घर की मुर्गी साग बराबर (ghar kii murgii saag baraabar)
phrase
A proverb meaning 'familiarity breeds contempt' -- literally, 'the hen at home is [worth only as much as] a vegetable.' Often heard in its short form घर की मुर्गी (ghar kii murgii) alone.
Sense
1
:
familiarity breeds contempt; something valuable seems ordinary once it's easily available
phrase
Synonyms: घर की मुर्गी (ghar kii murgii, short form, same meaning)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the Hindi cousin of 'familiarity breeds contempt' or 'the grass is greener on the other side,' but with a very Indian-household image: a hen you already own and can eat any day feels as unremarkable as a plate of साग (saag, 'leafy greens'), while a neighbor's hen seems like a feast. You'll hear it used affectionately by parents or elders about a person, skill, or possession that's underappreciated simply because it's always been around.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to translate this literally into English conversation ('my home chicken is like vegetable') -- it only works as a fixed proverb, never as a fresh descriptive sentence about an actual chicken. 2) The full proverb is often clipped to just घर की मुर्गी (ghar kii murgii) with साग बराबर (saag baraabar) left unsaid but understood, so don't be thrown off when you hear only the first half.
Sample Sentences:
घर की मुर्गी साग बराबर, यही तो सबसे बड़ी दिक्कत है इंसान की।
The hen at home is worth no more than a vegetable -- that's the biggest problem with people.
(ghar kii murgii saag baraabar, yahii to sabse badii dikkat hai insaan kii।)
बेटा इतना टैलेंटेड है, पर हम कभी उसकी तारीफ नहीं करते, घर की मुर्गी साग बराबर वाली बात है।
Our son is so talented, but we never praise him -- it's a case of the hen at home being worth no more than a vegetable.
(betaa itnaa tailented hai, par ham kabhii uskii taariiph nahiin karte, ghar kii murgii saag baraabar vaalii baat hai।)
पड़ोस वाली आंटी की बेटी की तारीफ सब करते हैं, पर अपनी बेटी को कोई नहीं पूछता, घर की मुर्गी साग बराबर।
Everyone praises the neighbor aunty's daughter, but nobody bothers with their own -- the hen at home is worth no more than a vegetable.
(pados vaalii aantii kii betii kii taariiph sab karte hain, par apnii betii ko koii nahiin poochhtaa, ghar kii murgii saag baraabar।)
दादी हमेशा कहती थीं कि घर की मुर्गी साग बराबर होती है, इसलिए जो पास है उसकी कद्र करो।
Grandma always used to say the hen at home is worth no more than a vegetable, so value what you already have.
(daadii hameshaa kahtii thiin ki ghar kii murgii saag baraabar hotii hai, islie jo paas hai uskii kadr karo।)
अगर तुम इतने अच्छे कुक हो, तो घर वाले तुम्हारी तारीफ क्यों नहीं करते? घर की मुर्गी साग बराबर!
If you're such a good cook, why doesn't your family praise you? The hen at home is worth no more than a vegetable!
(agar tum itne achchhe kuk ho, to ghar vaale tumhaarii taariiph kyon nahiin karte? ghar kii murgii saag baraabar!)
जब तक वो नौकरी छोड़कर दूसरी कंपनी नहीं गया, किसी को उसकी काबिलियत का अंदाज़ा नहीं था, घर की मुर्गी साग बराबर वाली बात हो गई।
Until he quit and went to another company, nobody realized his worth -- it became a case of the hen at home being worth no more than a vegetable.
(jab tak vo naukrii chhodkar doosrii kampnii nahiin gayaa, kisii ko uskii kaabiliyat kaa andaazaa nahiin thaa, ghar kii murgii saag baraabar vaalii baat ho gaii।)
यार, इतनी अच्छी बीवी है तेरी, फिर भी तू शिकायत करता रहता है, घर की मुर्गी साग बराबर समझता है क्या?
Dude, you have such a great wife, yet you keep complaining -- do you think the hen at home is worth no more than a vegetable?
(yaar, itnii achchhii biivii hai terii, phir bhii too shikaayat kartaa rahtaa hai, ghar kii murgii saag baraabar samajhtaa hai kyaa?)
अपनी चीज़ों की कद्र करो, वरना घर की मुर्गी साग बराबर वाला हाल हो जाएगा।
Value your own things, otherwise you'll end up in that 'hen at home is worth no more than a vegetable' situation.
(apnii chiizon kii kadr karo, varnaa ghar kii murgii saag baraabar vaalaa haal ho jaaegaa।)
काश हम अपनों की कद्र वैसे ही करते जैसे बाहर वालों की करते हैं, तब घर की मुर्गी साग बराबर वाली सोच नहीं होती।
If only we valued our own people the way we value outsiders, then we wouldn't have this 'hen at home is worth no more than a vegetable' mindset.
(kaash ham apnon kii kadr vaise hii karte jaise baahar vaalon kii karte hain, tab ghar kii murgii saag baraabar vaalii soch nahiin hotii।)