the fish rots from the head

English

Etymology

Unknown. Found in the Adages of Erasmus as "Piscis primum a capite foetet" ("The fish stinks first from the head").

Proverb

the fish rots from the head

Bad leaders harm an organization.

Translations

proverb

Chinese:
Mandarin: 鱼从头烂 (yú cóngtou làn)
Czech: ryba smrdí od hlavy
Dutch: vis begint aan de kop te stinken
Esperanto: putrado de fiŝo komenciĝas de l' kapo
French: le poisson pourrit par la tête (fr)
German: Der Fisch stinkt vom Kopf her
Hebrew: הַדָּג מַסְרִיחַ מֵהָרֹאשׁ (he) (hadág masríakh meharósh)
Hungarian: fejétől bűzlik a hal
Italian: il pesce puzza dalla testa
Japanese: 魚は頭から腐る (ja)
Korean: 윗물이 맑아야 아랫물이 맑다 (ko) (winmur-i malga-ya araenmur-i makda)
Latin: piscis primum a capite foetet
Maltese: il-ħuta minn rasha tinten
Polish: ryba psuje się od głowy (pl)
Romanian: peștele de la cap se împute
Russian: рыба гниёт с головы (ryba gnijót s golovy)
Slovak: ryba smrdí od hlavy
Spanish: please add this translation if you can
Ukrainian: риба гниє з голови (ryba hnyje z holovy)

See also

shit rolls downhill

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