African SayingsAfrican proverbs, quotes and short stories, collected by country and tribe.https://africansayings.com/enWhen the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.https://africansayings.com/sayings/when-roots-are-deep/https://africansayings.com/sayings/when-roots-are-deep/A strong wind can uproot a tree with shallow roots from the ground. An African proverb.Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMTIt's a bad child who does not take advice.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-bad-child-does-not-take-advice/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-bad-child-does-not-take-advice/“It's a bad child who does not take advice.” A Ghanaian proverb about children.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA beautiful thing is never perfect.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-beautiful-thing-is-never-perfect/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-beautiful-thing-is-never-perfect/“A beautiful thing is never perfect.” An Egyptian proverb about beauty.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA big blanket encourages sleeping in the morning.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-big-blanket-encourages-sleeping-in-the-morning/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-big-blanket-encourages-sleeping-in-the-morning/“A big blanket encourages sleeping in the morning.” An African proverb about wealth.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA bird can be guarded, a wife can't.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-bird-can-be-guarded/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-bird-can-be-guarded/“A bird can be guarded, a wife can't.” A Swahili proverb about love. Browse more African proverbs by country and theme.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA black cow, just like a white cow, produces white milk.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-black-cow-produces-white-milk/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-black-cow-produces-white-milk/This proverb speaks against racial discrimination. No one questions the color of the cow that produced the milk they drink.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA calm sea does not make a skilled sailor.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-calm-sea-does-not-make-a-skilled-sailor/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-calm-sea-does-not-make-a-skilled-sailor/“A calm sea does not make a skilled sailor.” An African proverb about experience.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA cat may go to a monastery, but she still remains a cat!.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-cat-may-go-to-a-monastery-but-remains-a-cat/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-cat-may-go-to-a-monastery-but-remains-a-cat/“A cat may go to a monastery, but she still remains a cat!.” An African proverb about ability.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA chattering bird builds no nest.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-chattering-bird-builds-no-nest/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-chattering-bird-builds-no-nest/“A chattering bird builds no nest.” An African proverb about work. Browse more African proverbs by country and theme.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA child is a child of everyone.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-child-is-a-child-of-everyone/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-child-is-a-child-of-everyone/“A child is a child of everyone.” A Sudanese proverb about children and community.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA cow that has no tail should not try to chase away flies.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-cow-that-has-no-tail-should-not-try-to-chase-away-flies/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-cow-that-has-no-tail-should-not-try-to-chase-away-flies/“A cow that has no tail should not try to chase away flies.” A Guinean proverb about ability.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA day of hunger is not starvation.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-day-of-hunger-is-not-starvation/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-day-of-hunger-is-not-starvation/“A day of hunger is not starvation.” A Congolese proverb about hunger.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA fool and water will go the way they are diverted.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-fool-and-water-will-go-the-way-they-are-diverted/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-fool-and-water-will-go-the-way-they-are-diverted/“A fool and water will go the way they are diverted.” An African proverb about fools.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA fool looks for dung where the cow never browsed.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-fool-looks-for-dung-where-the-cow-never-browsed/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-fool-looks-for-dung-where-the-cow-never-browsed/“A fool looks for dung where the cow never browsed.” An African proverb about fools and knowledge.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA goat eats where it has been tied.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-goat-eats-where-it-has-been-tied/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-goat-eats-where-it-has-been-tied/“A goat eats where it has been tied.” A Malawian quote. Browse more African quotes by country and theme.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTNo matter how many times you wash a goat, it will still smell like a goat.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-goat-will-always-smell-like-a-goat-even-when-washed/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-goat-will-always-smell-like-a-goat-even-when-washed/Washing works on the outside. Get a goat clean and for a while it looks like a different animal. But the smell was never dirt.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA good deed is something one returns.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-good-deed-is-something-one-returns/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-good-deed-is-something-one-returns/“A good deed is something one returns.” A Guinean proverb about goodness.