AFRICAN PROVERBS,QUOTES,QUOTATIONS AND SAYINGS:

                                       68 African Proverbs

A barber does not shave himself.

A chick that will grow into a cock can be spotted the very day it hatches.

A child's fingers are not scalded by a piece of hot yam which his mother puts into his palm.

A comb becomes bad when it hurts you.

A cutting word is worse than a bowstring, a cut may heal, but the cut of the tongue does not.

A fool looks for dung where the cow never browsed.

A fool may chance to put something into a wise man's head.

A proud heart can survive a general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride.

A stranger has big eyes but sees nothing.

A stream cannot rise about its source.

A weapon which you don't have in your hand won't kill a snake.

Ashes fly back into the face of him who throws them.

Before shooting, one must aim.

Confiding a secret to an unworthy person is like carrying grain in a bag with a hole.

Do not call to a dog with a whip in your hand.

Don't set sail on someone else's star.

For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.

He who is being carried does not realize how far the town is.

He who is born a fool is never cured.

He who learns, teaches.

He who talks incessantly, talks nonsense.

If a child washes his hands he could eat with kings.

If you climb up a tree, you must climb down the same tree.

If you don't stand for something, you will fall for something.

If you don't work you shan't eat. If you refuse to be made straight when you are green, you will not be made straight when you are dry. If you run after two hares you will catch neither. If you're going home, you don't get wet. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. If your mouth turns into a knife, it will cut off your lips. It is not what you are called, but what you answer to. It is not with saying, "Honey," "Honey," that sweetness will come into the mouth. It is not work that kills, but worry. It's a bad child who does not take advice. One must talk little and listen much. Peace is costly but it is worth the expense. Quarrels end, but words once spoken never die. Return to old watering holes for more than water; friends and dreams are there to meet you. Seeing is better than hearing. Seeing is different than being told. Send a boy where he wants to go and you see his best pace. Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors. The day the monkey is destined to die, all the trees get slippery. The egg shows the hen where to hatch. The end of an ox is beef, and the end of a lie is grief. The fool speaks, the wise man listens. The fool sucks wisdom, as he porter sups, And cobblers grow fine speakers in their cups. The lion does not turn around when a small dog barks. To try and to fail is not laziness. Two birds disputed about a kernel, when a third swooped down and carried it off. We start as fools and become wise through experience. When a fool is cursed, he thinks he is being praised. When a king has good counselors, his reign is peaceful. When a needle falls into a deep well, many people will look into the well, but few will be ready to go down after it. When elephant steps on a trap, no more trap. When elephants fight, it is the grass who suffers. When the big tree falls, the goat eats its leaves. When the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you. When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled. When you know who his friend is, you know who he is. When you live next to the cemetery, you cannot weep for everyone. Whether the knife falls on the melon or the melon on the knife, the melon suffers. Whoever tells the truth is chased out of nine villages. Whom a serpent has bitten a lizard alarms. Wood already touched by fire is not hard to set alight. You can tell ripe corn by its look. You must judge a man by the work of his hands. Bushman man from Botswana. A musician from South Africa Beja bedouins from Northeast Africa      Woman from Benin Berber boys from the Atlas Mountains White and South Asian children in Durban, South Africa Ashanti yam ceremony, 19th century by Thomas E. Bowdich The Holy Trinity Cathedral, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia The Great Mosque of Kairouan, founded in 670, is the oldest mosque in North Africa;[115] it is located in Kairouan, Tunisia Vodun altar in Abomey, Benin Nigeria's National Church, Abuja A map showing religious distribution in Africa Maasai Man Young Samburu Girl Kamba women

African Proverbs, African Sayings and African Quotes to Educate You

Proverbial Wisdom from Africa. A short list of some traditional African wise sayings and proverbs for everyday life. In these proverbs are some hidden treasures of wisdom and common sense. Enjoy!

African proverbs, African Sayings, African talks and African thoughts

It takes a whole village to raise a child. ~African Proverb (“Ora na azu nwa” from Igbo, Nigeria)
If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for something. ~African Proverb (Unknown African source)
Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped. ~African Proverb (Unknown African source)
A proud heart can survive a general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride. ~African Proverb (Unknown African source)
Don’t set sail on someone else’s star. ~African Proverb (Unknown African source)
For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today. ~African Proverb (Unknown African source)

To try and to fail is not laziness. ~African Proverb (Unknown African source)
He who learns, teaches. ~African Proverb (Sometimes attributed to the Ethiopians otherwise classified under unknown African source)

It is not work that kills, but worry. ~African Proverb (Unknown African source)

If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. ~African Proverb (Unknown African source)

Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors. ~African Proverb (Unknown African source)
Lack of knowledge is darker than night. ~African Proverb (Hausa, Nigeria)

One must talk little and listen much. ~African Proverb (Unknown African source)
Knowledge is like a garden: If it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested. ~African Proverb (Unknown African source)

When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you. ~African Proverb (Unknown African source)
Rain does not fall on one roof alone. ~African Proverb (Cameroon, West Africa)
When God cooks, you don’t see smoke. ~African Proverb (“Kuteka Lesa ke kumweka bwishi ne.” from Kaonde, Zambia)

One falsehood spoils a thousand truths. ~African Proverb (Ashanti, Ghana)
Do not call the forest that shelters you a jungle. ~African Proverb (Ashanti, Ghana)

Ashes fly back into the face of him who throws them. ~African Proverb (Nigerian)
The path is made by walking. ~African Proverb (Unknown African source)

He who forgives ends the argument. ~African Proverb (Unknown African source)
A bad name is like a stigma. ~African Proverb (South Sotho, South Africa)

A close friend can become a close enemy. ~African Proverb (Ethiopian)
Do not say the first thing that comes to your mind. ~African Proverb (Kenyan)

Read more: http://www.gadel.info/2011/03/african-proverbs.html#ixzz3HRcn2ngr

AFRICAN PROVERBS:

When you think of Africa, you think of dense forests and colorful costumes. A continent as culturally vibrant as Africa would also abound in age-old wisdom, don't you think? Many African countries rely on nature for livelihood; they have developed a unique insight into nature's laws. Read African proverbs to understand the profundities of nature. These African proverbs have been translated from various African languages: Swahili, Zulu, and Yoruba.

African Proverbs Translated From Swahili to English:

• A chicken's prayer doesn't affect a hawk.
  
• The way a donkey expresses gratitude is by giving someone a bunch of kicks.
  
• An envious person requires no reason to practice envy.
  
• It's always good to save or invest for the future.
  
• Hurry; haste has no blessing.
  
• The water pot presses upon the small circular pad.
  
• Effort will not counter faith.
  
• The hen with baby chicks doesn't swallow the worm.
  
• When elephants fight the grass gets hurt.
  
• I pointed out to you the stars and all you saw was the tip of my finger.
  
• It is only a male elephant that can save another one from a pit.
  
• A deaf ear is followed by death and an ear that listens is followed by blessings.

African Proverbs Translated From Yoruba to English:

• He who throws a stone in the market will hit his relative.
  
• A person who stammers would eventually say "father".
  
• One takes care of one's own: when a bachelor roasts yam, he shares it with his sheep.
  
• When a king's palace burns down, the re-built palace is more beautiful.
  
• A child lacks wisdom, and some say that what is important is that the child does not die; what kills more surely than lack of wisdom?
  
• You are given some stew and you add water; you must be wiser than the cook.
  
• One does not enter into the water and then run from the cold.
  
• One does not fight to save another person's head only to have a kite carry one's own away.
  
• One does not use a sword to kill a snail.
  
• One gets bitten by a snake only once.
  
• Whoever sees mucus in the nose of the king is the one who cleans it.

African Proverbs Translated From Zulu to English:

• No sun sets without its histories.
  
• A tree is known by its fruit.
  
• The groin pains in sympathy with the sore.
  
• You are sharp on one side like a knife.
  
• The wrong-headed fool, who refuses counsel, will come to grief.
  
• The lead cow (the one in front) gets whipped the most.
  
• Go you will find a stone in the road that you can't get over or pass.
  
• Hope does not kill; I shall live and get what I want one day.

PROVERB RESOURCES:

African Proverbs

1. A chick that will grow into a cock can be spotted the very day it hatches.
   
   
2. A child's fingers are not scalded by a piece of hot yam which his mother puts into his palm.
   
   
3. An old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb.
   
   
4. A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness.
   
   
5. A proud heart can survive a general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride.
   
   
6. As the dog said, 'If I fall down for you and you fall down for me, it is playing.'
   
   
7. A wise man who knows proverbs, reconciles difficulties. (Yoruba)
   
   
8. Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped.
   
   
9. If a child washes his hands he could eat with kings.
   
   
10. If you don't stand for something, you will fall for something.
    
    
11. It takes a whole village to raise a child
    
    
12. Looking at a king's mouth one would never think he sucked his mother's breast.
    
    
13. People should not talk while they are eating or pepper may go down the wrong way.
    
    
14. The lizard that jumped from the high iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no one else did.
    
    
15. The mouth which eats does not talk.
    
    
16. The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them.
    
    
17. Those whose palm-kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble.
    
    
18. When a man says yes, his chi (personal god) says yes also.
    
    
19. When the moon is shining the cripple becomes hungry for a walk.
    
    
20. You can tell a ripe corn by its look.
    
    
21. You must judge a man by the work of his hands.

AFRICAN PROVERBS I ALWAYS KEEP WITH MYSELF:>By Mawuna Remarque KOUTONIN.

Abundance of nature has led Africans to spent more time in contemplation than fighting for survival. They became too passive for their own good!

Although knowledge is not always transmitted in written form in Africa, there is a widespread culture of opening the doors of perception for young people and fools with timely release of wisdom nuggets, also called proverbs.
Herodotus (Greek historian c. 484–425 BC) called Africans these  “wisemen occupying the Upper Nile, men of long life, whose manners and customs pertain to the Golden Age, those virtuous mortals whose feasts and banquets are honoured by Jupiter himself’.” – Sacred texts
There are thousands of proverbs and aphorisms around the continent, but the premiere of all is the following:
“The wise create proverbs for fools to learn, not to repeat.” ~ African proverb
Now, here are my favorite 100+ African proverbs I always keep with myself.

African proverbs on Peace and Leadership

1. Peace is costly but it is worth the expense. ~Kenyan proverb

2. War has no eyes ~ Swahili saying

3. When a king has good counselors, his reign is peaceful. ~Ashanti proverb

4. Peace does not make a good ruler. ~Botswana proverb

5. There can be no peace without understanding. ~Senegalese proverb

6. Milk and honey have different colors, but they share the same house peacefully. ~ African proverb

7. If you can’t resolve your problems in peace, you can’t solve them with war. ~ Somalian proverb

8. When there is peace in the country, the chief does not carry a shield. ~Ugandan proverb

9. Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far. ~ West African proverb

10. He who thinks he is leading and has no one following him is only taking a walk. ~ Malawian proverb

11. An army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. ~ Ghanaian proverb

12. He who refuses to obey cannot command. ~ Kenyan proverb

13. A large chair does not make a king. ~ Sudanese proverb

14. A leader who does not take advice is not a leader. ~ Kenyan proverb

15. If the cockroach wants to rule over the chicken, then it must hire the fox as a body-guard. ~ Sierra Leone proverb

African Proverbs on Beauty

16. Ugliness with a good character is better than beauty. ~Nigerian Proverb

17. If there is character, ugliness becomes beauty; if there is none, beauty becomes ugliness. ~Nigerian Proverb

18. You are beautiful because of your possessions. ~Baguirmi Proverb

19. Patience is the mother of a beautiful child. ~Bantu Proverb

20. Judge not your beauty by the number of people who look at you, but rather by the number of people who smile at you. ~African Proverb

21. The most beautiful fig may contain a worm. ~Zulu Proverb

22. It is only a stupid cow that rejoices at the prospect of being taken to a beautiful abattoir. ~African Proverb

23. There is always a winner even in a monkey’s beauty contest. ~African Proverb

24. An ugly child of your own is more to you than a beautiful one belonging to your neighbor. ~Ganda Proverb

25. Getting only a beautiful woman is like planting a vine on the roadside everyone feeds on it. ~African Proverb

26. If you find “Miss This Year” beautiful, then you’ll find “Miss Next Year” even more so. ~Nigerian Proverb

African Proverbs on Unity and Community

27. Unity is strength, division is weakness. ~ Swahili proverb

28. Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. ~ Bondei proverb

29. It takes a village to raise a child. ~ African proverb

30. Cross the river in a crowd and the crocodile won’t eat you. ~ African proverb

31. Two ants do not fail to pull one grasshopper. ~ Tanzanian proverb

32. A single bracelet does not jingle. ~ Congolese proverb

33. A single stick may smoke, but it will not burn. ~ African proverb

34. If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. ~ African proverb

African Proverbs on Wisdom

35. Wisdom is wealth. ~ Swahili

36. Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it. ~ Akan proverb

37. The fool speaks, the wise man listens. ~ Ethiopian proverb

38. Wisdom does not come overnight. ~ Somali proverb

39. The heart of the wise man lies quiet like limpid water. ~ Cameroon proverb

40. Wisdom is like fire. People take it from others. ~ Hema (DRC) proverb

41. Only a wise person can solve a difficult problem. ~ Akan proverb

42. Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand. ~ Guinean proverb

43. In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and the foolish build dams. ~ Nigerian proverb

44. If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom. ~ African proverb

45. A wise person will always find a way. ~ Tanzanian proverb

46. Nobody is born wise. ~ African proverb

47. A man who uses force is afraid of reasoning. ~Kenyan proverb

48. Wisdom is not like money to be tied up and hidden. ~ Akan proverb

African Proverbs  on Learning

49. Learning expands great souls. ~ Namibian proverb

50. To get lost is to learn the way. ~ African proverb

51. By crawling a child learns to stand. ~ African proverb

52. If you close your eyes to facts, you will learn through accidents. ~ African proverb

53. Money, if you use it, comes to an end; learning, if you use it, increases. ~ Swahili proverb

54. You always learn a lot more when you lose than when you win. ~ African proverb

55. You learn how to cut down trees by cutting them down. ~ Bateke proverb

56. What you help a child to love can be more important than what you help him to learn. ~African proverb

57. By the time the fool has learned the game, the players have dispersed. ~Ashanti proverb

58. One who causes others misfortune also teaches them wisdom. ~ African proverb

59. Ears that do not listen to advice, accompany the head when it is chopped off. ~African Proverb

60. Advice is a stranger; if he’s welcome he stays for the night; if not, he leaves the same day. ~Malagasy Proverb

 

African Proverbs on Family

61. A family is like a forest, when you are outside it is dense, when you are inside you see that each tree has its place. ~ African Proverb

62. A united family eats from the same plate. ~ Baganda proverb

63. If I am in harmony with my family, that’s success. ~ Ute proverb

64. Brothers love each other when they are equally rich. ~ African proverb

65. Dine with a stranger but save your love for your family. ~ Ethiopian proverb

66. There is no fool who is disowned by his family. ~ African proverb

67. Home affairs are not talked about on the public square. ~ African proverb

68. If relatives help each other, what evil can hurt them? ~ African proverb

69. He who earns calamity, eats it with his family. ~ African proverb

70. The old woman looks after the child to grow its teeth and the young one in turn looks after the old woman when she loses her teeth. ~ Akan (Ghana, Ivory Coast) proverb

71. When brothers fight to the death, a stranger inherits their father’s estate. ~ Ibo proverb

African Proverbs on Friendship

72. To be without a friend is to be poor indeed. ~ Tanzanian proverb

73. Hold a true friend with both hands. ~ African proverb

74. The friends of our friends are our friends. ~ Congolese proverb

75. A friend is someone you share the path with. ~ African proverb

76. Show me your friend and I will show you your character. ~ African proverb

77. Between true friends even water drunk together is sweet enough. ~ African proverb

78. A small house will hold a hundred friends. ~ African proverb

79. Bad friends will prevent you from having good friends. ~ Gabon proverb

African Proverbs on Money, Wealth, Riches and Poverty

80. Make some money but don’t let money make you. ~ Tanzania

81. Poverty is slavery. ~Somalia

82. One cannot both feast and become rich. ~ Ashanti

83. The wealth which enslaves the owner isn’t wealth. ~ Yoruba

84. Lack of money is lack of friends; if you have money at your disposal, every dog and goat will claim to be related to you. ~ Yoruba

