Wikimore

English

Alternative forms

a leopard can't change its spots

Etymology

Ultimately from Jeremiah 13:23.^[1]

Pronunciation

Audio (Southern England): (file)
Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS

Proverb

a leopard cannot change its spotsCategory:English lemmas#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS Category:English proverbs#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS Category:English multiword terms#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS Category:English entries with incorrect language header#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS Category:Pages with entries#A%20LEOPARD%20CANNOT%20CHANGE%20ITS%20SPOTS Category:Pages with 1 entry#A%20LEOPARD%20CANNOT%20CHANGE%20ITS%20SPOTS

One cannot change one's own nature.
- 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 24, column 2:
  King. […] Lyons make Leopards tame. / Mo[wbray]. Yea, but not change his ſpots:
  Category:English terms with quotations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Jeremiah 13:23, column 1:
  Can the Ethiopian change his ſkinne? or the leopard his ſpots?
  Category:English terms with quotations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
- 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, chapter II, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 60:
  End now all unkindness. Let us put the Jew to ransom, since the leopard will not change his spots, and a Jew he will continue to be.
  Category:English terms with quotations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
- 1918, Johnston McCulley, Thubway Tham's Inthane Moment:
  The leopard cannot change his spots, old boy.
  Category:English terms with quotations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
  Category:Quotation templates to be cleaned

Synonyms

Translations

one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh

Category:Entries with translation boxes#A%20LEOPARD%20CANNOT%20CHANGE%20ITS%20SPOTS

Albanian: ujku qimen e ndërron por zakonin s'e harronCategory:Terms with Albanian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Arabic: please add this translation if you canCategory:Requests for translations into Arabic#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Armenian: կարմիր կովը կաշին չի փոխի (karmir kovə kašin čʻi pʻoxi)Category:Terms with Armenian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, (specifically of Turks) թուրքը մնում է թուրք (tʻurkʻə mnum ē tʻurkʻ)Category:Terms with Armenian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Azerbaijani: qozbeli qəbir düzəldərCategory:Terms with Azerbaijani translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Chinese:
Mandarin: 江山易改，本性難移 / 江山易改，本性难移 (zh) (jiāngshān yì gǎi, běnxìng nán yí)Category:Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations#A%20LEOPARD%20CANNOT%20CHANGE%20ITS%20SPOTS Category:Terms with Mandarin translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, 狗改不了吃屎 (zh) (gǒu gǎi bùliǎo chī shǐ, literally “a dog can't help eating shit”)Category:Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations#A%20LEOPARD%20CANNOT%20CHANGE%20ITS%20SPOTS Category:Terms with Mandarin translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS

