Meanings
proverb
alternative birds of the feather flock together
- idiomaticPeople of similar character, background or taste tend to congregate or associate with one another; it is easier to establish friendships with people that one has a lot in common with.
So, in London, birds of a feather must flock together, willy nilly, silk hat and frock coat must go with white gloves and brown sables, peaky blinder and “choker" must associate with crop fringed hair, ear curls, and rakish three feathered hat.
1899, The Puritan - Volume 5, page 206Synonyms: like attracts like, like likes like, apple does not fall far from the tree
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbPeople of similar character, background or taste tend to congregate or associate with one another; it is easier to establish friendships with people that one has a lot in common with.
Similar
like attracts likelike likes likeapple does not fall far from the tree
Opposite
Origin
The expression appears to have surfaced in the 16th century, allegedly a literal translation of Plato's Republic. In 1545, William Turner wrote a version of the expression in 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."
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bengali ঝাঁকের কই ঝাঁকেই মেশে
- ঝাঁকের কই ঝাঁকেই মেশে (jhãker koi jhãkei meśe)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Chinese Cantonese 物以類聚 /物以类聚
- 物以類聚 /物以类聚 (mat⁶ ji⁵ leoi⁶ zeoi⁶)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Chinese Mandarin 物以類聚 /物以类聚
- 物以類聚 /物以类聚 (wùyǐlèijù)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Czech vrána k vráně sedá, vrána k vráně sedá, rovný rovného si hledá
- vrána k vráně sedápeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- vrána k vráně sedá, rovný rovného si hledápeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Danish krage søger mage, lige børn leger bedst
- krage søger magepeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- lige børn leger bedstpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Dutch soort zoekt soort
- soort zoekt soortpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Esperanto birdoj samplumaj flugas kunaj
- birdoj samplumaj flugas kunajpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Finnish samanlaiset lapset leikkivät parhaiten
- samanlaiset lapset leikkivät parhaitenpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
French qui se ressemble s'assemble
- qui se ressemble s'assemblepeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
German Gleich und Gleich gesellt sich gern, zeig mir deine Freunde und ich sage dir, wer du bist
- Gleich und Gleich gesellt sich gernpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- zeig mir deine Freunde und ich sage dir, wer du bistpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Greek όμοιος ομοίω αεί πελάζει, τα όμοια έλκονται
- όμοιος ομοίω αεί πελάζει (ómoios omoío aeí pelázei)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- τα όμοια έλκονται (ta ómoia élkontai)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Hindi एक थाली के चट्टे बट्टे
- एक थाली के चट्टे बट्टे (ek thālī ke caṭṭe baṭṭe)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Hungarian zsák a foltját megtalálja, madarat tolláról, embert barátjáról
- zsák a foltját megtaláljapeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- madarat tolláról, embert barátjárólpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Icelandic líkur sækir líkan heim, sækjast sér um líkir
- líkur sækir líkan heimpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- sækjast sér um líkirpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Irish is bách iad lucht aon cheirde
- is bách iad lucht aon cheirdepeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Italian chi si assomiglia si piglia, dio li fa e poi li accoppia
- chi si assomiglia si pigliapeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- dio li fa e poi li accoppiapeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Japanese 類は友を呼ぶ, 牛は牛連れ、馬は馬連れ
- 類は友を呼ぶ (rui wa tomo o yobu)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- 牛は牛連れ、馬は馬連れpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- 人生類友 (jinsei rui-tomo)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Korean 유유상종, 끼리끼리
- 유유상종 (yuyusangjong)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- 끼리끼리 (kkirikkiri)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Latin pares cum paribus facillimē congregantur
- pares cum paribus facillimē congreganturpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Latvian tāds ar tādu saderas
- tāds ar tādu saderaspeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Malay enggang bersama enggang, pipit bersama pipit, samakah air hujan dengan air perigi?
- enggang bersama enggang, pipit bersama pipitpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- samakah air hujan dengan air perigi?people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- antah bersama antah, beras bersama beraspeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- orang sebentuk bagai cincin, setitik bagai emaspeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Norwegian like barn leker best
- like barn leker bestpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Persian کبوتر با کبوتر، باز با باز
- کبوتر با کبوتر، باز با باز (Kabutar bâ kabutar, bâz bâ bâz)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Polish ciągnie swój do swego
- ciągnie swój do swegopeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Portuguese diga-me com quem andas e eu te direi quem és
- diga-me com quem andas e eu te direi quem éspeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Romanian cine se aseamănă se adună, spune-mi cu cine te însoțești ca să îți spun cine ești
- cine se aseamănă se adunăpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- spune-mi cu cine te însoțești ca să îți spun cine eștipeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Russian я́блоко от я́блони недалеко́ па́дает, рыба́к рыбака́ ви́дит издалека́
- я́блоко от я́блони недалеко́ па́дает (jábloko ot jábloni nedalekó pádajet)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- рыба́к рыбака́ ви́дит издалека́ (rybák rybaká vídit izdaleká)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- дура́к дурака́ ви́дит издалека́ (durák duraká vídit izdaleká)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- во́рон во́рону глаз не вы́клюет (vóron vóronu glaz ne výkljujet)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Scottish Gaelic an dubh-isean ag iarraidh an dubh-gheòidh, is toigh le bò mhaol bò mhaol eile
- an dubh-isean ag iarraidh an dubh-gheòidhpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- is toigh le bò mhaol bò mhaol eilepeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Slovak vrana k vrane sadá
- vrana k vrane sadápeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Spanish dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres, cada oveja con su pareja
- dime con quién andas y te diré quién erespeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- cada oveja con su parejapeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- Dios los cría y ellos se juntanpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- Dios los cría y el diablo los juntapeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Swedish lika barn leka bäst
- lika barn leka bästpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Tamil இனம் இனத்தோடு சேரும்
- இனம் இனத்தோடு சேரும் (iṉam iṉattōṭu cērum)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Turkish it ulur, birbirini bulur
- it ulur, birbirini bulurpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Ukrainian одного поля ягоди
- одного поля ягоди (odnoho polja jahody)people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Vietnamese đồng thanh tương ứng, đồng khí tương cầu
- đồng thanh tương ứngpeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- đồng khí tương cầupeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- khôn ngoan đá đáp người ngoài, gà cùng một mẹ chớ hoài đá nhaupeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
- khôn ngoan đối đáp người ngoài, gà cùng một mẹ chớ hoài đá nhaupeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Welsh adar o'r unlliw a hedant i'r unlle
- adar o'r unlliw a hedant i'r unllepeople of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Cite this entry
APA
birds of a feather flock together. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/birds%20of%20a%20feather%20flock%20together
MLA
“birds of a feather flock together.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/birds%20of%20a%20feather%20flock%20together. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “birds of a feather flock together,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/birds%20of%20a%20feather%20flock%20together.
Source: birds of a feather flock together on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.