85. Dogs do not actually prefer bones to meat; it is just that no one ever gives them meat. ~ Akan

86. Money can’t talk, yet it can make lies look true. ~ South Africa

87. You become wise when you begin to run out of money. ~ Ghana

88. Having a good discussion is like having riches ~ Kenya

African Proverbs on Beauty

89. Ugliness with a good character is better than beauty. ~Nigerian Proverb

90. If there is character, ugliness becomes beauty; if there is none, beauty becomes ugliness. ~Nigerian Proverb

91. You are beautiful because of your possessions. ~Baguirmi Proverb

92. Patience is the mother of a beautiful child. ~Bantu Proverb

93. Judge not your beauty by the number of people who look at you, but rather by the number of people who smile at you. ~African Proverb

94. The most beautiful fig may contain a worm. ~Zulu Proverb

95. It is only a stupid cow that rejoices at the prospect of being taken to a beautiful abattoir. ~African Proverb

96. There is always a winner even in a monkey’s beauty contest. ~African Proverb

97. An ugly child of your own is more to you than a beautiful one belonging to your neighbor. ~Ganda Proverb

98. Getting only a beautiful woman is like planting a vine on the roadside everyone feeds on it. ~African Proverb

99. If you find “Miss This Year” beautiful, then you’ll find “Miss Next Year” even more so. ~Nigerian Proverb

African Proverbs on Love and Marriage Quotes

100. Where there is love there is no darkness. ~Burundian proverb

101. If you are ugly you must either learn to dance or make love. ~ Zimbabwean Proverb

102. To love the king is not bad, but a king who loves you is better. ~ Wolof proverb

103. A happy man marries the girl he loves, but a happier man loves the girl he marries. ~ African proverb

104. If you marry a monkey for his wealth, the money goes and the monkey remains as is. ~ Egyptian proverb

105. Love never gets lost it’s only kept. ~ African proverb

106. Love has to be shown by deeds not words. ~ Swahili proverb

107. Love is a despot who spares no one. ~Namibian proverb

African Proverbs on Patience

108. Patience is the key which solves all problems. ~ Sudanese proverb

109. To run is not necessarily to arrive. ~ Swahili proverb

110. Patience can cook a stone. ~ African proverb

111. A patient man will eat ripe fruit. ~ African proverb

112. At the bottom of patience one finds heaven. ~ African proverb

113. Patience attracts happiness; it brings near that which is far. ~ Swahili proverb

114. Always being in a hurry does not prevent death, neither does going slowly prevent living. ~ Ibo proverb

115. However long the night, the dawn will break. ~ African proverb

African Proverbs on Food

116. Don’t take another mouthful before you have swallowed what is in your mouth. ~Malagasy Proverb

117. A healthy person who begs for food is an insult to a generous farmer. ~Ghanaian Proverb

118. A dog knows the places he is thrown food. ~Acholi Proverb

119. One who eats alone cannot discuss the taste of the food with others. ~African Proverb

120. Man is like a pepper, till you have chewed it you do not know how hot it is. ~Haussa Proverb

121. No one gets a mouthful of food by picking between another person’s teeth. ~Igbo Proverb

122. If you watch your pot, your food will not burn. ~Mauritanian, Nigerian, and Niger Proverb

123. You cannot tell a hungry child that you gave him food yesterday. ~Zimbabwean Proverb

124. However little food we have, we’ll share it even if it’s only one locust. ~Malagasy Proverb

125. Good words are food, bad words poison. ~Malagasy Proverb

AFRICAN QUOTES ON MARRIAGE WIT & WISDOM FROM OUR ANCESTORS:

African Quotes on Marriage By Country & Tribe

Algerian Proverbs

The thinnest bread finds itself married to bread

Arabic Proverbs

Marry the girl of a good family, though she be seated on a mat, very poor
Marry amongst strangers, thus you will not have feeble posterity
Marry the distant, marry not the near

Berber Proverbs

You have captured my liver (the liver is considered to be the organ of love among the Berber)

Burundi Proverbs

Where there is love there is no darkness

Caribbean Proverbs

A good "live with" is better than a bad marriage
The same mouth that courts you doesn't marry you
Getting married is nothing, it's assuming the responsibility of marriage that counts
Marry for love, work for money
The way you got married is not the way you will get divorced

