Methali kiswahili

	PROVERBS / METHALI # 01

1. Aachaye kweli huirudia
   He who leaves truth behind, returns to it
   (i.e. A person who does something good somewhere, people receive him/her with gladness when he comes back)
   
2. Achanikaye kwenye mpini, hafi na njaa
   He who struggles with the hoe, does not die of hunger
3. Achekaye kilema, hata kwao hipo
   He who laughs at a cripple has one at home
4. Ada ya mja hunena, muungwana ni kitendo
   A man talks but a gentleman acts
   Actions speak louder than words
5. Adhabu ya kaburi aijua maiti
   Only the corpse knows the punishment of the grave
6. Adhihakiye kovu, hajaona jeraha
   He who trivialises a scar hasn't been injured
7. Adui aangukapo, mnyanyue (muinue)
   When an enemy falls, lift him up
8. Adui mpende
   Love your enemy
9. Adui ya mtu ni mtu
   The enemy of man is man
10. Afadhali akutembeleaye kuliko akutumiaye salaam
    The one who visits you is better than the one who sends you greetings
11. Afadhali kuaibika kuliko kufa
    Better ashamed than dead
12. Afadhali kufa kuliko kuaibika
    Better dead than ashamed
13. Afadhali kuwa jirani wa mbuga kuliko kuwa jirani wa mwenye mdomo mrefu
    It is better to be a neighbour of a steppe than to be a neighbour of one who speaks badly
14. Afadhali mchawi
    A witch is better
    (i.e. The enemy you know is better than a friend you don't)
15. Afua ni mbili, kufa na kupona
    Relief comes in two ways, dying or healing
16. Ahadi ni deni
    A promise is a debt
17. Aibu ya maiti, aijuaye mwosha
    The shame of the corpse is known to the mortician
18. Aisifuye mvua imemnyea
    He who praises the rain, it has rained on him
19. Ajali haina kinga (haikingiki)
    An accident cannot be averted
    (i.e. Whatever can go wrong will)
20. Ajidhanie kasimama, aangalie asianguke
    One who thinks he is standing, should beware of falling
21. Ajuaye mengi, hasemi mengi
    Who knows more speaks less
    Empty vessels make the loudest noise
22. Akiba haiozi
    savings will not decay
    Put something away for a rainy day
23. Akili ni mali
    Intelligence is an asset
24. Akili nyingi huondoa maarifa
    Great wit drives away wisdom
    Too many cooks spoil the broth
25. Akufaaye kwa dhiki ndiye rafiki
    A friend in need is a friend indeed
26. Akufukuzaye hakwambii toka
    He who chucks you out doesn't tell you to go away
    (i.e. A person may use indirect signs to tell you you are not welcome)
27. Aliye juu, mngojee chini
    Wait at the bottom for the one who is at the top
    What goes up, must go down
28. Anayefikiri amesimama, aangalie asianguke
    He who thinks he is standing, should be on his guard not to fall down
29. Apandaye haba, huvuna haba
    He who farms little harvests less
30. Asifuye mvua imemnyea
    He who praises rain has been rained upon
31. Asiyefunzwa na mamae hufunzwa na ulimwengu
    He/she who is not taught by his/her mother will be taught my the world
32. Asiyekubali kushindwa si mshindani
    He who does not accept defeat is no sportsman
33. Asiyekuwepo na lake halipo
    If you are absent you lose your share
    Out of sight, out of mind
34. Asiyesikia mkuu huvunjika mguu
    He who doesn't heed the chief's advice breaks his leg
    Don't be reckless
35. Atangaye na jua hujua
    He who wanders in the sun, knows
36. Avumaye baharini papa kumbe wengine wapo
    Shark is the famous one in the sea but there are many others
37. Baada ya dhiki faraja
    After hardship comes relief
    Every cloud has a silver lining
38. Baba wa kambo si baba
    An adoptive father is not a father
39. Bahati mbaya haiji peke yake
    Misfortune doesn't come alone
40. Bahati ya mwenzio usiilalie mlango wazi
    Don't leave your front door open because someone was lucky that nothing happened when he did it
    Don't be reckless just because others were lucky
41. Bandu bandu humaliza gogo
    An incessant hacking of the log finishes the log
    (i.e. If you keep nibbling, you will eat into your capital)
42. Bendera hufuata upepo
    A flag follows the direction of the wind
43. Bilisi wa mtu ni mtu
    The evil spirit of man is a man
44. Cha mlevi huliwa na mgema
    The drunkard's money is eaten by the palm-wine tapper
45. Chanda chema huvikwa pete
    A handsome finger gets the ring
46. Chema chajiuza, kibaya chajitembeza
    A good thing sells itself, a bad thing advertises itself for sale
47. Chombo cha kuzama hakina usukani
    A sinking vessel needs no navigation
48. Chovya-chovya yamaliza buyu la asali
    Constant dipping will empty the gourd of honey
49. Dalili ya mvua mawingu
    Clouds are the sign of rain
50. Damu nzito kuliko maji
    Blood is thicker than water
    (i.e. family ties are stronger than marital ties)
51. Dawa ya moto ni moto
    The remedy to fire is fire
    Send a thief to catch a thief
52. Debe tupu haliachi kuvuma
    An empty "debe" doesn't stop making noise
    empty vessels make the most noise
53. Dua la kuku halimpati mwewe
    The prayer of the fowl does not bother the hawk
    It is no use to swear at the mighty
54. Elimu haina mwisho
    Education has no ending
    You are never too old to learn
55. Embe dodo sawa sawa na kisukari
    A "dodo" (kind of mango) is like a "kisukari" (sweet banana)
    Something is better than nothing
56. Fadhila ya punda ni mateke
    The gratitude of a donkey is a kick
57. Fimbo la mnyonge halina nguvu
    A feeble man's stick has no strength
    Might is right
58. Fimbo ya mbali haiui nyoka
    A weapon thrown from far won't kill a snake
    (i.e. You must be on the spot to put your affairs in order)
59. Fuata nyuki ule asali
    Follow the bees and you will get honey
60. Fumbo humfumba mjinga
    A parable mystifies a simpleton
61. Fumbo mfumbe mjinga mwerevu huligangua
    Put a riddle to a fool a clever person will solve it
62. Ganda la mua la jana chungu kaona kivuno
    The skin of yesterday's sugarcane is a harvest to an ant
63. Haba na haba hujaza kibaba
    Little by little fills up the measure
64. Hakuna masika yasiyokuwa na mbu
    There is no rain season without mosquitoes
65. Hakuna msiba usio na mwenziwe
    Misfortune never comes alone
66. Hakuna siri ya watu wawili
    A secret is no secret when it is shared by two persons
67. Hakuna ukuu wa kunguru panzi zikianguka
    Raven's age matters not when there are grasshoppers
68. Hapana maji yasiyo na mawimbi
    There is no water without waves
69. Hapana marefu yasio na mwisho
    There is no distance that has no end
70. Haraka haraka haina baraka
    Hurry hurry has no blessings
    Haste makes waste
71. Hasira, hasara
    Anger brings loss
72. Hasira ya mkizi ni furaha ya mvuvi
    The rage of a cuttlefish is joy for the fisherman
73. Hata paka ana visharubu
    Even a cat has whiskers
    (i.e. Having whiskers is not a guarantee of masculinity)
74. Hebu kiishe, huchoma mkia
    He who waits until the whole animal is visible spears its tail
75. Heri kufa macho kuliko kufa moyo
    It is better to lose your eyes than to lose your heart
76. Heri kenda shika, kama kumi nenda uje
    Better is nine "take-it" than ten "go-and-come"
    A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
77. Heri kujikwa kidole kuliko ulimi
    Better to stumble with the toe than with the tongue
78. Hiari ya shinda utumwa
    Voluntary is better than force
    
