Phrase guide

don't look a gift horse in the mouth

proverb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

proverb

Meaning 1

One should not unappreciatively question or inspect a gift too closely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Calque from Latin expressions such as equi dentes inspicere donati (“to inspect the teeth of a provided horse”) in St. Jerome's c. 400 Preface to the Commentaries of the Letter to the Ephesians (Commentariorum in Epistolam ad Ephesios Libri Tres), which designates it as a "common proverb" (vulgare proverbium). The ultimate referrent is inspection of horses' teeth as a way of ascertaining their age and value.

Across languages

Translations

65 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: kalit të falur nuk i shikohen dhëmbët — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Albanian: kalit të falur nuk i këqyren dhëmbët — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Armenian: նւիրւած ձիու ատամները չեն հաշւի (nwirwac jiu atamnerə čʻen hašwi) — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Basque: dohainik edan behar duenak, hitz gutti — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Bulgarian: на харизан кон зъбите не се гледат (na harizan kon zǎbite ne se gledat) — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Catalan: a cavall regalat, no li miris el dentat — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不要對禮物吹毛求疵 /不要对礼物吹毛求疵 (bùyào duì lǐwù chuīmáoqiúcī) — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不要對禮物挑三揀四 /不要对礼物挑三拣四 (bùyào duì lǐwù tiāosānjiǎnsì) — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Czech: darovanému koni na zuby nekoukej — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Czech: darovanému koni na zuby nehleď — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Danish: sku ikke en given hest i munden — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Dutch: een gegeven paard niet in de bek kijken — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Estonian: kingitud hobuse suhu ei vaadata — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Finnish: lahjahevosen suuhun ei saa katsoa — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • French: à cheval donné, on ne regarde pas la bouche — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • French: à cheval donné on ne regarde pas les dents — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • French: à cheval donné on ne regarde pas la bride — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • French: à cheval donné on ne regarde pas la denture — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Galician: o cabalo regalado, cólleo con ollos pechados — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Galician: a cabalo regalado no se lle mira o dente — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • German: einem geschenkten Gaul schaut man nicht ins Maul — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • German: einem geschenkten Gaul sieht man nicht ins Maul — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • German: einem geschenkten Gaul guckt man nicht ins Maul — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Greek: του χαρίζανε γάιδαρο και τον κοίταζε στα δόντια (tou charízane gáidaro kai ton koítaze sta dóntia) — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Hungarian: ajándék lónak ne nézd a fogát — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Icelandic: ekki vera vanþakklátur — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Irish: Ní hinnfhiúchthar fiacla an eich bhronntar — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Italian: a caval donato non si guarda in bocca — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Korean: 남의 호의를 트집 잡지 마라 (nam-ui houi-reul teujip japji mara) — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Latin: equī dōnātī dentēs nōn īnspiciuntur — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Latin: equī dōnātī dentēs nōn sunt īnspiciendī — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Latin: nōlī equī dentēs īnspicere dōnātī — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Latvian: dāvātam zirgam zobos neskatās — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Latvian: dāvinātam zirgam zobos neskatās — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Lithuanian: dovanotam arkliui į dantis nežiūri — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Luxembourgish: engem geschenkte Gaul kuckt een net an d'Maul — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Mongolian: бэлгийн морины шүд татдаггүй (belgiin moriny šüd tatdaggüj) — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Persian: دندون اسب پیشکشی رو نمیشمرند — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Polish: darowanemu koniowi nie zagląda się w zęby — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Polish: darowanemu koniowi w zęby się nie zagląda — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Polish: darowanemu koniowi nie zaglądaj w zęby — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Polish: darowanemu koniowi w zęby się nie patrzy — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Portuguese: a cavalo dado não se olha os dentes — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Portuguese: a cavalo dado não se olha o dente — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Romanian: calul de dar nu se caută la dinți — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Romanian: calul de dar nu se caută în gură — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Russian: дарёному коню́ в зу́бы не смо́трят (darjónomu konjú v zúby ne smótrjat) — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Serbo-Croatian: поклоњеном коњу се не гледа у зубе — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Serbo-Croatian: poklonjenom konju se ne gleda u zube — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Slovak: darovanému koňovi sa na zuby nepozeraj — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Slovene: podarjenemu konju se ne gleda v zobe — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Spanish: a caballo regalado no se le miran los dientes — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Spanish: a caballo regalado no le mires el diente — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Spanish: a caballo regalado, no le mires el dentado — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Spanish: a caballo regalado, no le mires el diente — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Spanish: a caballo regalado, no se le ve el colmillo — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Spanish: a caballo regalado no se le mira el diente — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Swedish: skåda inte given häst i munnen — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Telugu: పాపమని పాత చీర ఇస్తే గోడ చాటుకు వెళ్ళి మూర వేసిందట (pāpamani pāta cīra istē gōḍa cāṭuku veḷḷi mūra vēsindaṭa) — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Turkish: üzümünü ye bağını sorma — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Turkish: hediye atın dişine bakılmaz — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Ukrainian: дарованому коневі в зуби не дивляться (darovanomu konevi v zuby ne dyvljatʹsja) — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Venetan: a caval donà no se ghe varda in boca — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Vietnamese: có còn hơn không — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
  • Yiddish: אַ געשענקט פֿערד קוקט מען נישט אין די ציינער (a geshenkt ferd kukt men nisht in di tseyner) — a phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely