# can't see the forest for the trees



## Encolpius

Hello, do you use the same idiom in your language? 
We *Hungarians *use the literal translation. 

Nem látja a fától az erdőt.


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## apmoy70

In Greek, we have a similar saying:
Βλέπουμε το δένδρο (δέντρο) και χάνουμε το δάσος
vl*e*pume to ð*e*nðro (or ð*e*ndro) ke x*a*nume to ð*a*sos
We see the tree and miss the forest.


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## amikama

In Hebrew too:
מרוב עצים לא רואים את היער


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## Sowka

Hello 

In German, it's the same:

"Ich seh den Wald vor lauter Bäumen nicht!"


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## sakvaka

It's the same in *Finnish*, too:

_Ei näe metsää puilta._


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## Frank06

Hi,

In *Dutch*: Ik zie door het bos (forest) de bomen (trees) niet meer.

Groetjes,

Frank


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## phosphore

Serbian:

*od drveta ne videti šumu*

(not to see the forest for the tree)


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## pvraes

En español de España decimos:
"Los árboles no te dejan ver el bosque"
"The trees prevent you from seeing the forest"


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## sound shift

In British English: "Can't see the wood for the trees."


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## rusita preciosa

Russian: зa дерeвьями лeca нe видeть [ze dereviami lesa ne videt] - same saying


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## Akis

I looked on the internet and I found : 
Czech - Nevidí dřevo pro/přes  stromy
_French - Impossible de voir le bois_ pour les arbres


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## Encolpius

Akis said:


> I looked on the internet and I found :
> Czech - Nevidí dřevo pro/přes  stromy
> _French - Impossible de voir le bois_ pour les arbres



I'd prefer: Pro stromy nevidí les in Czech.


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## Mauricet

In French we say: _Les arbres cachent la forêt. _(The trees hide the forest).


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## jazyk

On the Internet I've found _As árvores não deixam ver a floresta _(The trees don't let one see the forest) in Portuguese, but I don't know how widespread it is.


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## Trisia

*Romanian:* Nu vezi pădurea de copaci (you can't see the forest because of the trees)


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## Outsider

jazyk said:


> On the Internet I've found _As árvores não deixam ver a floresta _(The trees don't let one see the forest) in Portuguese, but I don't know how widespread it is.


You can also say "Não vê a floresta por causa das árvores", and it would be easily understood, but this isn't really a set saying in Portuguese.


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## Maykel Fonts

Anyone knows how it's said in Italian ?


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## altairlegend

We Vietnamese say: "Thấy cây chứ không thấy rừng"


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## jana.bo99

Slovenian:
Ne vidim gozda od dreves

Croatian:
Ne mogu vidjeti šumu od drveća

German:
Ich kann den Wald von lauten Bäumen nicht sehen


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## AutumnOwl

_*Swedish:*
Inte se skogen för alla träd _- not see the forest for all the trees


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## er targyn

Rusita, do you mean Can't see the forest behind the trees? Why there is "for"?


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## rusita preciosa

er targyn said:


> Rusita, do you mean Can't see the forest behind the trees? Why there is "for"?


Exactly! The Russian saying says literally "behind the trees". Why "for"? I guess because in English one of the meanings of "for" is "because".


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## er targyn

Thank you!


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## OneStroke

Chinese:
見樹不見林/见树不见林 jiàn shù bú jiàn lín (See tree no see forest)


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## vianie

Does any language use the idiom *can't see for the eyes*? (Hopefully I've translated it correctly.) Slovak and Czech do - nevidieť pre oči / nevidět pro oči.


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