African Proverbs

African proverbs collected by country and tribe, with meanings where they have been written. 435 in the archive.

• Send a boy where he wishes to go, and you will see his best pace.
• Sending someone on an errand at mealtime is likely to result in a botched message.Ethiopia
• The sheep with a strong master sleeps with his tail outside the house.Ethiopia
• Silence is more than just a lack of words.Egypt
• Slander by the stream will be heard by the frogs.Mozambique
• Smoke does not affect honeybees alone; honey-gatherers are also affected.Liberia
• Although the snake does not fly it has caught the bird whose home is in the sky.Ghana
• A spider's cobweb isn't only its sleeping spring but also its food trap.
• The stars shine brightest when the moon is gone.Nigeria
• The sun shines on those who are standing before it shines on the people kneeling under them.
• Talking doesn't fill the basket in the farm.
• Talking with one another is loving one another.Kenya
• Tears cannot be seen in the pouring rain.Mali
• The bullet that doesn't hit (anything) still makes a noise.Egypt
• The camel does not see the bend on its neck.Libya
• The disobedient fowl obeys in a pot of soup.Benin
• The dog I bought, bit me; the fire I kindled, burned me.
• The food which is prepared has no master.Madagascar
• The fool speaks, the wise man listens.Ethiopia
• The frog does not jump in the daytime without reason.Nigeria
• The greatest remedy for anger is delay.
• The house of a person we love is never far.Kenya
• The humble pay for the mistakes of their betters.Chad
• The hunter does not rub himself in oil and lie by the fire to sleep.Nigeria