African proverbs are ancient pearls of wisdom that have passed across time, seasons, and experiences. Despite the influx of numerous foreign cultures and religions into the African society, coupled with the migration of “The African Child” the traditional African culture continues to maintain its strong relevance on the world stage.
One unique thing about the African culture is the richness of her proverbs which are embedded in her language. Alluding to the Christian culture, the African proverbs are used for; correction, Instruction, reproving, and even praise.
These proverbs are not only relevant in African society, but it is also being taught in universities across the globe like the University of Florida.
African Proverbs From Our Ancestors
Proverbs Compilation From African About Life, Business and Money
1. Life is a storm: if it blows forward, it will blow backward, as well
- Meaning: Seasons come and goes; no condition is permanent; nothing lasts forever
2. He who swallows the ‘udala’ seed must consider the size of his anus.
- Meaning: The ‘udala’ seed which is also known as ‘udara’ is considered an indigestible seed. Hence, this means that one must weigh his actions to avoid grievous consequences
3. If a child doesn’t forget the quarrels of the past, he will not have a playmate
- Meaning: Forgiveness is key to mending broken relationships or love
4. Do not tell the man who is carrying you that he stinks.
- Meaning: Never insult the person who cares, supports, and provides for you.
5. Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped
- Meaning: Don’t be so conscious about your mistakes rather, what caused the mistake
6. It is the one who lives in the house that can say where the roof leaks
- Meaning: This proverb simply means the weight of the situation is only felt by the one going through it.
7. If you cut your chains you free yourself, if you cut your roots, you die.
- Meaning: This African proverb holds deep meanings and can also mean a number of things. First, the root is what holds the tree and when cut off, the tree dies. It also means that…
8. No matter how long the night, the day is sure to come
- Meaning: No matter the height of difficulty one is experiencing, things will surely change
9. A hunter with one arrow doesn’t shoot without aiming carefully
- Meaning: This Nigerian proverb connotes that one should be careful with want they have to avoid being stranded. It can also mean being watchful before taking your next step.
10. A man shows his character by what he laughs at.
- Meaning: This African proverb is straight to the point. The strength or weakness of a man is seen in what he laugh’s at. Also, a wise man needs to be disciplined to avoid laughing at what fools laugh at.
11. When you pray, move your feet.
- Meaning: While this sounds spiritual, it has more physical meanings than you think. This simply means that one shouldn’t ignore common sense because you have prayed.
12. Ears that do not listen to advice, accompany the head when it is chopped off
- Meaning: A person who does not heed advice will suffer the consequences.
13. If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far, go together
- Meaning: You must have heard often that you cover a great distance when you travel alone. However, this proverb unwraps the secret of growth as the effort of teamwork.
14. A person does not go to heaven to find company after failing to secure one in the world
- Meaning: Learn how to do without the things you cannot find.
15. Not to know is bad, not to wish to know is worse.
- Meaning: Simply put Ignorance is bad, willful ignorance is worse.
16. No shortcut exists on top of a palm tree
- Meaning: There’s only one way to reach the top of a palm tree which is climbing through the straight trunk. In the same vein, success is achieved through the right routes and not/ shortcuts.
17. Once you carry your water, you’ll remember every drop
- Meaning: In typical African homes wastage of every sort is frowned upon since it is achieved through labor. Thusly, this means that when your wealth is earned through hard work, you will appreciate every penny you spend or give out.
18. Having a good discussion is like having riches.
- Meaning: This Kenyan proverb means that when you spend time with people of value, you would be taught how to make great money rather than being given money.
19. No person is born great. Great people become great when others are sleeping.
- Meaning: No one suddenly bumps into greatness. Do not doubt the effort of great men because you only got to see the results. Most of them were working while you were sleeping.
20. When an old man dies, a library is burned with him.
- Meaning: In Africa, old men and women are regarded as … of wisdom. It’s often said that when you sit with an old person, you learn from their lifelong experiences. Therefore, when an old man dies, the knowledge they have gathered for so many years dies with them.
