the fish rots from the head

proverb

Bad leaders harm an organization.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. Bad leaders harm an organization.

Origin

Attested in Adages of Erasmus (16 c., Latin): Piscis primum a capite foetet (“The fish stinks first from the head”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 上樑不正下樑歪 /上梁不正下梁歪
  • 上樑不正下樑歪 /上梁不正下梁歪 (shàngliáng bùzhèng xiàliáng wāi)proverb
Czech ryba smrdí od hlavy
  • ryba smrdí od hlavyproverb
Danish en fisk rådner fra hovedet
  • en fisk rådner fra hovedetproverb
Dutch vis begint aan de kop te stinken
  • vis begint aan de kop te stinkenproverb
Esperanto putrado de fiŝo komenciĝas de l' kapo
  • putrado de fiŝo komenciĝas de l' kapoproverb
Finnish päästään kala ensiksi haisee
  • päästään kala ensiksi haiseeproverb
French le poisson pourrit par la tête
  • le poisson pourrit par la têteproverb
German der Fisch stinkt vom Kopf her
  • der Fisch stinkt vom Kopf herproverb
Greek απ’ το κεφάλι βρωμάει το ψάρι
  • απ’ το κεφάλι βρωμάει το ψάρι (ap’ to kefáli vromáei to psári)proverb
Hebrew הַדָּג מַסְרִיחַ מֵהָרֹאשׁ
  • הַדָּג מַסְרִיחַ מֵהָרֹאשׁ (hadág masríakh meharósh)proverb
Hungarian fejétől bűzlik a hal
  • fejétől bűzlik a halproverb
Italian il pesce puzza dalla testa
  • il pesce puzza dalla testaproverb
Japanese 魚は頭から腐る
  • 魚は頭から腐るproverb
Korean 윗물이 맑아야 아랫물이 맑다
  • 윗물이 맑아야 아랫물이 맑다 (winmur-i malga-ya araenmur-i makda)proverb
Latin piscis primum a capite foetet
  • piscis primum a capite foetetproverb
Lithuanian žuvis pūva nuo galvos
  • žuvis pūva nuo galvosproverb
Polish ryba psuje się od głowy
  • ryba psuje się od głowyproverb
Romanian peștele de la cap se împute
  • peștele de la cap se împuteproverb
Russian рыба гниёт с головы
  • рыба гниёт с головы (ryba gnijót s golovy)proverb
Slovak ryba smrdí od hlavy
  • ryba smrdí od hlavyproverb
Turkish balık baştan kokar
  • balık baştan kokarproverb
Ukrainian риба гниє з голови
  • риба гниє з голови (ryba hnyje z holovy)proverb
Cite this entry
APA

the fish rots from the head. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20fish%20rots%20from%20the%20head

MLA

“the fish rots from the head.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20fish%20rots%20from%20the%20head. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the fish rots from the head,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20fish%20rots%20from%20the%20head.

Source: the fish rots from the head on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.