English Alternative forms Etymology The expression appears to have surfaced in the 16th century, allegedly a literal translation of Plato's Republic.[1] [2] the Rescuing of Romish Fox : "Byrdes of on kynde and color flok and flye allwayes together." One can, however, also compare the expression to Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 27:9: "Birds resort unto their like."
Pronunciation Proverb birds of a feather flock together
( idiomatic ) character , background , or taste tend to congregate or associate with one another.Synonyms Antonyms Derived terms Translations people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Arabic: اَلطُّيُورُ عَلَىٰ أَشْكَالِهَا تَقَعُ ( aṭ-ṭuyūru ʕalā ʔaškālihā taqaʕu , literally “ birds stumble upon their kinds ” )
Moroccan Arabic: مع من شفتك، مع من شبهتك ( mʕa man šuftak, mʕa man šabbahtak , literally “ I compare you to those I see you with ” )
Chinese:
Cantonese: 物以類聚 ／ 物以类聚 ( mat6 ji5 leoi6 zeoi6 ) , 物以类聚 ( mat6 ji5 leoi6 zeoi6 )
Hakka: 人同人好，鬼同鬼好 ( ngìn thùng ngìn hó, kúi thùng kúi hó )
Mandarin: 物以類聚 ／ 物以类聚 (zh) ( wùyǐlèijù ) , 物以类聚 (zh) ( wùyǐlèijù )
Min Nan: 龍交龍，鳳交鳳，隱痀的交侗戇 ／ 龙交龙，凤交凤，隐痀的交侗戆 龙交龙，凤交凤，隐痀的交侗戆 ( Lêng kau lêng, hōng kau hōng, ún-ku--ê kau tòng-gōng. )
Czech: vrána k vráně sedá
Dutch: soort zoekt soort
Finnish: samanlaiset lapset leikkivät parhaiten
French: qui se ressemble s’assemble (fr) ( who resemble each other, assemble together )
German: Gleich und Gleich gesellt sich gern (de) ( literally “ same and same like to consort ” ) ; zeig mir deine Freunde und ich sage dir, wer du bist ( literally “ show me your friends and I'll tell you who you are ” )
Greek: όμοιος ομοίω αεί πελάζει ( ómoios omoío aeí pelázei ) , τα όμοια έλκονται ( ta ómoia élkontai )
Hebrew: כל עוף למינו ישכון ובני אדם לדומה לו הָלַךְ זַרְזִיר אֵצֶל עוֹרֵב (he) ( halách zarzír etzel 'orév ) ( the starling went with the raven )
Hungarian: zsák a foltját megtalálja
Icelandic: ( like pays a visit to like ) líkur sækir líkan heim ( those who are like attract each other ) sækjast sér um líkir
Irish: is bách iad lucht aon cheirde
Italian: chi si assomiglia si piglia dio li fa e poi li accoppia
Japanese: 類は友を呼ぶ (ja) ( るいはともをよぶ, rui-wa tomo-o yobu ) , 牛は牛連れ、馬は馬連れ ( うしはうしづれ、うまはうまづれ, ushi-wa ushi zure, uma-wa uma zure )
Korean: 유유상종 (ko) ( 類 類 相 從 , yuyusangjong) , 끼리끼리 ( kkirikkiri )
(deprecated template usage ) {{trans-mid }}Latin: pares cum paribus facillimē congregantur
Latvian: tāds ar tādu saderas
Malay:
Jawi: اڠݢڠ برسام اڠݢڠ, ڤيڤيت برسام ڤيڤيت سامکه اءير هوجن دڠن اءير ڤريݢي؟ انته برسام انته, برس برسام برس اورڠ سبنتوق باݢاي چينچين, ستيتيق باݢاي امس
Rumi: enggang bersama enggang, pipit bersama pipit samakah air hujan dengan air perigi? antah bersama antah, beras bersama beras orang sebentuk bagai cincin, setitik bagai emas
Norwegian: like barn leker best
Polish: ciągnie swój do swego (pl)
Portuguese: diga-me com quem andas e eu te direi quem és (pt) ( tell me who you hang out with and I'll tell you who you are )
Romanian: Cine se aseamana se aduna
Russian: рыба́к рыбака́ ви́дит издалека́ ( rybák rybaká vídit izdaleká ) , дура́к дурака́ ви́дит издалека́ ( durák duraká vídit izdaleká )
Scottish Gaelic: an dubh-isean ag iarraidh an dubh-gheòidh is toigh le bò mhaol bò mhaol eile
Serbo-Croatian: svaka ptica svome jatu leti
Slovak: vrana k vrane sadá (sk)
Slovene: vrana vrani ne izkljuje oči enake sorte ptiči skup letijo
Spanish: dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres cada oveja con su pareja Dios los cría y ellos se juntan (es)
Swedish: lika barn leka bäst (sv)
Telugu: ఒకగూటి పక్షులు ఒకేచోటికి చేరుతాయి ( okagūṭi pakṣulu okēcōṭiki cērutāyi )
Turkish: it ulur, birbirini bulur
Uyghur: مال تۈرى بىلەن ( mal türi bilen )
Walloon: les cis ki si rshonnèt s' rashonnèt (wa)
Welsh: adar o'r unlliw hedant i'r unlle
References Gregory Y. Titelman, Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings , 1996, →ISBN , p. 31.