Egyptian Proverbs

He who loves a thing often talks of it
If you love, love the moon; if you steal, steal a camel
If you have no relatives, get married
If you marry a monkey for his wealth, the money goes and the monkey remains as is
Don't play matchmaker for your son but rather for your daughter
The shadow of a man is better than that of a wall (i.e. it is better to be have a man than not to)
Whoever marries my mother, I will call him uncle
Like a bride's mother... does nothing yet acts busy
Take a wife while you are young that she may make a son for you while you are youthful - Egyptian scribe Ani from Thebes
A beautiful thing is never perfect
If you are wise, look after your house, love your wife without alloy

Ethiopian Proverbs

When in love, a cliff becomes a meadow
A woman married without consultation runs away without consultation

Ghanaian Proverbs

Marriage is like a groundnut; you have to crack them to see what is inside
It is Mr.Old-Man-Monkey who marries Mrs.Old-Woman-Monkey
So many little things make a man love a woman in a big way
One who is looking for a wife does not speak with contempt about women

Kenyan Proverbs

If you laugh at your mother-in-law, you'll get dirt in your eye

Liberian Proverbs

If you marry a beautiful woman, you marry trouble

Madagascar Proverbs

Sadness is a valuable treasure, only discovered in people you love
Don't be so much in love that you can't tell when it's raining
The man that is loved by his wife has no trouble conversing

Moroccan Proverbs

The quarrel of lovers is the renewal of love
Do not correct with a strike that which can be taught with a kiss
Many are the roads that do not lead to the heart
A wise woman has much to say and yet remains silent
There is no queue at the gate of patience
He who has nothing to die for has nothing to live for
If there were no cold Friday evenings and boring Saturdays, no one would get married any more
Instruct a man, you instruct an individual. Instruct a woman, you instruct a nation
One who pervades the great universe is seen by none unless a man knows the unfolding of love
The hand you cannot bite, kiss

Mozambiquan Proverbs

Never marry a woman who has bigger feet than you

Nigerian Proverbs

A woman who is not successful in her own marriage has no advice to give her younger generations
A man that begets a barren cannot have a grandchild
It is the habit that a child forms at home that follows them to their marriage
He who marries a beauty marries trouble
If a friend hurts you, run to your wife
It is the wife who knows her husband
A man's first wife never complains of neglect from the penis, the first morsel never complains of insufficient sauce
"Now the marriage begins," says the woman who has been beaten with thorns
The husband is the tie and the wife is the parcel; when the tie breaks, the parcel loosens
The man who says he will not marry a woman with other admirers will not marry a woman

Sierra Leonean Proverbs

It is only when you look at a bride's eye is when you know she is crying

Sudanese Proverbs

One thread for the needle, one love for the heart

Ugandan Proverbs

Take away the wife of a strong man only when he is out
Courtship is not marriage

Zimbabwean Proverbs

A man that does not lie shall never marry

Zulu Proverbs

Love, like rain, does not choose the grass on which it falls

Anonymous African Country

A man without a wife is like a vase without flowers
He who marries a beauty marries trouble

African Marriage Quotes By Africans & African-Americans

• If you are wise and seek to make your house stable, love your wife fully and righteously...
  Kindness and consideration will influence her better than force
  - Husania
• Take a wife while you are young that she may make a son for you while you are youthful
  - Egyptian scribe Ani from Thebes
• Marriage is like a golden ring in a chain, whose beginning is a glance and whose ending is eternity
  - Kahlil Gibran
• We are each other's harvest; we are each other's business; we are each other's magnitude and bond
  - Gwendolyn Brooks
• We love because it's the only true adventure
  - Nikki Giovanni

Even More Quotes on Marriage

Just want some funny marriage quotes with no cultural bent? How about just some general marriage quotations? Then follow the links to check out some more. If the quotes on marriage above didn't quite do it for you or get your creative juices fully flowing, you might be able to jump start them with these additional marriage quotes.
If you are planning on having a Christian wedding ceremony then you can check out some Bible verses about marriage. Use them for advice or even for writing your own unique Christian wedding vows.
If you've enjoyed these African quotes on marriage then check out some other interesting African quotes on life in general.

