Meanings
- One cannot change one's nature, no matter how much time passes.
Synonyms: a leopard cannot change its spots, the fox may grow grey but never good
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbOne cannot change one's nature, no matter how much time passes.
Translations
Bulgarian вълкът козината си мени, но нрава - не
- вълкът козината си мени, но нрава - не (vălkăt kozinata si meni, no nrava - ne)one cannot change one's own nature
Chinese Mandarin 江山易改，本性难移
- 江山易改，本性难移 (jiāngshān yì gǎi, běnxìng nán yí)one cannot change one's own nature
Finnish seepra ei pääse raidoistaan
- seepra ei pääse raidoistaanone cannot change one's own nature
French chassez le naturel, il revient au galop
- chassez le naturel, il revient au galopone cannot change one's own nature
German der Wolf ändert wohl sein Haar, aber er bleibt, wie er war
- der Wolf ändert wohl sein Haar, aber er bleibt, wie er warone cannot change one's own nature
Greek ο λύκος κι αν εγέρασε κι άσπρισε το μαλλί του, μήτε τη γνώμη άλλαξε, μήτε την κεφαλή του
- ο λύκος κι αν εγέρασε κι άσπρισε το μαλλί του, μήτε τη γνώμη άλλαξε, μήτε την κεφαλή του (o lýkos ki an egérase ki ásprise to mallí tou, míte ti gnómi állaxe, míte tin kefalí tou)one cannot change one's own nature
Italian il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizio
- il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizioone cannot change one's own nature
Latin lupus pilum mutat, non mentem
- lupus pilum mutat, non mentemone cannot change one's own nature
Polish natura ciągnie wilka do lasu
- natura ciągnie wilka do lasuone cannot change one's own nature
Romanian lupul își schimbă părul, dar năravul ba
- lupul își schimbă părul, dar năravul baone cannot change one's own nature
Russian волк каждый год линяет, да обычая не меняет
- волк каждый год линяет, да обычая не меняет (volk každyj god linjajet, da obyčaja ne menjajet)one cannot change one's own nature
Spanish el lobo muere lobo
- el lobo muere loboone cannot change one's own nature
Yiddish אַ חזיר בלײַבט אַ חזיר
- אַ חזיר בלײַבט אַ חזיר (a khazer blaybt a khazer)one cannot change one's own nature
Cite this entry
the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20wolf%20may%20lose%20his%20teeth%20but%20never%20his%20nature
“the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20wolf%20may%20lose%20his%20teeth%20but%20never%20his%20nature. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20wolf%20may%20lose%20his%20teeth%20but%20never%20his%20nature.
Source: the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.