Methali za Kiswahili

Discover the wisdom of East Africa through traditional Swahili proverbs

🌟 Proverb of the Day

Ngoma ivumayo haidumu
A drum that is beaten loudly does not last long
Excessive noise or showiness is not sustainable

Meaning: A secret is no secret when shared by two people

Context: Secrets are hard to keep

Meaning: There is no harm in an increase

Context: More is usually better

Meaning: Hurry, hurry, has no blessing

Context: Haste leads to waste

Meaning: Loss befalls a careless fellow

Context: Negligence leads to loss

Meaning: Anger brings damage

Context: Anger often leads to regrettable outcomes

Meaning: It does not dawn! It dawns

Context: Change is inevitable

Meaning: They are not; they are not; they are

Context: Denial does not prevent reality

Meaning: It is better for the eye to die than the heart

Context: It is better to lose sight than hope

Meaning: Better to stumble with the toe than with the tongue

Context: Verbal mistakes are worse than physical ones

Meaning: Better half a disaster than complete disaster

Context: A partial loss is better than total loss

Meaning: Civility does not cause disagreement

Context: Politeness prevents conflict

Meaning: Voluntary work is better than forced labour

Context: Willing effort is more effective than coercion

Meaning: He laughs at a scar who has received no wound

Context: Those who haven't suffered cannot understand pain

Meaning: He denies you a ball of food; he does not deny you a word

Context: Some people are generous with advice but not with material help

Meaning: Kindness does not go rotten

Context: Good deeds are always remembered

Meaning: If you do not know death, look at a grave

Context: Reflect on mortality to understand life

Meaning: That which has passed is not a disease, cure what is coming

Context: Focus on future solutions, not past problems

Meaning: What is famed does not last

Context: Fame is fleeting

Meaning: The ferry which takes you across is rotten

Context: Past help is often forgotten

Meaning: Where there's a will, there's a way

Context: Determination finds a path