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-good-head-and-heart-are-formidable/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-good-head-and-heart-are-formidable/“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.” — Nelson Mandela on knowledge.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA good thing sells itself, a bad one advertises itself.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-good-thing-sells-itself/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-good-thing-sells-itself/“A good thing sells itself, a bad one advertises itself.” An African proverb about goodness.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA good wife is easy to find, but suitable in-laws are rare.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-good-wife-is-easy-to-find/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-good-wife-is-easy-to-find/“A good wife is easy to find, but suitable in-laws are rare.” A Malagasy proverb about marriage.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA guard dog cannot watch two homes at once.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-guard-dog-cannot-watch-two-homes-at-once/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-guard-dog-cannot-watch-two-homes-at-once/“A guard dog cannot watch two homes at once.” An African proverb. Browse more African proverbs by country and theme.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA hand cannot wash itself. Each hand must take a turn in washing the other for both hands to be clean.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-hand-cannot-wash-itself/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-hand-cannot-wash-itself/“A hand cannot wash itself. Each hand must take a turn in washing the other for both hands to be clean.” A Nigerian proverb about community.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA hippopotamus can be made invisible in dark water.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-hippopotamus-can-be-made-invisible-in-dark-water/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-hippopotamus-can-be-made-invisible-in-dark-water/“A hippopotamus can be made invisible in dark water.” An African proverb about knowledge.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA hunter with one arrow does not shoot with a careless aim.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-hunter-with-one-arrow-does-not-shoot-with-careless-aim/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-hunter-with-one-arrow-does-not-shoot-with-careless-aim/A hunter with many arrows can afford a loose shot. A Nigerian proverb about caution.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA Letter from Madrid: A Cameroonian Diaryhttps://africansayings.com/sayings/a-letter-from-madrid/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-letter-from-madrid/A Cameroonian short story by Martin Jumbam. Madrid. I had come to know you and your numerous faces. Madrid of ‘Brother Wolf’.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA letter from the heart can be read on the face.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-letter-from-the-heart-can-be-read-on-the-face/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-letter-from-the-heart-can-be-read-on-the-face/“A letter from the heart can be read on the face.” An African proverb about love.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA lion does not eat its own cubs.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-lion-does-not-eat-its-own-cubs/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-lion-does-not-eat-its-own-cubs/“A lion does not eat its own cubs.” A Kenyan proverb about community and family.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thinghttps://africansayings.com/sayings/a-little-knowledge-is-dangerous/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-little-knowledge-is-dangerous/A Kenyan short story by Gerald Wanjohi. During the colonial period in Kenya there were three Kikuyu men Kioi, Githogori and Kaminju who thought that they…Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA little subtleness is better than a lot of force.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-little-subtleness-is-better-than-force/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-little-subtleness-is-better-than-force/“A little subtleness is better than a lot of force.” An African proverb.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA man is what he thinks.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-man-is-what-he-thinks/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-man-is-what-he-thinks/“A man is what he thinks.” A Malian proverb about insight. Browse more African proverbs by country and theme.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA man who makes trouble for others is also making trouble for himself.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-man-who-makes-trouble-for-others-makes-it-for-himself/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-man-who-makes-trouble-for-others-makes-it-for-himself/“A man who makes trouble for others is also making trouble for himself.” — Chinua Achebe on trouble.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA man's urine will always fall near him.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-mans-urine-will-always-fall-near-him/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-mans-urine-will-always-fall-near-him/“A man's urine will always fall near him.” An Angolan proverb about consequences and evil.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTIt's a matter of life and death for this country. The Kenyan forests are facing extinction and it is a man-made problem.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-matter-of-life-and-death/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-matter-of-life-and-death/“It's a matter of life and death for this country. The Kenyan forests are facing extinction and it is a man-made problem.” — Wangari Maathai.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA partner in the business will not put an obstacle to it.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-partner-will-not-put-an-obstacle/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-partner-will-not-put-an-obstacle/“A partner in the business will not put an obstacle to it.” An African proverb.