African & Caribbean Proverbs and Their Meanings

Community

Hu m'ani so ma me nti na atwe mmienu nam

“It is because of "watch over me" that two antelopes walk together.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Caution

Aboa bi beka wo a, ne efiri wo ntoma mu

“If an animal will bite you, it comes from within your cloth.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Community

Etua wo yonko ho a etua dua mu

“If it affects your neighbour, it is in a tree.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Obi fom kum a, yenfom nnwa

“If someone mistakenly kills, we do not mistakenly kill a snail.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Caution

Wohu se wo yonko abodwese rehye a na wasa nsuo asi wo dee ho

“If you see your neighbour's beard on fire, wet yours too.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Tenten retɔ, tiatia retɔ; yɛrenom nsa na yɛrefa adwen

“The tall are falling, the short are falling; we are drinking and making decisions.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Dua a enya wo a ebewo w'ani no, yetu asee; yensensene ano

“The tree that will poke your eye — we uproot it; we do not sharpen its tip.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Ɔbaa tɔ tuo a ɛtwere barima dan mu

“When a woman buys a gun, it leans against a man's room.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Nyansapo wosane no badwemma

“The knot of wisdom is untied only by the wise.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Abaa a yede bo Takyi no yede bebo Baa

“The stick used to beat Takyi is the same used to beat Baa.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Yetu wo fo na wanntie a, woko Anteade

“If we warn you and you do not listen, you go to Anteade.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Resilience

Abe bi rebewu a na eso

“When a palm nut is about to die, it bears fruit.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Woforo dua pa a na yɛpia wo

“It is when you climb a good tree that we push you.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Ti korɔ nkɔ agyina

“One head does not hold council.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Abɔfra bɔ nwa na ɔmmɔ akyekyedeɛ

“A child breaks a snail, not a tortoise.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Ɔbanyansafoɔ yɛbu no bɛ, yɛnka no asɛm

“The wise are spoken to in proverbs, not plain language.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Yɛwo wo to esie so a, wonkyɛ tenten yɛ

“If you are born on a mound, it does not take long to grow tall.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Hwimhwim adee ko srosro

“Easy come, easy go.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Family

Abofra a omma ne maame nna no, bentoa mpa ne to da

“A child who does not let its mother sleep — the navel string never leaves its bottom.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Caution

Nwansena nni hwee koraa oposa ne nsam

“The housefly has nothing yet it dies in the spider's web.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Resilience

Nea owo aka no pen no suro sonsono

“One who has been bitten by a snake fears a worm.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Community

Funtumfunafu ne dɛnkyɛmfunafu, wɔn afuru bo mu nanso woredidi a na wɔreko

“The conjoined crocodiles share one stomach yet fight when eating.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Community

Owuo atwedeɛ, baakfoɔ mforo

“Death's ladder — no one climbs it alone.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Efie biara mmaninsɛm wɔ mu

“In every household there are troublemakers.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Community

Obi abawuo tuatua obi aso

“Someone's child's death pains another's ear.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Love

Nsuo a edo wo na eko w'ahina mu

“It is the water that loves you that enters your pot.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Wotena dufɔkyeɛ so di borɔfrɛ a, wo to fɔ, w'ano fɔ

“If you sit on a rotten stool eating pawpaw, your bottom and your mouth both get dirty.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Resilience

Dua kontonkyitonkyi na ema yɛhunu ɔdwomfoɔ

“It is the twisting tree that reveals the woodcarver's skill.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Motivation

Kwan tia yɛ musuo

“A shortcut is a taboo.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Obi nnom aduro mma yarefoɔ

“Nobody takes medicine on behalf of the sick.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Caution

Woto adubɔne a, ebi ka w'ano

“If you prepare a bad medicine, some remains on your lips.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Deɛ ɔretwa sa no nnim sɛ n'akyi akyea

“The one cutting a path does not know that behind him it is crooked.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Unity

Prayɛ, sɛ woyi baako a na ebu; wokabomu a emmu

“Remove one broomstick and it breaks; bundle them and they do not.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Community

Nsateaa nyinaa nnyɛ pɛ

“All fingers are not the same.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Obi nnim a, obi kyerɛ

“If someone does not know, someone teaches.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Family

Abɔfra hunu ne nsa hohoro a ɔne mpanyinfoɔ didi

“When a child learns to wash their hands, they eat with elders.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Caution

Kwaterekwa se ɔbɛma wo ntoma a, tie ne din

“If a naked man promises you a cloth, listen to his name.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Wamma wo yonko anntwa anko a, wonntwa nnuru