79. Hucheka kovu asiye kuwa na jeraha
    He laughs at scar who has received no wound
80. Huwezi kula ng'ombe mzima halafu ukasema mkia umekushinda
    You cannot eat a whole cow then say you can't finish the tail
81. Ihsani (hisani) haiozi
    Kindness does not go rotten
82. Ikiwa hujui kufa, tazama kaburi
    If you don't know death look at the grave
83. Jembe na mundu ni baba na mama
    Hoe and sickle are your father and mother
84. Jina jema hungara gizani
    A good name shines in the dark
85. Jino la pembe si dawa ya pengo
    An ivory tooth is not cure for the lost tooth.
86. Jitihadi haiondoi kudura
    Effort will not counter faith
87. Jogoo la shamba haliwiki mjini
    The village cock does not crow in town
88. Kaa akiinua gando mambo yamekatika
    When the crab raises his claw, there is an end of the matter
89. Kafiri akufaaye si Mwislamu asiyekufaa
    An infidel who does you a good turn is not like a Muslim who does not
90. Kamba hukatika pabovu
    A rope parts where it is thinnest
91. Kanga hazai ugenini
    A guinea-fowl does not lay eggs in strange places
92. Kawaida ni kama sheria
    a custom is like a law
    Habit is second nature
93. Kawia ufike
    Delay in order to arrive
    Better late than never
94. Kazana kulima, usione wanakula
    Struggle farming, don't see them eating
95. 
    See moore from the link:Mwanasimba
96. http://mwanasimba.online.fr/E_links.htm