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Krio Proverbs - Sierra Leone Web. Compiled by Peter C. Andersen

INCH NO IN MASTA, KABASLOHT NO IN MISIS. An implication knows its master (just as) a dress knows its mistress. Used to warn people when you are aware you are the object of their insinuating remarks.

OGIRI DE LAF KENDA FOH SMEHL. Ogiri laughs at kenda on account of its smell. Kenda and ogiri, when uncooked, are both rank-smelling seasonings. "The pot calling the kettle black."

KHAKI NOH DU FOH S.I., POHTA SE I WAN LOHNG PANKS [FOH YAD]. There's not enough khaki for the S.I. (Senior Inspector), the porter says he wants long pants (four yards)

PAMAI NOH DU PAN BONDO PIKIN, YU ROHB AM NA IN FUT? (Mende) There's not enough palm oil for the Bondo girl, you rub it on her foot?

TING WE NOH DU FOH WAN MAN, IF TU MAN IT AM, NA STAVESHOHN. There's not enough of a thing for one man, if two men eat it it's starvation.

BLAK TREHD NOH ROWND PIJIN IN NEHK, A NOH GO SE DOV. The black thread won't go around the pigeon's neck, much less the dove's. There isn't enough for me, so there's no question of my giving any away.

MOHNKI TOHK, MOHNKI YEHRI. Monkey talks, monkey listens. Persons who think alike will understand one another.

YU DU MI, A DU YU: MOSES' LAW. You do unto me, I do unto you: Moses' Law

WE YU BOHS MI YAI, A CHUK YU WES. (Kono)
YU PUL DI KANDA OHNDA MI FUT, A PUL DI KANDA OHNDA YU WES; A NOH GO TINAP, YU NOH GO SIDOHN."Tit for tat." "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."

DOHTI WATA SEHF KIN OHT FAIA. Even dirty water can put out a fire. The wider meaning is, "Any port in a storm," but it is often used as a sexual allusion.

BUSH NOH DE FOH TROWE BAD PIKIN. Bad children may not be thrown into the bush. No matter how bad a child may turn out to be, he can't be disowned by his family.

AS YU MEK YU BED, NA SO YU GO LEDOHN PAN AM. As you make your bed, so you shall lie on it. Used positively rather than negatively, it means that one will enjoy the fruits of one's labor.

PIKIN WE NOH YEHRI IN MAMA IN WOHD, NA TRIT GO MEHN AM. A child who doesn't listen to its mother will be brought up by the street. A child who is disobedient at home will eventually have to face the consequences of a poor upbringing.

BEGA-BEGA NOH DE PIK EHN CHUZ. [BEGAMAN NOH NO IN CHOIS.] A beggar can't pick and choose.

POH MAN [HEHNGGMAN] NOH GEHT SAIS. A poor man has no size.

YU NOH JEHNTRI, YU SE YU NOH DE IT DOHG. (Kono) You're not rich, you say you won't eat dog. "Beggars can't be choosers."

MOHNKI NOHBA [NOH GO] LEHF IN BLAK HAN. A monkey will never be rid of its black hands. A bad person, especially a thief, will never give up his bad ways. "A leopard won't change his spots."

YU KOHBA SMOK SOTE, I MOHS KOHMOHT. No matter how you try to cover up smoke, it must come out. A person's bad character cannot be long hidden.

ABOHBOH NOH WAN KOL WATA, PAS WAM WATA. Cooked beans don't want cold water, only hot water. A child doesn't respond to persuasion, but only to compulsion.

YU NA SHALAT: YU NOH DE VEHKS.

WAN MAN NOH DE FUL BOHKS. One man can't fill the box. A woman needs several lovers to fulfill her material wants.

FEHT FOH YU HED, MEHK YU FUT KOHBA: YU SE YU DADI DE GRAMA SKUL. Fight for your head, cover your feet: You say your dad is in grammar school.

PUSH-PUSH DE STOHP PAN WOHL. Pushing stops at the wall.

IVIN WOHM SEHF KIN VEHKS. (Kono) Even a worm can get angry. Enough is enough. "Even a worm will turn." Worms live in swamps, and are therefore assumed to have a "cold" temperment

KOHMIEHL NOH DE WAKA, PAS DEHN PUT FAIA NA IN WES. [TOHTOIS NOH DE WAKA, PAS DEHN PUT FAIA NA IN BAKSAI.] [IF YU NOH PUT FAIA NA TOHTOIS IN BAKSAI, I NOH GO WAKA.] Some people will do a thing only under compulsion.

