What does it mean?
True friendship is proven above all when difficulties arise.
Closest English saying: A friend in need is a friend indeed.
What does it literally say?
Ο καλός φίλος στην ανάγκη φαίνεται
O kalós fílos stin anángi fénete
“A good friend shows in times of need.”
Need becomes the test of how reliable a friend is and whether their support is real.
How is it used?
«Όταν χρειάστηκε βοήθεια, εκείνη ήταν παρούσα. Ο καλός φίλος στην ανάγκη φαίνεται.»
“When help was needed, she was there. A good friend shows in times of need.”
Other ways Greeks say it
- Ο φίλος στην ανάγκη φαίνεται.
Where does it come from?
Traditional Greek folk usage. eipane has not documented a first author or a first written record for this saying.
This is an English edition of the Greek entry, which remains the reference version. The English text was written from the Greek entry with the help of AI tools and checked against it. Suggest a correction ↗