Min Nan: 牛就是牛，牽到北京也是牛 / 牛就是牛，牵到北京也是牛 (gû tō sī gû, khan kàu Pak-kiaⁿ iā sī gû)Category:Terms with Min Nan translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, 牛牽到北京也是牛 / 牛牵到北京也是牛 (gû khan kàu Pak-kiaⁿ iā sī gû)Category:Terms with Min Nan translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Czech: starého psa novým kouskům nenaučíšCategory:Terms with Czech translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, zvyk je železná košileCategory:Terms with Czech translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Danish: please add this translation if you canCategory:Requests for translations into Danish#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Dutch: een vos verliest wel zijn haren, maar niet zijn streken (nl)Category:Terms with Dutch translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, een vos verliest zijn streken nietCategory:Terms with Dutch translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Esperanto: please add this translation if you canCategory:Requests for translations into Esperanto#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Estonian: küürakat parandab ainult haud (literally “only the grave can cure a hunchback”)Category:Terms with Estonian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Finnish: seepra ei pääse raidoistaan (literally “a zebra cannot get rid of its stripes”)Category:Terms with Finnish translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, jäljistään jäniskin tunnetaan (literally “a hare is known by its tracks”)Category:Terms with Finnish translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
French: chassez le naturel, il revient au galop (fr) (literally “drive off character, it comes back galloping”)Category:Terms with French translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, on ne se refait pas (fr)Category:Terms with French translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Georgian: კუზიანს სამარე გაასწორებსო (ḳuzians samare gaasc̣orebso)Category:Terms with Georgian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
German: die Katze lässt das Mausen nicht (de) (literally “a cat won't stop chasing mice”)Category:Terms with German translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, niemand kann aus seiner Haut (literally “nobody can get out of their skin”)Category:Terms with German translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Greek: ο λύκος κι αν εγέρασε κι άσπρισε το μαλλί του, μήτε τη γνώμη άλλαξε, μήτε την κεφαλή του (o lýkos ki an egérase ki ásprise to mallí tou, míte ti gnómi állaxe, míte tin kefalí tou, literally “Even though the wolf got old and his hair became white, he changed neither his opinion nor his head”)Category:Terms with Greek translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS (about old age)
Hebrew: הֲיַהֲפֹךְ כּוּשִׁי עוֹרוֹ וְנָמֵר חֲבַרְבֻּרֹתָיו (hayahafókh kúshi 'oró venamer ḥabarbburotav, literally “Will a Cushite change his skin and a leopard his spots?”)Category:Hebrew links with redundant alt parameters#A%20LEOPARD%20CANNOT%20CHANGE%20ITS%20SPOTS Category:Terms with Hebrew translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Hungarian: kutyából nem lesz szalonna (hu) (literally “out of a dog there will be no lard”)Category:Terms with Hungarian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Icelandic: please add this translation if you canCategory:Requests for translations into Icelandic#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Ido: please add this translation if you canCategory:Requests for translations into Ido#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Indonesian: rupa boleh berubah, tabiat dibawa matiCategory:Terms with Indonesian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Irish: briseann an dúchas trí shúile an chaitCategory:Terms with Irish translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, is treise dúchas ná oiliúintCategory:Terms with Irish translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Italian: il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizio (literally “the wolf can lose its fur but not its bad habits”)Category:Terms with Italian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, chi nasce tondo non può morire quadrato (literally “who was born round can't die square”)Category:Terms with Italian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Japanese: 三つ子の魂百まで (ja) (mitsugo no tamashii hyaku made, literally “the soul of a child of three is the same at 100”)Category:Terms with Japanese translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Kannada: please add this translation if you canCategory:Requests for translations into Kannada#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Khmer: ខ្មែរមិនចោលក្បួន យួនមិនចោលពុត (kmae mɨn caol kbuən yuən mɨn caol put)Category:Terms with Khmer translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Korean: 제 버릇 개 못 준다 (je beoreut gae mot junda)Category:Terms with Korean translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, 제 버릇 개 줄까 (ko) (je beoreut gae julkka)Category:Terms with Korean translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, 개 버릇 남 주나 (gae beoreut nam juna)Category:Terms with Korean translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Latin: please add this translation if you canCategory:Requests for translations into Latin#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Lithuanian: vilku gimęs, vilku ir dvėsCategory:Terms with Lithuanian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Macedonian: волкот влакно менува, нарав никогаш (volkot vlakno menuva, narav nikogaš, literally “the wolf changes his hair, but never his disposition”)Category:Terms with Macedonian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Malay:
Jawi: ججق بوليه دهيلڠکن, بلڠ باݢايمان دهيلڠکن؟Category:Terms with Malay translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, روڤا بوليه دأوبه, طبيعة دباوا ماتيCategory:Terms with Malay translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, ايکتن بوليه دأوبه, تاکوق باݢايمان دأوبهCategory:Terms with Malay translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, سوکر اونتوق ملوروسکن ايکور انجيڠCategory:Terms with Malay translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, ايکور انجيڠ دلوروت, تيدق لوروس جوݢCategory:Terms with Malay translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS

