50+ inspirational African proverbs about family and unity that you should know about

50+ inspirational African proverbs about family and unity that you should know about

The oral tradition and storytelling are at the heart of African history and tradition. While the continent is home to a diverse range of cultures, they all share the ability to give a wise narrative. Proverbs are tasty tidbits picked from the complete banquet of Africa's magnificent story. Some sayings, particularly African proverbs about family, are romantic, while others are thought-provoking and must be understood in translation.

African proverbs about family
Happy family looking at the camera. Photo: pexels.com, @ketut-subiyanto (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Every African culture has its wisdom, proverbs or sayings. Typically single words are passed through the generations. While the dialect, culture, and region of origin of these sayings differ, the knowledge they offer is universal. Africa, in particular, is brimming with motivational sayings, most of which provide a fascinating glimpse into the rich and dynamic cultures that created them.

African proverbs about love and family

African sayings about love and family are well-known for conveying vital life lessons straightforwardly. These proverbs and their meanings have aided numerous individuals around the world in a variety of situations.

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  • In a family, if you have troublesome somebody, the family members are more worried than the troublesome member.
  • A woman who is not successful in her marriage has no advice to give to her younger generations.
  • Marriage is like groundnut. You have to crack groundnuts to see what is inside.
  • It's better to fall from a tree and break your back than to fall in love and break your heart.
  • 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.
  • A happy man marries the girl he loves; a more comfortable man loves the girl he marries.
  • We desire to bequeath two things to our children; the first one is roots, and the other one is wings.
  • A woman is a flower in a garden; her husband is the fence around it.
  • Where there is lasting love, there is a family.

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African proverbs about family
Photo of a family walking in the park. Photo: pexels.com, @vidalbalielojrfotografia (modified by author)
Source: UGC
  • Dine with a stranger but save your love for your family.
  • When a bitter woman takes over the house, the family she rules is doomed.
  • If the full moon loves you, why worry about the stars?
  • To love someone who doesn't love you is like shaking a tree to make the dew drops fall.
  • One who marries for love alone will have bad days but good nights.
  • Do not treat your loved one like a swinging door: you are fond of it, but push it back and forth.

African proverbs about family secrets

Many individuals hold secrets from one another for various reasons. Keeping secrets has two consequences. It has the potential to either protect or harm a person. Whatever your motivations are, you must accept the repercussions that come with them.

  • Don't tell your essential secret to your friend because your friend has his other friends as well.
  • The secret of success is to start from scratch.
  • He who tells his affairs will hardly keep secret those of others.
  • If you want to clean the land secretly, the noise of the axe will give you away.
  • Confiding a secret to an unworthy person is like carrying grain in a bag with a hole.
  • Take hold lightly; let go lightly. It is one of the great secrets of felicity in love.
  • The secret of two is God's secret, and the secret of three is everybody's secret.
  • Don't tell a secret to anybody unless you want the whole world to know it.
  • Confidentiality is the essence of being trusted.

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African proverbs about family
People are standing in front of a wood pile. Photo: pexels.com, @thatguycraig (modified by author)
Source: UGC
  • Love, grief, and money cannot be kept secret.
  • If you want to keep something secret from black folks, put it between the covers of a book.
  • Your secret is your blood - when you shed it, you die.
  • By the time you tell a secret to a mad person, then an average person you cannot see.
  • Woe unto any man that entrusts his secrets to a ditch.
  • If you wish another to keep your secret, first keep it yourself.

African proverbs about success

Proverbs and quotations about Africa are insightful sayings passed down through generations. They play a crucial role in imparting life lessons and assisting individuals in determining what is good and wrong.

  • No matter how full the river is, it still wants to grow.
  • The elephant does not limp when walking on thorns.
  • Do not allow the belly to make you useless.
  • You can only climb to the beautiful mountain top by crushing some weeds with your feet.
  • Success is a ladder which cannot be climbed with hands in your pocket.
  • Wealth is like hair in the nose: it hurts to be separated, whether from a little or a lot.
  • Haste and hurry can only bear children with many regrets along the way.
  • Those who respect older people pave their road toward success.

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African proverbs about family
Smiling black family resting on a couch. Photo: pexels.com, @gabby-k (modified by author)
Source: UGC
  • If you educate a man, you educate one individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a family.
  • Success in life largely depends on how you handle your failures.

Short African proverbs about family

Proverbs are short common sayings, usually in the form of a phrase. They are frequently used to demonstrate a specific point. Knowledge of wise sayings is beneficial since it expands your vocabulary and improves social skills.

  • All errors are amendable.
  • Nobody is born wise.
  • A roaring lion kills no game.
  • He who learns teaches.
  • The night has ears.
  • Teeth do not see poverty.
  • Travelling is learning.
  • All that glitters is not gold.
  • Beggars can't be choosers.
  • Better safe than sorry.

African proverbs about community

The rebuilding of family values and relationships relies heavily on unity. It contributes to communal trust and tranquilly. Here is a compilation of the best African proverbs about the community to help you bond.

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African proverbs about family
Ethnic parents are raising a cheerful girl on a tree farm roadway. Photo: pexels.com, @any-lane (modified by author)
Source: UGC
  • Cross the river in a crowd, and the crocodile won't eat you.
  • The wealth of the greedy ultimately goes to the community.
  • If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
  • Unity is strength; division is weakness.
  • When spiders unite, they can tie down a lion.
  • In a community, every person should have more of something than for one person to have everything.
  • If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside cannot harm.

Above are some inspirational African proverbs about family and unity that you should learn about. African proverbs can communicate wit, truth, and life experiences. African culture is only complete with sayings. They aid in the explanation of concepts, the strengthening of arguments, and the transmission of messages of motivation, happiness, and encouragement.

Yen.com.gh published an exciting list of love and trusted messages to make her believe you. Love and trust are two essential prerequisites for a successful relationship. A healthy relationship requires ensuring your partner understands you respect and believe in them.

Couples must periodically renew their affection for and confidence in their relationships. A lovely love letter to persuade her will assist you in expressing your affection for her in a manner that will make her smile.

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Tatiana Thiga avatar

Tatiana Thiga (Lifestyle writer) Tatiana Thiga is a content creator who joined Yen in 2022. She is an English literature graduate from Kenyatta University. She has amassed sufficient knowledge working on a variety of topics, including biographies, fashion and lifestyles, guides, and more. In 2023, Tatiana finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her at tatianathiga@gmail.com