Return from African Quotes on Marriage to African Wedding Home Page

African Proverbs on Marriage

Guest Author - Jeanne Egbosiuba Ukwendu

African Proverbs about marriage and married life give insight as to how people really feel about marriage. Some of these proverbs are tongue in cheek while others are very serious and poignant.



It is the habit that a child forms at home, that follows them to their marriage. ~Nigerian Proverb

One who marries for love alone will have bad days but good nights. ~Egyptian Proverb

He who sacks his wife because she eats a lot will end up marrying a cannibal. ~African Proverb

If you marry a monkey for his wealth, the money goes and the monkey remains as is. ~Egyptian Proverb

Having beauty doesn't mean understanding the perseverance of marriage. ~African Proverb

If you do not travel, you will marry your own sister. ~Mozambican Proverb

An upstart is a sparrow eager to marry a hornbill. ~Malawian Proverb

If a young woman says no to marriage just wait until her breasts sag. ~Burundian Proverb

A thousand assignations, one marriage. ~Somali Proverb

A man that does not lie shall never marry. ~Zimbabwean Proverb

Love is like a baby: it needs to be treated tenderly. ~Congolese Proverb

It is Mr. Old-Man-Monkey who marries Mrs. Old-Woman-Monkey. ~Ashanti Proverb

One who plants grapes by the road side, and one who marries a pretty woman, share the same problem. ~Ethiopian Proverb

He is a fool who marries an old woman without teeth. ~Somali Proverb

Marriage is like a groundnut: you have to crack them to see what is inside. ~Akan Proverb

The buttocks are like a married couple though there is constant friction between them; they will still love and live together. ~African Proverb

If there were no cold Friday evenings and boring Saturdays, no one would get married any more. ~Moroccan Proverb

No married woman will have her white hair shaved at her mother's. ~Kikuyu Proverb

How gently glides the married life away, When she who rules still seems but to obey. ~Kenyan Proverb

He who marries a beauty marries trouble. ~Nigerian Proverb

To love someone who does not love you, is like shaking a tree to make the dew drops fall. ~Congolese Proverb

Never marry a woman who has bigger feet than you. ~Mozambican Proverb

The man who marries my mother, I call him uncle. ~Egyptian Proverb

A woman who has not been twice married cannot know what a perfect marriage is. ~Nigerian Proverb

A happy man marries the girl he loves, but a happier man loves the girl he marries. ~African Proverb

It is better to be loved than feared. ~Sierra Leonean Proverb

A good wife is easy to find, but suitable in-laws are rare. ~Madagascan Proverb

A man changing his abode is like a woman marrying. ~Kikuyu Proverb

It is better to be married to an old lady than to remain unmarried. ~Ugandan Proverb

A man who marries an outcast is like rain wasted in the forest. ~African Proverb

A woman who is not successful in her own marriage has no advice to give to her younger generations. ~Nigerian Proverb

A married couple is neither enemies nor friends. ~Somali Proverb

Let your love be like the misty rain, coming softly, but flooding the river. ~Liberian & Madagascan Proverb

If money where to be found up in the trees, most people would be married to monkeys. ~African Proverb

Love is blind. ~Mende Proverb

The man may be the head of the home but the wife is the heart. ~Gikuyu Proverb

If there is cause to hate someone, the cause to love has just begun. ~Wolof Proverb

The man that won't marry a woman with other admirers won't marry a woman at all. ~Nigerian Proverb

The robin and the wren are God's cock and hen; the martin and the swallow are God's mate and marrow. ~Tanzanian Proverb

He was entrapped by the evening, it has cost him his marriage. ~Bantu Proverb

Talking with one another is loving one another. ~Kenyan Proverb

One who loves you, warns you. ~Baganda Proverb

Leave her now and then if you would really love your wife. ~Malawian Proverb

The most dangerous thing a man needs is a woman. ~Somali Proverb

Now the marriage begins," says the woman who has been beaten with thorns. ~Nigerian Proverb

The woman who does not covet the possessions of her husband is in love with another man. ~Egyptian Proverb

When one is in love, a cliff becomes a meadow. ~Ethiopian Proverb

He who longs too much for a child will marry a pregnant woman. ~Bambara Proverb

Marriage is not a tight knot, but a slip knot. ~Malagasy Proverb

Marriage is a snake to slip into your handbag. ~African Proverb


African Proverbs for Weddings, Marriage and Love
This eBook contains many African proverbs on love and marriage. Some proverbs are very sweet and romantic while others are tongue in cheek and almost making fun of love and romance.

