The grass is always greener

Definition

Other people's situations or possessions always seem more desirable than one's own, often referring to the full phrase 'the grass is always greener on the other side.'

Etymology

This phrase dates back to ancient Roman times, with the poet Ovid writing a similar sentiment in his 'Ars Amatoria' around 1-8 AD. The English version emerged in the 16th century, using the metaphor of looking over a fence at a neighbor's lawn, which often appears more lush from a distance.

Kelly Says

This phrase captures a fundamental aspect of human psychology - our tendency to idealize what we don't have while taking our own blessings for granted. Interestingly, social media has intensified this phenomenon, as people constantly see curated versions of others' lives, making everyone else's 'grass' appear exceptionally green.

Translations

ARالعربية
العشب دائمًا أخضر
alʿishb dāʾiman ʾakhḍar
CSČeština
tráva je vždy zelenější
/traːva jɛ vdɛ zɛlɛniːʃiː/
DADansk
græsset er altid grønnere
/ɡʁɛsəd ɛʁ alˀti ɡʁœnəʁə/
DEDeutsch
das Gras ist immer grüner
/das ɡʁaːs ɪst ˈɪmɐ ˈɡʁyːnɐ/
ELΕλληνικά
ο χόρτος είναι πάντα πιο πράσινος
o χórtos eínai pánta pío prásinos
ESEspañol
la hierba es siempre más verde
la ˈjera βa ˈsjempɾe ˈmaɾ βeɾde
FISuomi
ruoho on aina vihreämpää
/ruo̯ho on ɑinɑ vihreæmpæː/
FRFrançais
l'herbe est toujours plus verte
/lɛʁb ɛ tuʒuʁ ply vɛʁt/
HEעברית
הדשא תמיד ירוק יותר
hadésha tamid yarok yoter
HIहिन्दी
घास हमेशा हरी होती है
ghās hamēśā harī hōtī hai
HUMagyar
a fű mindig zöldebb
/ɒ fuː mindiɡ zøldeːb/
IDBahasa Indonesia
rumput selalu lebih hijau
ruˈmput səˈlaʔ luˈbih hiˈdʒau
ITItaliano
l'erba è sempre più verde
/lɛrba ɛ sˈsɛmpre pju ˈverde/
JA日本語
芝生はいつも緑
shibafu wa itsumo midori
KO한국어
풀이 항상 더 푸르다
puri hang-sang deo pul-lda
NLNederlands
het gras is altijd groener
/ɦɛt ɣrɑs ɪs ɑltɪd ɣruːnər/
NONorsk
gresset er alltid grønnere
/ɡrɛsːət ɛr alːti ɡrœnːəʁə/
PLPolski
trawa zawsze jest bardziej zielona
/ˈtɾava ˈzafʂɛ ˈjɛst ˈbaɾdʑɛj ʑɛˈlɔna/
PTPortuguês
a grama é sempre mais verde
/ɐ ˈɡɾɐ̃mɐ ɛ ˈsɛ̃pɾi ˈmajz ˈveɾdɨ/
RORomână
iarba este întotdeauna mai verde
/jarba ˈjɛsˈto.tɛ.o.dɛ.u.na maj ˈverde/
RUРусский
трава всегда зеленее
trava vsegda zeleneye
SVSvenska
gräset är alltid grönare
/ɡrɛsɛt ɛr alːtɪd ɡrøːnare/
THไทย
หญ้าเป็นสีเขียวเสมอ
yā pĕn sī kʰīaw sāmō
TRTürkçe
çim her zaman daha yeşildir
t͡ʃim heɾ zamɑn dahɑ jeʃildiɾ
UKУкраїнська
трава завжди зеленіша
trava zavidsha zelenisha
VITiếng Việt
cỏ luôn xanh hơn
kô ˈʔɔn xan hɔn
ZH中文
青草总是更绿
qīng cǎo zǒng shì gèng lǜ

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