Meanings
proverb
alternative never look a gift horse in the mouth
- One should not unappreciatively question or inspect a gift too closely.
No man ought to looke a geuen hors in the mouth.
1546, John Heywood, (Please provide the book title or journal name)1 more example
He ne’er consider'd it, as loth To look a Gift-horse in the mouth.
1663, Samuel Butler, HudibrasSynonyms: beggars can't be choosers, something is better than nothing, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbOne should not unappreciatively question or inspect a gift too closely.
Origin
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.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Basque dohainik edan behar duenak, hitz gutti
- dohainik edan behar duenak, hitz guttia phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Bulgarian на харизан кон зъбите не се гледат
- на харизан кон зъбите не се гледат (na harizan kon zăbite 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 cavall regalat, no li miris el dentata 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, 不要對禮物挑三揀四 /不要对礼物挑三拣四
- 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
- 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, darovanému koni na zuby nehleď
- darovanému koni na zuby nekoukeja phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- darovanému koni na zuby nehleďa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Danish sku ikke en given hest i munden
- sku ikke en given hest i mundena phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Dutch een gegeven paard niet in de bek kijken
- een gegeven paard niet in de bek kijkena phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Estonian kingitud hobuse suhu ei vaadata
- kingitud hobuse suhu ei vaadataa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Finnish lahjahevosen suuhun ei saa katsoa
- lahjahevosen suuhun ei saa katsoaa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
French à cheval donné, on ne regarde pas la bouche, à cheval donné on ne regarde pas les dents
- à cheval donné, on ne regarde pas la bouchea phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- à cheval donné on ne regarde pas les dentsa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- à cheval donné on ne regarde pas la bridea phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- à cheval donné on ne regarde pas la denturea phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
German einem geschenkten Gaul schaut man nicht ins Maul, einem geschenkten Gaul sieht man nicht ins Maul
- einem geschenkten Gaul schaut man nicht ins Maula phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- einem geschenkten Gaul sieht man nicht ins Maula phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- einem geschenkten Gaul guckt man nicht ins Maula phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Greek του χαρίζανε γάιδαρο και τον κοίταζε στα δόντια
- 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
- ajándék lónak ne nézd a fogáta phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Icelandic ekki vera vanþakklátur
- ekki vera vanþakklátura phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Irish Ní hinnfhiúchthar fiacla an eich bhronntar
- Ní hinnfhiúchthar fiacla an eich bhronntara phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Italian a caval donato non si guarda in bocca
- a caval donato non si guarda in boccaa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Korean 남의 호의를 트집 잡지 마라
- 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, equī dōnātī dentēs nōn sunt īnspiciendī
- equī dōnātī dentēs nōn īnspiciuntura phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- equī dōnātī dentēs nōn sunt īnspiciendīa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- nōlī equī dentēs īnspicere dōnātīa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Latvian dāvātam zirgam zobos neskatās, dāvinātam zirgam zobos neskatās
- dāvātam zirgam zobos neskatāsa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- dāvinātam zirgam zobos neskatāsa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Lithuanian dovanotam arkliui į dantis nežiūri
- dovanotam arkliui į dantis nežiūria phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Persian دندون اسب پیشکشی رو نمیشمرند
- دندون اسب پیشکشی رو نمیشمرندa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Polish darowanemu koniowi nie zagląda się w zęby, darowanemu koniowi w zęby się nie zagląda
- darowanemu koniowi nie zagląda się w zębya phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- darowanemu koniowi w zęby się nie zaglądaa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- darowanemu koniowi nie zaglądaj w zębya phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- darowanemu koniowi w zęby się nie patrzya phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Portuguese a cavalo dado não se olha os dentes, a cavalo dado não se olha o dente
- a cavalo dado não se olha os dentesa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- a cavalo dado não se olha o dentea phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Romanian calul de dar nu se caută la dinți, calul de dar nu se caută în gură
- calul de dar nu se caută la dinția phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- calul de dar nu se caută în gurăa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Russian дарёному коню́ в зу́бы не смо́трят
- 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
Slovak darovanému koňovi sa na zuby nepozeraj
- darovanému koňovi sa na zuby nepozeraja phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Spanish a caballo regalado no se le miran los dientes, a caballo regalado no le mires el diente
- a caballo regalado no se le miran los dientesa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- a caballo regalado no le mires el dientea phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- a caballo regalado, no le mires el dentadoa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- a caballo regalado, no le mires el dientea phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- a caballo regalado, no se le ve el colmilloa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- a caballo regalado no se le mira el dientea phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Swedish skåda inte given häst i munnen
- skåda inte given häst i munnena phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Turkish üzümünü ye bağını sorma, hediye atın dişine bakılmaz
- üzümünü ye bağını sormaa phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
- hediye atın dişine bakılmaza phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Ukrainian дарованому коневі в зуби не дивляться
- 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
Vietnamese có còn hơn không
- có còn hơn khônga phrase referring to unappreciatively questioning of a gift or handout too closely
Yiddish אַ געשענקט פֿערד קוקט מען נישט אין די ציינער
- 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
Cite this entry
APA
don't look a gift horse in the mouth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/don't%20look%20a%20gift%20horse%20in%20the%20mouth
MLA
“don't look a gift horse in the mouth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/don't%20look%20a%20gift%20horse%20in%20the%20mouth. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “don't look a gift horse in the mouth,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/don't%20look%20a%20gift%20horse%20in%20the%20mouth.
Source: don't look a gift horse in the mouth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.