21. A man who uses force is afraid of reasoning.
- Meaning: This means that force is not the only way to get things done. In fact, the reasoning is a better way.
22. Just because a lizard nods his head doesn’t mean he’s in agreement
- Meaning: Most times we judge people by their physical outlook and gestures which can be misleading. One should rather look out for their words instead of reading their minds.
23. It is better to live as a lion for one day than 100 years as a sheep.
- Meaning: While this proverb connotes different meanings, we all can relate to the two animals that are mentioned. The lion on one hand is fearless while the sleep often looks timid. This simply means that living free and strong for a short time is better than spending many years enslaved to fear.
24. Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable
- Meaning: This proverb is very relatable and practical. It’s easy to break a single stick than a bundle. To add, teamwork will always produce more results than working in isolation.
25. Don’t procrastinate or you will be left in between doing something, having something, and being nothing.
- Meaning: Procrastination has been called the thief of time and you already know what this means. Procrastination will only cripple your plans and leave you in the middle of wishes.
26. Those who end up accomplishing great things pay attention to little ones.
- Meaning: The secret of success is tied up to the little things we ignore. While there are many bigger goals to achieve, you must always pay attention to the details.
27. It is better to be poor when one is young, rather than becoming poor at old age.
- Meaning: Young people can easily manage poverty compared to old people. Hence, build for the future, and save for old age while you are still young.
28. One may have two legs, but that does not mean one can climb two trees at the same time.
- Meaning: This is one of those proverbs that has existed for over 1000 years. You already know it’s impossible to climb two trees because you have two legs. But what does this means? This simply means you should pay attention to what is in front of you without distractions. It also means that you should know your limits and take each step at a time.
29. He who’s destined for power does not have to fight for it.
- Meaning: Many sources have interpreted this proverb just the way it’s written however, there’s more to it than just saying ‘what will be will be‘. This means you should resort to any unjust or inhuman act rather you should strategically deploy means of having your rights.
30. A bird does not change its feathers because the weather is bad
- Meaning: A bluebird will always remain blue amidst hard climate changes. In the same vein, one must learn to be in control of dark moments and ugly situations.
31. You do not teach the paths of the forest to an old gorilla
- Meaning: Don’t act wiser than your elders, remember, you dont offer advice to someone who is more experienced than you are.
32. A woman is never too old when it comes to the dance she knows
- Meaning: This African proverb means that old age is not an excuse for the one who knows his craft.
32. One must crouch before being able to jump
- Meaning: You must prepare before embarking on projects
34. By the time the fool understands the game, the players have dispersed
- Meaning: We must seize every opportunity in time before we run out of time. In the fashion industry, you would agree that many designs are now considered archaic because it’s out of fashion. This proverb also stresses the dangers of delay. You can get better and positive results when you are right on time.
35. Difficult tasks and efforts are not the same as success
- Meaning: Success is not determined by how desperate we are.
Compilations of African Proverbs About Love, Relationship, and Marriage
36. Love is a despot who spares no one
- Meaning: Love is so broad that it cannot be boxed. For some reason, psychologists are yet to fully understand how love happens as even the toughest of creation gets to fall in love. It’s only true that this tyrant called love doesn’t spare anyone.
37. It’s better to fall from a tree and break your back than to fall in love and break your heart.
- Meaning: Guild your heart with all diligence
38. The house of a person who loves is never far
- Meaning: This means that you’ll show up for the person you love.
39. Loving someone who doesn’t love you is like loving the rain that falls in the forest
- Meaning: When you love someone who cares less about you, it’s the same as wasting your love because it won’t yield any result. This also applies to
40. Coffee and love taste best when hot
- Meaning: You would agree that no one enjoys warm or cold coffee. In the same vein, people give in their best at the beginning.
