Methali za Kiswahili

Discover the wisdom of East Africa through traditional Swahili proverbs

🌟 Proverb of the Day

Usigombe na mkwezi, nazi imeliwa na mwezi
Do not quarrel with the coconut climber; the coconut was eaten by the moon
Do not fight with someone who is not the real cause of your problem
Found 192 proverb(s) starting with "M"

Meaning: A brother's child is like the height of your wall (familiar), but a grandchild is a different person

Context: The relationship with a niece/nephew is closer than with a grandchild

Meaning: A noisy person is harmless

Context: His bark is worse than his bite

Meaning: He who goes to the quarterdeck and forecastle will return to the hold

Context: After adventures abroad, one eventually returns home

Meaning: A person in too much of a hurry stubs their toe

Context: Haste makes waste

Meaning: One who travels aimlessly is not like one who sits idly; the traveler may pick up something

Context: It's better to be active than passive

Meaning: One who nurses vengeance is not called wise

Context: Holding grudges is foolish

Meaning: One who curses others publicly will bring it upon themselves privately

Context: Harm wished upon others can rebound onto you

Meaning: The beginning of a dance is 'lele' (a simple sound)

Context: Big things have small beginnings

Meaning: The beginning of mat-making is two slips of raffia

Context: It takes two to make a bargain; every venture starts with a small step

Meaning: The beginning is a bud, the end is a coconut

Context: Great things have small beginnings

Meaning: He who pursues two things at once will miss one

Context: You cannot do two things at once effectively

Meaning: Give a wizard a child to bring up

Context: Do not entrust a precious thing to someone who will misuse it

Meaning: The child of a lion is a lion

Context: Like father, like son

Meaning: The destroyer of a country is a child of that country

Context: Traitors and problems often come from within

Meaning: He who speaks ill of your friend in your presence sends you to tell him

Context: Beware of people who gossip to you, as they will likely gossip about you

Meaning: It is a brave person who renounces their ancestry

Context: It takes courage to break from tradition or one's roots

Meaning: A fisherman knows where the octopus is

Context: An expert knows where to find what they are looking for

Meaning: One who trusts in God lacks nothing

Context: Faith provides

Meaning: The space under the bed is like a mat

Context: Be cautious, as danger or people can be hidden where you least expect

Meaning: The one who preserves unripe fruit eats it when ripe

Context: Patience is rewarded