY ah-bee-TOO-dee-nee mwah-YOH-noh dee-fee-SEE-lay
KKKK
ескі дәстүрлер ауырлықпен өледі
ehs-KEE dah-stoor-lehr ah-OO-lyk-pehn OH-leh-dee
KMKM
ទម្លាប់ចាស់ស្លាប់ដោយលំបាក
tdambaach chas slab doly baa-kaak
MRMR
जुन्या चाली मरायला अवघड
joo-nyaa chaa-lee mar-ya-laa av-ghad
MSBahasa Melayu
kebiasaan lama sukar mati
KEH-bi-ah-sahn LAH-mah SOO-kar MAH-tee
MYမြန်မာ
ရိုးရာဓလေ့များ သေချာစွာ မသေနိုင်
yoeyar dah-leht myarr thay-cha-swar may-thay-nay
NLNederlands
oude gewoonten sterven moeilijk
OH-dah khay-VOHN-tayn STAIR-vayn MOO-yayk
NONorsk
gamle vaner dør vanskelig
GAH-meh vah-ner dyhr vahn-skeh-lee
PAPA
ਪੁਰਾਣੇ ਰਸਮਾਂ ਮਰਨ ਵਿਚ ਔਖਿਆਈ ਆਉਂਦੀ ਹੈ
puraane ras-maan marn vich aukh-ya-ee aa-ndee hai
PLPolski
stare nawyki umierają z trudnością
STAH-reh NAH-vee-kee oo-MYEH-jah z trood-NEE-ah
PTPortuguês
velhos hábitos morrem difícilmente
VEH-yohz AH-bee-tohs moh-REHN dee-fee-SEE-lay
RORomână
vechi obișnuințe mor greu
VEH-kee oh-bee-SHOON-tsah mor GREH-oo
RUРусский
старые привычки умирают тяжело
STAH-ree-yeh pree-VYCH-kee oo-MEE-rah-yoot TYAH-zhyoh
SVSvenska
gamla vanor dör svårt
GAH-mah vah-nohr dyur svohrt
SWKiswahili
mazoezi ya zamani hufa kwa shida
mah-ZOH-eh-zee yah ZAH-mah-nee hoo-fah kwa SHEE-dah
TAதமிழ்
பழைய வழக்கங்கள் எளிதில் இறக்கவில்லை
pazhaiya vazhakkangal elithil irakkavillai
TEతెలుగు
పాత అలవాట్లు చావడం కష్టం
paata alavaaTlu chaavaDam kashTam
THไทย
นิสัยเก่าแก่ไม่ตายง่าย
nisai kao kao mai tai ngai
TLTL
ang mga lumang kaugalian ay mahirap mamatay
ang mga lu-mang kaw-ga-lee-an ay mah-rah-pah mah-mah-tay
TRTürkçe
eski alışkanlıklar zor ölür
EH-skee ah-LEESH-kahn-luhk-lahr zor OEL-ur
UKУкраїнська
старі звички важко вмирають
STAH-ree ZVEECH-kee VAH-zh-koh vmy-RAH-yoot
URاردو
پرانے عادات مرنے میں مشکل ہوتی ہیں
puraney adaat marnay mein mushkil hoti hain
VITiếng Việt
thói quen cũ khó chết
thoi quan cu kho chet
YOYO
awọn ireti ti ko ni ku
ah-wohn ee-reh-tee tee koh nee koo
ZUZU
izithethe zezolo zifile ngokungathathi
ee-zee-theh-zeh zoh-loh zee-fee-leh ngoh-kahng-ah-thee

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