African Proverbs

African proverbs collected by country and tribe, with meanings where they have been written. 443 in the archive.

• If one were to remove every smoking wood from a fire and condemn it as bad, one would be killing the fire itself.Nigeria
• Repetition is the mother of knowledge.
• The river swells with the contribution of the small streams.
• The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people.Ghana
• Seeing is different from being told.Kenya
• 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
• Strategy is better than strength.Nigeria · Niger
• 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