proverb · Words worth keeping
You can give advice, but not good luck.
You can give advice, but not good luck.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Giving advice but not good luck distinguishes guidance from control over an outcome. The saying recognises a limit of assistance.
Example
Someone offers checked guidance while explaining what remains uncertain and what further support is available.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
A useful reading does not assume advice is good or that outcomes depend only on luck. Relevant support, resources and decisions may still matter. A responsible helper can explain uncertainty and offer practical help without promising success or blaming someone when circumstances prevent it.
When to use it
Use it to separate useful guidance from an outcome guarantee.
Keep in mind
No advice quality or success guaranteed by giving counsel is established.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
Denmark
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- Denmark