41. When one is in love, a cliff becomes a meadow
- Meaning: Be conscious even when you are in love. Dont be blinded by love
42. Love doesn’t rely on physical features
- Meaning: This simply means that love looks beyond physical attributes and searches for something more permanent and intriguing.
43. Pretend to be dead and you will see who really loves you
- Meaning: It is in difficult situations that true love is being tested. A lot of people pretend to care simply because of your presence.
44. If a woman doesn’t love you, she calls you ‘brother’
- Meaning: The best way to know if a woman loves you is to observe the name she calls you. While she may not want to hurt your feelings by saying ‘I dont love you’, she would instead treat you as a brother.
45. Don’t be so in love that you can’t tell when it’s raining.
- Meaning: While love is indeed beautiful you shouldn’t let it overshadow our reasoning. Give room for your brains and be logical, especially in situations that could endanger you.
46. A woman is the flower in the garden, and her husband is the fence around it.
- Meaning: A woman can only blossom as a flower when she is been protected, loved, supported, and cherished by her husband.
47. It is much easier to fall in love than to stay in love.
- Meaning: Falling in love happens so fast that you can’t detect the exact time however, remaining in love requires a lot of responsibility which becomes a barrier to many.
48. You know who you love, but you can’t tell who loves you.
- Meaning: You can only speak for yourself in matters of love
49. To love someone who does not love you is like shaking a tree to make the dew drops fall.
- Meaning: Being in the wrong relationship is watering the wrong garden
50. Lovers do not hide their nakedness
- Meaning: People who are in love have no secret and are very transparent with each other.
51. One who marries for love alone will have bad days but good nights.
- Meaning: In as much as love is very paramount in every relationship, there are other parameters that should be considered asides from love and this includes financial capability and characters
52. If you marry a monkey for its wealth, the money goes and the monkey remains.
- Meaning: Dont goes for riches while falling in love because it may not last. However, you may be tied to that person for a long time.
53. A letter from the heart can be read on the face.
- Meaning: The one who loves you will always express their gestures
54. Marriage is like groundnut: you have to crack them to see what is inside.
- Meaning: No matter how long one prepares for marriage, you cannot know it all until you get started. Just like exams, a student doesn’t know the questions until the papers are served.
55. One who plants grapes by the roadside, and one who marries a pretty woman, share the same happy
- Meaning: The moment you have something that attracts the public, you are bound to encounter a lot of public attention, hence you should weigh the prospects of your choices and be sure you are ready for the crowd.
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56. A happy man marries the girl he loves but a happier man loves the girl he marries.
- Meaning: When you are married you just need to be committed.
57. A man without a wife is like a vase without flowers
- Meaning: Once you get married, society begins to give you more respect because they feel you have more responsibilities.
58. A little room can contain ten friends if love is in their midst.
- Meaning: Little becomes much when done in love
59. A fish and bird may fall in love but the two cannot build a home together.
- Meaning: Some people can only remain your friends because you do not belong to the same world and may also share different values.
60. Similar traits and personalities make solid relationships
- Meaning: Compactibility makes relationships easier
61. The quarrel between two lovers is the renewal of love
- Meaning: Love is being strengthened in the face of disagreements. This is because the pair would understand each other more and reestablish their commitments.
62. He who loves the vase, also loves what is inside
- Meaning: The one who loves you will also be ready to love shortcomings and flaws.
63. Unbridled disagreements are what destroy relationships
Meaning: Communicating one’s grudges, preserves relationships
64. Only love can milk a lion
- Meaning: Anyone who has patience can do the impossible
65. Do not treat your loved one like a swinging door: you are fond of it but you push it back and forth.
- Meaning: Treat the one you love with much regard and respect.
66. Where there is love there is no darkness
- Meaning: Love can lighten up situations
67. If the full moon loves you, why worry about the stars?
- Meaning: It’s better to have a great and genuine friend who loves at all times than to seek love from a multitude of friends who care less about you.
68. The eyes never forget what the heart has seen.
- Meaning: One may easily forgive you but not necessarily forget what you did.
