·
Ada ya mja hunena, muungwana ni
kitendo
It is customary for man to talk, and gentlemen to act (actions speak louder
than words)
·
Adui aangukapo, mnyanyue (muinue)
When the enemy falls, lift him up
·
Adui wa mtu, ni mtu
The enemy of man is man
·
Adui mpende
love your enemy
·
Afya ni bora kuliko
mali
Health is better than wealth
·
Afua ni mbili, kufa na kupona
Help comes in two ways, death or healing (we should not worry about things
out of our control)
·
Ahadi ni deni
A promise is a debt
·
Ajidhanie kasimama, aangalie
asianguke
One who thinks he is standing should beware of falling
·
Ajuaye mengi, hasemi mengi
One who knows more doesn't speak more
·
Akili ni
mali
Knowledge is wealth
·
Akili nyingi huondoa maarifa
Too many ideas drive wisdom away
·
Akufaaye kwa dhiki ndiye rafiki
A friend in need is a friend indeed
·
Asiye kubali kushindwa si
mshindani
He who does not admit defeat is not a sportsman
·
Asiyefunzwa na mamaye, hufunzwa
na ulimwengu
He who is not taught by his mother is taught by the world
Baada ya dhiki faraja
After hardship comes relief
Bahari haishi zingo
An ocean never ceases to storm (life will always have ups and downs)
Bilisi wa mtu ni mtu
The evil spirit of a man is a man
Changu ni chetu, na chako ni
chako
What's mine is ours, and what's yours is yours (don't be selfish)
Chema chajiuza, kibaya
chajitembeza
A good thing sells, a bad thing advertises
Chombo cha kuzama hakina usukani
/ rubani
A sinking vessel needs no navigation / captain
Daima bidii, kamba hukata jiwe
Forever persist, a rope cuts stone
Dalili ya mvua mawingu
Clouds are the sign of rain
Damu nzito kuliko maji
Blood is thicker than water
Daraja livuke, ulifikiapo
Cross the bridge when you get there
Debe tupu haliachi kuvuma
An empty pot makes the loudest noise
Elimu ni maisha, si vitabu
Education is (in) life, not books
Elimu haina mwisho
Education never ends
Elfu huanzia moja
A thousand begins with one
Enga kabla ya kujenga
Survey before you build (look before you leap)
Epuka wakusifuo siku zote
Avoid those who always compliment you
Fadhila ya punda ni mateke
Gratitude of a donkey is a kick
Ganda la mua la jana chungu
kaona kivuno
The skin of yesteday's sugarcane is a havest to an ant
Haba na haba hujaza kibaba
Little by little fills up the measure
Hakuna masika yasiyokuwa na mbu
There is no season of heavy rains without mosquitoes (the troubles of one
person are usually the pleasure of another)
Hakuna matata
No troubles
Hapana marefu yasio na mwisho
There is no distance that has no end
Haraka haraka haina baraka
Hurry hurry has no blessings (haste makes waste)
Hasira, hasara
Anger brings loss/damage
Heri kufa macho kuliko kufa moyo
It is better to lose your eyes than to lose your heart
Heri kujikwa kidole kuliko ulimi
Better to stumble with toe than toungue
Hiari ya shinda utumwa
Voluntary is better than force
Hucheka kovu asiye kuwa na
jeraha
He laughs at scar who has received no wound
Hisani haiozi
Kindness does not go rotten
Ikiwa hujui kufa,tazama kaburi
If you don't know death look at the grave
Jina jema hungara gizani
A good name shines in the dark
Jitihadi haiondoi kudura
Effort will not counter faith
Kamba hukatika pabovu
A rope parts where it is thinnest
Kawia ufike
Better delay and get there
Kiburi si maungwana
Arrogance is not gentlemanly
Kidole kimoja hakivunji chawa
One finger cannot crush a louse (you need to work as a team)
Kikulacho ki nguoni mwako
That which eats you up is in your clothing
Kila chombo kwa wimblile
Every vessel has its own waves
Kila wakati ni wakati wa chai
It is chai (tea) time all the time
Kinywa ni jumba la maneno
Mouth is the home of words
Kucha Mungu si kilemba cheupe
The fear of God is not wearing a white turban
Kuishi kwingi ni kuona mengi
To live long is to see much
Kujikwa si kuanguka, bali ni
kwenda mbele
To stumble is not falling down but it is to go forward
Kukopa harusi kulipa matanga
Borrowing is like a wedding, repaying is like mourning
Kupanda mchongoma, kushuka ngoma
You may climb a thorn tree, and be unable to come down
Kupoteya njia ndiyo kujua njia
To get lost is to learn the way
Kutoa ni moyo usambe ni utajiri
Charity is the matter of the heart not of the pocket
Liandikwalo ndiyo liwalo
That which is written by God is what is
Lila na fila hazitangamani
Good and evil will never mix
Lipitalo, hupishwa
Things don't just happen by accidents
Maji ya kifuu ni bahari ya
chungu
The water in a coconut shell is like an ocean to an ant
Majumba makubwa husitiri mambo
Big houses conceal a lot
Mavi ya kale hayanuki
Old droppings do not stink
Mbio za sakafuni huishia
ukingoni
Running on the roof finishes at the edge
Mchezea zuri, baya humfika
He who ridicules the good will be overtaken by evil
Mchimba kisima hungia mwenyewe
He who digs a pit will fall into it himself
Mchovya asali hachovi mara moja
He who dips his finger into honey does not dip it once
Mfuata nyuki hakosi asali
One who follows bees will never fail to get honey
Mjinga akierevuka mwerevu yupo
mashakani
When a fool becomes enlightened, the wise man is in trouble
Mpanda farasi wawili hupasuka
msamba
One who rides two horses at once will split asunder
Msema pweke hakosi
One who talks to himself cannot be wrong
Mstahimilivu hula mbivu
A patient man will eat ripe fruits (Patience will be rewarded)
Mtaka yote hukosa yote
He who desires all misses all
Mtoto umleyavyo ndivyo akuavyo
As you bring up a child, so he will be
Mtu ni watu
A person is people (affect one, you affect all--all are united)
Mwamini Mungu si mtovu
He who trusts in God lacks nothing
Mwanzo kokochi mwisho nazi
The begining is bud the end is coconut
Mwekaji kisasi haambiwi mwerevu
He who nurses vegeance is not called wise
Mwenda mbio hujikwa kidole
A person who is in too much of a hurry stubs his toe
Mwenye kelele hana neno
A noisy person is harmless
Mwenye macho haambiwi tazama
One who has eyes is not told to look (he does it himself)
Mwenye pupa hadiriki kula tamu
A hasty person misses the sweet things
Njia ya mwongo fupi
The way of a liar is short
Paka akiondoka, panya hutawala
when the cat goes away, mice reign
Penye nia pana njia
Where there's a will, there's a way
Poa kichizi
kama ndizi
Chill out (a lot) like a banana
Si kila mwenye makucha huwa
simba
Not all that have claws are lions
Taratibu ndiyo mwendo
Slowly is indeed the way to walk
Ukupigao ndio ukufunzao
What beats you is what teaches you
Ulimi unauma kuliko meno
The tongue hurts more than the teeth
Umoja ni nguvu
Unity is strength
Usicheze na simba, ukamtia mkono
kinywani
When you play with a lion, do not put your hand in its mouth
Wapingapo fahali wawili,
ziumiazo ni nyasi
When two bulls fight, it is the grass that suffers