“If you prevent your friend from harvesting nine, you also fail to harvest ten.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Yɛsoma onyansafoɔ, ɛnyɛ anamɔntenten

“We send the wise, not the long-legged.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Community

Aboa a onni dua no, Nyame na opra ne ho

“For the animal without a tail, God brushes it.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Biribi ankɔka papa a, anka papa annye kyerɛdɛ

“If something had not touched the dry palm frond, it would not make noise.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Borɔferɛ a ɛyɛ dɛ na abaa da aseɛ

“It is the sweet pawpaw that has a stick under it.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Caution

Ayonkogoro nti na okoto annya tiri

“It is because of friend-play that the crab has no head.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Wo nsa akyi beye wo de a ente se wo nsa yam

“If the back of your hand is sweet, it is not as sweet as your palm.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Motivation

Animguase mfata Okanni ba

“Disgrace does not befit the child of an Akan.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Motivation

Anomaa antu a, ɔbua da

“If a bird does not fly, it goes to bed hungry.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Motivation

Obi nnim ɔberempɔn ahyɛaseɛ

“Nobody knows the beginning of a great man.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Family

Agya bi wu a, agya bi te ase

“When one father dies, another father lives.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Community

Obi nkyerɛ akwadaa Nyame

“Nobody teaches a child who God is.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Motivation

Agorɔ bɛsɔ a, efiri anɔpa

“If a game will be good, it starts in the morning.”

— Akan Proverb

#

Wisdom

Mukulaal mininkeeda joogta miciyo libaax bay leedahay

“A cat in her house has the teeth of a lion.”

— Somali Proverb

#

Wisdom

Waa dhalaankii dhalmada hooyadood baray

“These youth taught their mother to give birth.”

— Somali Proverb

#

Wisdom

Rag tag lama dhago ee wuxuu ku tago ayaa la tusiya

“One does not say 'go away' but shows something so he will leave.”

— Somali Proverb

#

Wisdom

Nin cimrigiisa dheerada geel dhalaya ayuu arkaa

“A man who lives long enough sees a camel give birth.”

— Somali Proverb

#

Wisdom

Ragna waa shaah, dumarna waa sheeko

“Men are like tea, women are like stories.”

— Somali Proverb

#

Unity

Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu

“A person is a person through other persons.”

— Zulu Philosophy

#

Unity

All ah we is one

“All of us are one.”

— Trinidadian Creole Saying

#

22 June

Wi likkle but wi tallawah

“We are small, but we are mighty.”

— Jamaican Proverb

#

Wisdom

Mbula ebangaka mokonzi te

“The rain does not fear the authority of a king.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Caution

Mayi ekufela ebwele batikela mopaya amela

“Water where an animal has died is only given to a stranger to drink.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Wisdom

Zela zela mokomboso azanga mokila

“Because of waiting too long, the gorilla lost its tail.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Family

Mwana bitinda akufaka nzala te

“An obedient child will never starve.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Motivation

Tango mino ezali buka mokuwa

“While you still have teeth, you can break bones.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Wisdom

Liboke ya moninga basombelaka kuanga te

“You cannot buy bread on someone else's relish.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Motivation

Bwato ya mawa ekatisaka ngambo te

“A boat of pity will never cross the water.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Wisdom

Mwana suka aliaka mingi

“It is the last born that eats a lot.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Community

Soso pembe azangaka mboka te

“In every village there is a white chicken.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Caution

Mbongo emonaka moyi ebotaka te

“Money that sees the sun will never multiply.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Wisdom

Kokende liboso eza kokoma te

“To go ahead does not mean you have arrived.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Caution

Liso elandaka se eloko ba kopekisa

“The eye always envies what is forbidden.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Wisdom

Nguma aloba moto malamu azali te na mokili

“The python said there are no good people in the world.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Caution

Nyonso engengaka ezali pawuni te

“All that glitters is not gold.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Love

Linzanza libonga na langi, mwasi abonga na mobali

“A piece of metal is complete when painted; a woman is complete when married.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Wisdom

Monoko ya mokolo elumbaka solo, kasi elobaka maloba ya malamu

“The mouth of an elder may smell, but it produces words of wisdom.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Wisdom

Mokonzi ya malamu aliyaka ngulu ya litoyi moko te

“A good leader does not eat a one-eared pig.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Caution

Nyongo ya pongi suka se ofuta

“The debt of sleep must be paid.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Wisdom

Baliyaka dongo-dongo na soni te

“Do not be ashamed when eating okra.”

— Lingala Proverb

#

Caution

Na zando ya basoso mpese atulaka te

“In a chicken market, the cockroach will not last.”

— Lingala Proverb

#