West African Proverbs
Yoruba (Nigeria):
1. The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.2. However far the stream flows, it never forgets its source.
3. Even the best cooking pot will not produce food.
4. A man’s wealth may be temporary, but his character will last forever.
5. The same sun that melts wax hardens clay.
Igbo (Nigeria):
6. When the right hand washes the left, and the left washes the right, both become clean.
7. He who asks questions never loses his way.
8. The fly that has no adviser follows the corpse into the grave.
9. A man who does not know where the rain began to beat him cannot say where he dried his body.
10. The lizard that jumps from the high iroko tree said it will praise itself if no one else does.
Akan (Ghana):
11. Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it.
12. The one who fetches firewood infested with ants invites lizards to his home.
13. A child who is not taught will not know peace.
14. The rain wets the leopard’s skin, but it does not wash off the spots.
15. When a fool is told a proverb, its meaning has to be explained to him.
Ewe (Ghana/Togo):
16. If the lion doesn’t tell his story, the hunter will.
17. The snake and the crab may live in the same hole, but they never become friends.
18. Until the lion tells his story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.
19. A bird will always use another bird’s feathers to feather its nest.
20. The moon moves slowly, but it crosses the town.
East African Proverbs
Swahili (Kenya/Tanzania):
21. Unity is strength, division is weakness.
22. A boat doesn’t go forward if each rows their own way.
23. You cannot climb to the mountain top without crushing a few stones.
24. The child of a snake is a snake.
25. Little by little, a little becomes a lot.
Amharic (Ethiopia):
26. He who learns, teaches.
27. The child who is not loved by its mother will not be loved by the world.
28. When the spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.
29. Coffee and love taste best when hot.
30. Where there is no shame, there is no honor.
Somali (Somalia):
31. A man who does not lie cannot be a chief.
32. If people come together, they can even mend a crack in the sky.
33. The person who does not respect his elders will not be respected by his children.
34. A liar may have many followers, but none will remain faithful.
35. Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand.
Central African Proverbs
Kongo (DRC/Angola):
36. Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable.
37. A single bracelet does not jingle.
38. You cannot climb a tree from the top.
39. No matter how tall the tree grows, its leaves will always fall to the ground.
40. A bird will always land where it finds food.
Luba (DRC):
41. The forest provides food to the hunter who knows where to look.
42. The teeth and the tongue may fight, but they still stay together.
43. A person who sells eggs should not start a fight in the market.
44. Patience can cook a stone.
45. A canoe does not know who is king.
Southern African Proverbs
Zulu (South Africa):
46. Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu. (A person is a person through other people.)
47. When the music changes, so does the dance.
48. The child who is not carried on the mother’s back will not know what traveling means.
49. You cannot chase two antelopes at once.
50. Do not call the forest that shelters you a jungle.
Shona (Zimbabwe):
51. Until lions have their own historians, tales of hunting will always glorify the hunter.
52. A home without daughters is like a spring without a source.
53. Even the lion, the king of the forest, protects himself against flies.
54. If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom.
55. The one who swallows a whole coconut has complete trust in his anus.
Tswana (Botswana):
56. A child is what you put into him.
57. Wisdom is like fire; people take it from others.
58. The one who is carried on the back does not know how far the village is.
59. An old story does not open the stomach.
60. Even the best cooking pot will not produce food.
North African Proverbs
Berber (Morocco/Algeria):
61. He who has nothing to do, scatters and gathers.
62. Silence is also speech.
63. The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of the wise man is in his heart.
64. The one who teaches you, is the one who gives you life.
65. The man who does not travel will not know the value of men.
Egyptian (Ancient/Modern):
66. Knowledge is like a garden: if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.
67. The beginning is the half of every action.
68. He who doesn’t know can be taught.
69. You cannot chase two rabbits at the same time.
70. The key to everything is patience.
General African Wisdom
71. A man who uses force is afraid of reasoning. (Kenya)72. The night has ears. (Masai, Kenya/Tanzania)
73. When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you. (African proverb)
74. Milk and honey have different colors, but they share the same house peacefully. (Nigeria)
75. If you close your eyes to facts, you will learn through accidents. (Nigeria)
76. If the lion doesn’t tell his story, the hunter will. (West Africa)
77. Wisdom is wealth. (Swahili)
78. The earth is not ours, it is a treasure we hold in trust for future generations. (Kenya)
79. The child of a rat is a rat. (Cameroon)
Proverbs on Life and Relationships
81. He who marries a beauty marries trouble. (Nigeria)
82. Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped. (Africa)
83. The axe forgets, but the tree remembers. (Zimbabwe)
84. A house without a woman is like a barn without cattle. (Uganda)
85. The eye never forgets what the heart has seen. (African proverb)
86. An army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. (Ghana)
87. A person who has children does not die. (Swahili)
88. A man who is trampled to death by an elephant is a man who is blind and deaf. (Ghana)
89. The hand that gives is the hand that receives. (Nigeria)
90. Do not follow a leopard to the forest. (Uganda)
Proverbs on Wisdom and Patience
1. 91. Patience
can cook a stone. (Africa)
92. Wisdom
is like fire: People take it from others. (Sudan)
93. Do
not call the forest that shelters you a jungle. (Ivory Coast)
94. Even
the best dancer on the stage must retire sometime. (South Africa)
95. The
fool speaks, the wise man listens. (Ethiopia)
96. If
you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room
with a mosquito. (Tanzania)
97. The
child who is not initiated will burn the village. (West Africa)
98. A
roaring lion kills no prey. (Nigeria)
99. The
chameleon looks in all directions before moving. (Uganda)
100. Rain does not fall on one roof
alone. (Cameroon)
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