WAN FINGGA NOH GO TEK STON. One finger can't pick up a stone.

WAN FINGGA NOH GO EBUL TEK BANGGA. (Temne) One finger can't pick up a palm kernel.

WAN FINGGA NOH GO EBUL PUL LOHS NA HED. One finger can't pick a louse off the head.

WAN FINGGA NOH GO EBUL OPIN BAKSAI. (Kono) One finger can't open up an anus.

YU WAN KAKA, BOHT YU NOH WAN IT. You want to shit, but you don't want to eat. You want the reward, but you don't want to work to get it.

MOHNKI WOK, BABU IT. The monkey works, the baboon eats.

MEHN DOHG FOH GOHVMEHNT. Raise a dog for the government.

BAKSAI DE WOK FOH RAS.

IF YU LISTIN PAN MAKIT NOIS, YU NOH GO BAI WETIN YU WANT. If you listen to the market noise, you won't buy what you want.

OL FAIAWUD NOH HAT FOH KECH. Old firewood is not hard to rekindle.

WETIN DE PAN YAMS WE NEHF NOH SABI? [WETIN DE INSAI POHNGKI WE NEHF NOH NO?] What is there about yams (inside a pumpkin) that a knife doesn't know?

SABI NOH GEHT WOHRI. [SABI-MAN NOH WOHRI.] Knowledge has no worry.

YAI NOH DE IT ORINCH, BOHT I SABI DI SAWA (SWIT) WAN. [YAI NOH DE TOT (YAI NOH GEHT SKEL), BOHT I SABI HEBI LOD.] [YAI NOH DE TOT BOHNDUL, BOHT I SABI DI WET.]

FOHS FUL NOHTO FUL, BOHT SEKOHN FUL, NA-IN NA FUL (KRES).

OL GRANI NOH GO DENAI FOHS FOHK, BOHT DI SEHKOHN WAN, I NOH GO GRI PAN AM. (Kono).

NA WAN NEHT FOH FOHK KRESMAN; DIE OHDA NEHT, I NOH GO GRI FOH-RAM EGEN. (Mende).

MI NA WATASAISTON: A NOH DE MUV. I am a waterside stone: I'm immoveable.

IF YU YAMS WET, KOHBA-RAM. If your yam is white, cover it.

WANT-WANT NOH GEHT, GEHT-GEHT NOH WANT. Those who want don't have, those who have don't want.

TIFMAN NOH LEHK IN KOHMPIN. A thief dislikes his fellow thief.

TREHNKMAN NOH DE FEHN PALAVA. A strong man doesn't provoke arguments.

BIG MOHT NOH NO IN MASTA IN POH WAN. A big mouth doesn't know that its master is poor.

POH MAN BLOHF (YENGEMA BLOHF): TOWZEHND DE NA MOHT, GRANAT (BONGGA HED) DE NA POHKIT.

"IF A BIN NO," NA-IN DE LAS (NA-IN OHLWES DE BIEHN). "If I had only known!" always comes too late.

OHL KRAI DU FOH BEHRIN. Any kind of crying will do for a funeral.

HOWEHVA TIN TRANGGA TETE, I DE DOHN. (Kono)

A NOH DE BLEM FUFU, PAS OHKROH (NA OHKROH A DE BLEM). I don't blame the fufu, I blame the okra.

KARAMOKO DE PRE FOH GO HEHVIN, BOHT IF YU TEHL AM FOH GO TIDE, I NOH GO GRI.

KABASLOHT IN KOTOKU.

WETIN NA YU YON PAN HOHG MOHNI WE YU DADI NOHTO BUCHA?

ABOP PAN DAIMAN SUS WE YU NOH SABI IN SAIS. [NOH ABOP PAN DAIMAN SUS.]

KAPU SEHNS, NOH KAPU WOHD. Seize on the sense, don't seize on the word.

YU FOHDOHN FOH MI, A FOHDOHN FOH YU. You fall for me, I fall for you.

