Jealousy and love are sisters.

This saying is typically treated as a traditional Russian proverb rather than a line traceable to a single author or fixed first publication. It circulates in English as a translation of a Russian folk maxim about intimate relationships, reflecting a long-standing cultural observation that possessiveness and fear of loss often arise alongside affection. In proverb collections, such sentiments are commonly grouped with other warnings about the darker “companions” of love (suspicion, envy, control), and are used as a succinct comment on romantic dynamics rather than tied to a particular historical event or speaker.

The proverb suggests that jealousy is not an external intruder to love but a close relative—born from the same emotional attachment. Love invests value in another person; jealousy can emerge when that valued bond feels threatened, whether by rivals, uncertainty, or insecurity. Calling them “sisters” implies both proximity and resemblance: they may coexist, and one can be mistaken for the other, yet they are distinct. The line can be read as descriptive (jealousy often accompanies love) and cautionary (because they are so close, jealousy can masquerade as proof of love while actually corroding trust and mutual freedom).