Meanings
proverb
- One cannot accurately judge a person solely by their appearance.
Synonyms: the cowl does not make the monk, you can't judge a book by its cover · Antonyms: fine feathers make fine birds, clothes make the man
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbOne cannot accurately judge a person solely by their appearance.
Translations
Ancient Greek πώγων οὐ ποιεῖ φιλόσοφον
- πώγων οὐ ποιεῖ φιλόσοφον (pṓgōn ou poieî philósophon)clothes don't make the man
Chinese Mandarin 人不可貌相
- 人不可貌相 (rén bùkě màoxiàng)clothes don't make the man
Czech šaty nedělají člověka
- šaty nedělají člověkaclothes don't make the man
Danish man skal ikke skue hunden på hårene, klæder skaber ikke folk
- man skal ikke skue hunden på håreneclothes don't make the man
- klæder skaber ikke folkclothes don't make the man
Finnish vaatteet eivät tee miestä
- vaatteet eivät tee miestäclothes don't make the man
French l’habit ne fait pas le moine
- l’habit ne fait pas le moineclothes don't make the man
German Kleider machen keine Leute
- Kleider machen keine Leuteclothes don't make the man
Greek το ράσο δεν κάνει τον παπά, τα ράσα δεν κάνουν τον παπά
- το ράσο δεν κάνει τον παπά (to ráso den kánei ton papá)clothes don't make the man
- τα ράσα δεν κάνουν τον παπά (ta rása den kánoun ton papá)clothes don't make the man
Hebrew הַבֶּגֶד עוֹשֶׂה אֶת הָאָדָם
- הַבֶּגֶד עוֹשֶׂה אֶת הָאָדָם (habéged 'osé et haadám)clothes don't make the man
Hungarian nem a ruha teszi az embert
- nem a ruha teszi az embertclothes don't make the man
Italian l'abito non fa il monaco
- l'abito non fa il monacoclothes don't make the man
Japanese 馬子にも衣装
- 馬子にも衣装 (mago ni mo ishō)clothes don't make the man
Latin cucullus non facit monachum, barba non facit philosophum
- cucullus non facit monachumclothes don't make the man
- barba non facit philosophumclothes don't make the man
Polish nie szata zdobi człowieka
- nie szata zdobi człowiekaclothes don't make the man
Portuguese o hábito não faz o monge
- o hábito não faz o mongeclothes don't make the man
Romanian nu haina îl face pe om
- nu haina îl face pe omclothes don't make the man
Russian по одёжке встреча́ют, по уму́ провожа́ют, на вид приго́ж, а внутри́ на чёрта похо́ж
- по одёжке встреча́ют, по уму́ провожа́ют (po odjóžke vstrečájut, po umú provožájut)clothes don't make the man
- на вид приго́ж, а внутри́ на чёрта похо́ж (na vid prigóž, a vnutrí na čórta poxóž)clothes don't make the man
Spanish el hábito no hace al monje
- el hábito no hace al monjeclothes don't make the man
Cite this entry
APA
clothes don't make the man. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clothes%20don't%20make%20the%20man
MLA
“clothes don't make the man.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clothes%20don't%20make%20the%20man. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “clothes don't make the man,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clothes%20don't%20make%20the%20man.
Source: clothes don't make the man on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.