AFRICAN PROVERBS ABOUT LOVE AND MARRIAGE:

African Proverbs about Love and Marriage

Wood already touched by fire isn't hard to set alight. - Africa

Dogs don't love people, they love the place where they are fed. - Burundi

Where there is love there is no darkness. - Burundi

It is better to be loved than feared. - Sierra Leone

The way to the beloved isn't thorny. - Cameroon (Duala)

One doesn't love another, if one doesn't accept anything from her. - Chad, Niger, Nigeria (Kanuri/Bornu)

Love doesn't listen to rumors. - Ghana (Akan)

Love is like a baby: it needs to be treated tenderly. - Congo

If a woman doesn't love you, she calls you brother. - Ivory Coast (Baule)

Love put the eaglet out of its nest. - Kenya (Gikuyu)

People who love one another do not dwell on each other's mistakes. - Kenya (Gikuyu)

To be smiled at isn't to be loved. - Kenya (Gikuyu)

The house of a person we love is never far. - Kenya (Kikuyu)

A letter from the heart can be read on the face. - Kiswahili

Love has to be shown by deeds not words. - Kiswahili

Love doesn't rely on physical features. - Lesotho

He who loves you, loves you with your dirt. - Uganda (Ganda)

The one who loves an unsightly person is the one who makes him beautiful. - Uganda (Ganda)

To love someone who does not love you, is like shaking a tree to make the dew drops fall. - Congo

He who doesn't like chattering women must stay a bachelor. - Congo

A young wife tends to cook too much at first. - Ethiopia

Bread without sauce and a home without a wife are meaningless. - Ethiopia

The way you got married isn't the way you'll get divorced. - Haiti

A bird can be guarded, a wife can't. - Kiswahili

A man without a wife is like a vase without flowers. - Africa

It is the habit that a child forms at home, that follows them to their marriage. - Nigeria

If you marry a monkey for his wealth, the money goes and the monkey remains as is. - Egypt

Having beauty doesn't mean understanding the perseverance of marriage.- Africa

If you do not travel, you will marry your own sister. - Mozambique

A man that does not lie shall never marry. - Zimbabwe

One who plants grapes by the road side, and one who marries a pretty woman, share the same problem. - Ethiopia

Marriage is like a groundnut: you have to crack them to see what is inside. – Ghana (Akan)

The buttocks are like a married couple though there is constant friction between them; they will still love and live together. - Africa

If there were no cold Friday evenings and boring Saturdays, no one would get married any more. - Morocco

How gently glides the married life away, when she who rules still seems but to obey. - Kenya

He who marries a beauty marries trouble. - Nigeria

A woman who has not been twice married cannot know what a perfect marriage is. - Nigeria

A good wife is easy to find, but suitable in-laws are rare. - Malagasy

It is better to be married to an old lady than to remain unmarried. - Uganda

A woman who is not successful in her own marriage has no advice to give to her younger generations. - Nigeria

A married couple is neither enemies nor friends. - Somalia

If money where to be found up in the trees, most people would be married to monkeys. - Africa

The man may be the head of the home but the wife is the heart. – Kenya (Gikuyu)

If there is cause to hate someone, the cause to love has just begun. - Wolof

The man that won't marry a woman with other admirers won't marry a woman at all. - Nigeria

The robin and the wren are God's cock and hen; the martin and the swallow are God's mate and marrow. - Tanzania

He was entrapped by the evening, it has cost him his marriage. - Bantu

Talking with one another is loving one another. - Kenya

One who loves you, warns you. – Uganda (Baganda)

Leave her now and then if you would really love your wife. - Malawi

The most dangerous thing a man needs is a woman. - Somalia

When one is in love, a cliff becomes a meadow. - Ethiopia

Marriage is not a tight knot, but a slip knot. - Malagasy

Marriage is a snake to slip into your handbag. - Africa

Marriage is a snake to slip into your handbag – Africa

For more African proverbs on love and marriage (and many other topics) please see Lifelines: The African Book of Proverbs.