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA person is a person through other persons; you can't be human in isolation; you are human only in relationships.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-person-is-a-person-through-others/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-person-is-a-person-through-others/“A person is a person through other persons; you can't be human in isolation; you are human only in relationships.” — Desmond Tutu on people.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA poor person never goes bankrupt.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-poor-person-never-goes-bankrupt/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-poor-person-never-goes-bankrupt/“A poor person never goes bankrupt.” A Kenyan proverb about poverty. Browse more African proverbs by country and theme.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA pretty basket does not prevent worries.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-pretty-basket-does-not-prevent-worries/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-pretty-basket-does-not-prevent-worries/“A pretty basket does not prevent worries.” An African proverb about beauty and problems.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA satisfied person does not know the hungry person.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-satisfied-person-does-not-know-the-hungry/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-satisfied-person-does-not-know-the-hungry/“A satisfied person does not know the hungry person.” An African proverb about hunger.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA single bracelet does not jingle.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-single-bracelet-does-not-jingle/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-single-bracelet-does-not-jingle/“A single bracelet does not jingle.” A Congolese proverb. Browse more African proverbs by country and theme.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA slipery ground does not recognize kings.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-slippery-ground-does-not-recognize-kings/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-slippery-ground-does-not-recognize-kings/“A slipery ground does not recognize kings.” A Kenyan proverb. Browse more African proverbs by country and theme.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTTo one who does not know, a small garden is a forest.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-small-garden-is-forest-to-one-who-knows-not/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-small-garden-is-forest-to-one-who-knows-not/“To one who does not know, a small garden is a forest.” An African proverb about knowledge.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA common snake which a man sees all alone may become a python in his eyes.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-snake-becomes-python-in-his-eyes/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-snake-becomes-python-in-his-eyes/“A common snake which a man sees all alone may become a python in his eyes.” A Nigerian proverb about deception.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA stone thrown in anger never kills a bird.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-stone-thrown-in-anger-never-kills-a-bird/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-stone-thrown-in-anger-never-kills-a-bird/“A stone thrown in anger never kills a bird.” A Nigerian proverb. Browse more African proverbs by country and theme.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA tiger does not proclaim its tigritude, it acts.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-tiger-does-not-proclaim-its-tigritiude-it-acts/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-tiger-does-not-proclaim-its-tigritiude-it-acts/“A tiger does not proclaim its tigritude, it acts.” — Wole Soyinka on animals.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA village without music is a dead village.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-village-without-music-is-a-dead-village/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-village-without-music-is-a-dead-village/“A village without music is a dead village.” An African proverb. Browse more African proverbs by country and theme.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA vision on its own is not enough. Hard work & dedication is required to make that vision a reality.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-vision-is-not-enough/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-vision-is-not-enough/“A vision on its own is not enough. Hard work & dedication is required to make that vision a reality.” — Strive Masiyiwa on perseverance.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA wealthy man will always have followers.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-wealthy-man-will-always-have-followers/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-wealthy-man-will-always-have-followers/“A wealthy man will always have followers.” A Nigerian proverb about wealth.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA wise person will always find a way.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-wise-person-will-always-find-a-way/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-wise-person-will-always-find-a-way/“A wise person will always find a way.” A Tanzanian proverb about wisdom.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTWhen a woman enters a marriage, she takes her mother along.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-woman-enters-a-marriage-with-her-mother/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-woman-enters-a-marriage-with-her-mother/“When a woman enters a marriage, she takes her mother along.” A Ghanaian proverb about marriage and women.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTA woman who has not been twice married cannot know what a perfect marriage is.https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-woman-who-has-not-been-twice-married/https://africansayings.com/sayings/a-woman-who-has-not-been-twice-married/“A woman who has not been twice married cannot know what a perfect marriage is.” A Nigerian proverb about marriage.Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT