African Proverbs
African proverbs collected by country and tribe, with meanings where they have been written. 435 in the archive.
- You must judge a man by the work of his hands.
- When you are older, you keep warm with the wood you gathered in your youth.Mali
- We shall know who enjoys walking when we are on a journey.Sierra Leone
- Knowledge is better than riches.Cameroon
- Knowledge is like a garden; if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.Guinea
- Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand.Guinea
- A large chair does not make a king.Sudan
- Whenever the cock crows, the lazy man blames the night for being too short.
- You can learn a lot about someone by observing him when he is hungry.South Africa
- Advise and counsel him; if he does not listen, let adversity teach him.
- Life is a teacher. The more you live, the more you learn.Nigeria
- The lion does not turn around when a small dog barks.
- Little by little, a little becomes a lot.Tanzania
- Little by little grow the bananas.
- The lizard that jumped from the high iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no one else did.
- No matter how long a log stays in the water, it doesn't become a crocodile.Mali
- If the hours are long enough and the pay is short enough, someone will say it's women's work.Kenya
- A loose tooth will not rest until it's pulled out.
- Losing one's eyesight is not as bad as losing one's insight.
- Love doesn't listen to rumors.Ghana
- Love doesn't rely on physical features.South Africa
- Love is like a baby: it needs to be treated tenderly.
- Love put the eaglet out of its nest.Kenya
- Love has to be shown by deeds not words.