🤖 Literally, in English
“The devil is not as terrible as he is painted.”
Не такий страшний чорт, як його малюють. Ne takyy strashnyy chort, yak yoho maliuyut
🤨 What does it ACTUALLY mean? →
🇬🇧 What you'd actually say
“It's not as bad as it sounds.”
also: “It's less frightening than people make out.” · “Don't believe the horror stories.”
- 📖 Meaning
- A thing you are afraid of is usually less frightening once you face it.
- 💡 Why it's funny
- English has almost the identical proverb, devil and all — the surprise here is that the two languages painted the same devil.
- 🧭 Closest English idiom
- “The devil is not so black as he is painted.”
- 📝 Explanation
- Reassurance before an exam, a first day at work, a difficult conversation or a medical procedure. Warm and very common.
🧠 Learn
- not as bad as it sounds (phrase) — less unpleasant than the description suggests — не так страшно, як здається “The exam is not as bad as it sounds.”
- frightening (adjective) — making you feel afraid — страшний, лячний “The first week was frightening.”
🗣 In context
Спробуй, не такий страшний чорт, як його малюють.
Give it a go — it's not as bad as it sounds.
🎧 Hear the contrast
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