Rumi: jejak boleh dihilangkan, belang bagaimana dihilangkan?Category:Terms with Malay translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, rupa boleh diubah, tabiat dibawa matiCategory:Terms with Malay translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, ikatan boleh diubah, takuk bagaimana diubah?Category:Terms with Malay translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, sukar untuk meluruskan ekor anjingCategory:Terms with Malay translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, ekor anjing dilurut, tidak lurus jugaCategory:Terms with Malay translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, habis minyak sepasu, ekor anjing diurut tiada lurusCategory:Terms with Malay translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Maltese: please add this translation if you canCategory:Requests for translations into Maltese#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Persian: لا تبدیل لخلق الله (lâ tabdila lexalqe-llah)Category:Terms with Persian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS (rare)
Polish: natura ciągnie wilka do lasu (pl)Category:Terms with Polish translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Portuguese: o leopardo não pode mudar suas manchasCategory:Terms with Portuguese translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, pode o etíope mudar a sua pele ou o leopardo as suas manchas?Category:Terms with Portuguese translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Romanian: lupul își schimbă părul, dar năravul baCategory:Terms with Romanian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Russian: волк ка́ждый год линя́ет, а всё сер быва́ет (volk káždyj god linjájet, a vsjo ser byvájet, literally “each year the wolf molts its fur, but it continues to be grey”)Category:Terms with Russian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, ско́лько во́лка ни корми́, он всё в лес смо́трит (skólʹko vólka ni kormí, on vsjo v les smótrit, literally “however good you feed the wolf, it still looks onto the forest”)Category:Terms with Russian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, горба́того моги́ла испра́вит (ru) (gorbátovo mogíla isprávit, literally “only the grave can straighten the hunchback”)Category:Terms with Russian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, чёрного кобеля́ не отмо́ешь добела́ (čórnovo kobeljá ne otmóješʹ dobelá, literally “you can’t wash a black dog to make it white”)Category:Terms with Russian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, зарека́лась лиса́ кур не ворова́ть (zarekálasʹ lisá kur ne vorovátʹ, literally “the fox promised not to steal chickens”)Category:Terms with Russian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Scottish Gaelic: an car a bha san t-seana mhaide 's duilich a thoirt às (literally “the twist which is in the old stick is difficult to take out”)Category:Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Serbo-Croatian: vuk dlaku mijenja, ali ćud nikada (literally “a wolf sheds his coat, but never his temper”)Category:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Spanish: genio y figura hasta la sepultura (es) (literally “genius and player until (the) burial”)Category:Terms with Spanish translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, no hay que pedir peras al olmo (literally “there's no use demanding pears from an elm”)Category:Terms with Spanish translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, la cabra siempre tira al monte (es) (literally “the goat always goes to the mountain”)Category:Terms with Spanish translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, quien nace lechón muere cochino (literally “who is born piglet, dies as pig”)Category:Terms with Spanish translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Swedish: ränderna går aldrig ur (literally “the stripes never go out”)Category:Terms with Swedish translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Tagalog: ang kabayo ay bigyan man ng asukal at tinapay, sapilitang aayawan, humahanap din ng kumpay (literally “the horse if given sugar and bread will forcefully refuse and will look for fodder”)Category:Terms with Tagalog translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Tibetan: please add this translation if you canCategory:Requests for translations into Tibetan#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Turkish: can çıkar huy çıkmaz (tr)Category:Terms with Turkish translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, huylu huyundan vazgeçmez (tr)Category:Terms with Turkish translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Ukrainian: горбатого могила виправить (horbatoho mohyla vypravytʹ)Category:Terms with Ukrainian translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Vietnamese: ngựa quen đường cũ (vi) (literally “the horse goes back to the old road”)Category:Terms with Vietnamese translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS, giang sơn dễ đổi, bản tính khó dời (vi) (literally “nature changes, one's nature barely does”)Category:Terms with Vietnamese translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Welsh: a newidia y llewpard ei frychni?Category:Terms with Welsh translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS
Yiddish: אַ חזיר בלײַבט אַ חזיר (a khazer blaybt a khazer, literally “a pig remains a pig”)Category:Yiddish terms with non-redundant manual transliterations#A%20LEOPARD%20CANNOT%20CHANGE%20ITS%20SPOTS Category:Terms with Yiddish translations#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS

References

↑ The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], 1611, →OCLC, Jeremiah 13:23, column 1: “Can the Ethiopian change his ſkinne? or the leopard his ſpots?”

Category:English terms derived from the Bible#ALEOPARDCANNOTCHANGEITSSPOTS

[1] The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], 1611, →OCLC, Jeremiah 13:23, column 1: “Can the Ethiopian change his ſkinne? or the leopard his ſpots?”

[1]

Wikimore

a leopard cannot change its spots

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Proverb

Synonyms

Translations

See also

References