Proverb: Old firewood dey quick catch fire.
Meaning: Old habit die hard.

Proverb: Handshake wey don cross commot from hand reach elbow, na invitation for war.
Meaning: Over familiarity can lead to disrespect.

Proverb: Na clap dem take dey enter dance.
Meaning: You don't have to start big, start small, start from somewhere.

Yes dear. The thread (not forum) is strictly dedicated to Proverbs that are relatable to Africa and said in pidgin English. If you've any proverb that we Africans can relate to, you're free to say it but on the condition that it has to be written in pidgin too. Thank you for stopping by and reading our posts. Don't stop reading.

Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu

This is a popular South African proverbs that says, To be human is to recognize the humanity of others, more like people become people through people.

Proverb: Dem say fowl no dey forget person wey trim em feathers during raining season.

Meaning: A person will never forget the help rendered to him in difficult moments.


This proverb says a lot about me.

I turned member today...

Big man, I dey loyal ooo, thanks for the OT and encouragement wey you dey always give. Your face show, your shoe still con shine, Gbayi!

If person no dey careful some handshake dey reach elbow ooo. When person dey receive handshake, make person dey sabi when to commot hand cause some handshake dey reach elbow inside life, and the result no dey make.

Proverb: No call forest wey shelter you jungle


Meaning: Do not look down on anybody that is helping you or taking care of your responsibilities.

I salute all my brothers and sisters here.

I beg to disagree with this interpretation. The proverb and the meaning purely differ.
"As bitter kola sound for ear no be so e dey sweet for mouth" This is saying that as sweet as bitter kola sounds to the ear when chewed, is not that sweet when you taste it.
This means that there is always unknown truth or some kind of pains in everything that seems good or perfect.
I want to use cryptocurrency we are into as an example.
Many people will hear that there is money in the crypto and jump in, not knowing that a time like this when the market will be red exists.
So, everything is not always as good as it is presented, it is when you enter into it, you will discover the untold part.

The meaning has nothing to do with people changing.

uchegod-21 dey perfectly correct for dat analysis and even with d example wey im throw take join am. I for still baff you as I baff am for ur attempt too, you try, but na my last bucket of wata I pour am so. Wetin you go talk for owa African proverbs be sey different proverbs fit mean one thing but nor be sey one proverb fit mean several things. No. As dem dey talk for Igbo sey different tribes get different ways wey dem dey take laugh. Na so d thing be.

I salute all of una wey dey continue to push dis owa corner here. Na real tight corner be dis. I believe sey d thing dey improve owa yarns with elderly people wey sabi proverbs too. Chinua Achebe sey proverb na d palm oil with which words are eaten, quote and unquote.

Oga Mpa, you too make sense for here. You see those words wey I bend, plenty wisdom dey inside.
Elders dey yarn different proverbs to express one thing, but one proverb no dey mean different things.
If one proverb dey mean different things, no need to dey write interpretation of proverbs. Because you fit interpret go left and me interpret go right and both of us go dey correct.

GiftedMAN and everyone wey dey drop proverbs here dey try, e no easy. E get the day person make me vex for night, na this thread I use calm myself and get inspiration. Na correct thread be this .
African proverbs is full of wisdom.