С волками жить, по-волчьи выть

Howling like a wolf

The Russian proverb “С волками жить, по-волчьи выть” translates to “Living with wolves makes one howl like a wolf.” The saying is often used with a negative connotation to justify the need to adjust to others and to accept their way of life.

Photo by Caleb Falkenhagen

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С - with (preposition, governs the instrumental case)

Example:

Но вы, блаженные мужья,
С ним оставались вы друзья… - А. С Пушкин
(But you, blessed husbands,
You remained friends with him ...) - A. S. Pushkin
Performed by I. Smoktunovsky

Can also mean “from” in some contexts, requiring genitive case, e.g., начать с простого (to start with something simple).

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волками - wolves (noun, instrumental case of “волки”, the plural form of “волк”)

Example:

Отказываюсь - быть.
В Бедламе нелюдей
Отказываюсь — жить.
С волками площадей
Отказываюсь — выть. - М. Цветаева, 1939
(I refuse to be.
In the Bedlam of the unhuman
I refuse to live
With the wolves of the squares
I refuse to howl. - M. Tsvetayeva, 1939)
Performed by A. Kuznetsova

“Волк” can also figuratively mean a cunning or ruthless person.

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жить - to live, to exist (verb, infinitive)

Example:

Я земной шар
чуть не весь обошёл, —
И жизнь хороша,
и жить хорошо. - В. Маяковский
(I've been around
Almost entire globe,
The life is good,
And it's good to live - В. Mayakovsky)
Performed by E. Urbansky

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по-волчьи – like a wolf; in a wolf-like manner (analysis: adverb, manner of action)

Example:

Челкаш молчал и по-волчьи скалил зубы. - М. Горький
(Chelkash was silent and bared his teeth like a wolf. - M. Gorky)

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выть - to howl (verb, infinitive)

Example:

Собака выла всю ночь под окном,
Мы все прекрасно знаем, что случается потом. - С. Чиграков
(The dog howled all night under the window,
We all know what happens next. - S. Chigrakov)

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