69. Love, like rain, does not choose the grass on which it falls.
- Meaning: Love is broad and not discriminatory or narrow-minded.
70. There’s no physician that can cure the disease of love
- Meaning: Love is actually the medicine that can cure a vast number of disease
Here are other Interesting African Proverbs
71. The rain wets the leopards’ spot but doesn’t ease them away.
- Meaning: Hard work can stress you but it will not kill you
72. He who swallows a coconut must have complete trust in his anus.
- Meaning: Anyone ready to take a risk must be ready to take responsibility of the outcome
73. No matter how many times you wash a goat, it will still smell like goat
- Meaning: Nature cannot be erased
74. He who wishes to fly like a bat must first become friends with the darkness
- Meaning: Whatever you want to become must align with your actions
75. The lion and the sheep may lie together, but the sheep won”t get any sleep.
- Meaning: Avoid relationships that will rub off your peace of mind
76. The eagle doesn’t hunt flies
- Meaning: Great people do not settle for less
77. When the mouse laughs at the cat, there’s a hole nearby
- Meaning: People only laugh at difficult situations when there’s a backup plan
78. A family tie is like a tree, it can bend but it cannot be broken
- Meaning: Conflicts are inevitable among family members however, blood will always remain thicker than water.
79. If there were no elephants in the jungle, the buffalo would be a great animal.
- Meaning: There’s always someone who is better than you
80. Birds sing not because they have answers but because they have songs.
- Meaning: So many things happen in life and you can’t answer why however you just keep living.
81. If you wish to move mountains tomorrow, you must start by lifting stones.
- Meaning: Your track record of little beginnings defines your direction of greatness
82. The strength of the crocodile is in the water.
- Meaning: Your ability to explore is within the scope of your jurisdiction
83. The dog’s bark is not might but fright
- Meaning: Sometimes, noise is a sign of emptiness
84. The sun doesn’t forget the village just because it is small.
- Meaning: Everyone is important and should be treated equally regardless.
85. If you watch your pot, your food will not burn.
- Meanings: Where there’s no responsibility, there’s no productivity.
86. A fully grown tree cannot bend into a walking stick
- Meaning: It is difficult to destroy a formidable foundation
87. A bridge is repaired only when someone falls into the water.
- Meaning: People wait for a problem before finding a solution
88. When a mighty tree falls, the birds are scattered into the bush
- Meaning: When a good leader dies, his followers lack direction
89. There is not such a thing in the world as a sheep of many colors.
- Meaning: You cannot be a master of all trade
90. When the lion cannot find meat, it eats grass.
- Meaning: Situations can bend one’s standards
91. If the rat cannot flee, let him make way for the tortoise.
- Meaning: Know your limitations and allow others to excel in that regard.
92. When a mother goat breaks into a yam store, her kid watches her
- Meaning: We learn by what we see.
93. You cannot beat the drum with one finger.
- Meaning: Unity and wholesomeness is the bedrock of impact.
94. A bird that compares Itself to vultures will end up (getting roasted) at the fireplace
- Meaning: In life try not to compare yourself with others as capacity differs
95. The chameleon changes color to match the earth, the earth doesn’t change color to match the chameleon.
- Meaning: Dont change for circumstances rather change the circumstance
96. The frowning of a goat cannot stop its owner from taking it to the market
- Meaning: Negativity will not change anything for someone who is ready to make positive changes
97. One whose house is on fire doesn’t hunt rats.
- Meaning: Little challenges don’t distract a focused man. This can also mean; certain things dont really matter when you are under pressure.
98. When two elephants meet on a narrow bridge, they cannot go anywhere until one of them lies down.
- Meaning: You sometimes need to help others succeed in other to succeed also.
99. Don’t beat the drums of war unless you are prepared to fight.
- Meaning: Don’t change for the circumstances rather change the circumstances
100. Snails and dogs run at different speed levels but they both arrive at their location
- Meaning: Everyone is unique and can live life regardless
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