NA TU HAN DE KROHB BAK. (Kono) It takes two hands to scrub a back.

UDAT LUK YAWO NA IN FES, NA-IN NO SE YAWO DE KRAI.

USAI DEHN TAI KOW, NA DE I FOH IT (PUL GRAS).

WE FOHL WET, I WET. When a chicken is white, it's white.

WETIN SWIT NA GOT IN MOHT, NA-IN GO ROHN IN BEHLEH.

IF YU TEK TEHM KIL ANCH (MASKITA) YU GO SI IN GOHT. If you kill an ant (mosquito) carefully, you will see its guts.

BIA DOHG, NA-IN DE IT FAT BON.

NOH WOHRI PAS MEKES.

IF YU WANT OHL, YU DE LOHS OHL. If you want everything, you will lose everything.

MBLAMA! MBLAMA! LUK MOTOKA TINAP! Mblama! Mblama! There's the vehicle!

SIRA-MAN DOHN FOHDOHN WIT IN MOTOKA. The Lebanese has had a car accident.

NOHTO EHVRI DE NA KRISMES. Every day is not Christmas.

NIUS NOH GEHT FUT, BOHT I DE WAKA. News has no feet, but it travels.

WOHD NOH GEHT YES, BOHT I DE YEHRI FA. A word has no ears, but it hears far.

BRIZ NOH GEHT WUMAN, BOHT I DE LUS LAPA.

KAKROCH NOH DE GO NA MAKIT, BOHT I DE IT PAMAI. The cockroach doesn't go to market, but it eats palm oil.

KOHNI-MAN DAI, KOHNI-MAN BEHR AM. When a cunning man dies, it's a cunning man who buries him.

WETIN REN MIT, NA-IN I DE SOK.

WE YU GO NA KOHNTRI, IF YU MIT PIPUL DEHN DE DANS WIT WAN FUT, YUSEHF FOH DANS WIT WAN FUT. BOHT IF YU DANS WIT TU FUT, DEHN GO KOHT DI OHDA WAN OHNDA YU. (Kono) When you go to a country where the people dance on one foot, you should dance on one foot as well. If you dance on two feet, they'll cut one of them from under you.

KOHBAKLOS NOH GEHT HEDSAI. (Kono)

MOTOKA NOH BIG FOH IN DRAIVA. (Kono) A vehicle is not to big for its driver.

MOHNI NA HAN, BAK NA GROHN. Money in the hand, back on the ground.

WETIN DOHTI BOI WANT: POHMP LOHK. What the dirty boy wants: the pump is locked.

WE YAI SI, MOHT FOH SEHT (LOHK, KOHBA).

EHMTI BAG NO DE TINAP. An empty bag cannot stand.

SMOHL-SMOHL, IN-IN DE MEK WATA FULOHP. [SMOHL-SMOHL, NA-IN GO MED PLEHNTI. (Kono).

HOLOHP NOH KAM BAI TREHNK, NA BAI SAVO (REHSPEHT, SKIL).

YU DE KIL TU BOHD WIT WAN STON.

ROD LOHNG TE, I DE EHND PAN TOHN (NA PAN TOHN I DE STOHP). (Mende)

KAKA LOHNG SOTE, I MOHS KOHT.

BIFO I BOHN, LEH I SOK. Before it burns, let it get wet.

TIF-TIF, GOHD LAF.

OHL MOHTA-MAN NOH IKWA NA DIS WOHL, NA-IN MEK FINGGA DEHNSEHF NOH IKWA.

SHIP-HED EHN GOT HED NOHTO WAN./MAN PAS MAN./TROHISIS PAS TROHSIS./AIEHN DE KOHT AIEHN.

OHKROH LOHNG SOTE, I NOH GO LOHNG PAS IN MASTA.

PIKIN BIG SOTE, I NOH GO BIG PAS IN PAPA.

KOHTIN-TRI FOHDOHN SOTE, I HAI PAS GRAS.

WE BRIZ DE KEHR MATA-ODO, WETIN FANA DE FEHN (DU) NA GROHN.

ARATA NA BIG MOHRE-MAN, BOHT I NOH GO PRE PAN PUS KANDA. The rat is a big shaman, but he's not going to pray on cat skin.

DOHG KRES SOTE, I NOH GO IT KROOMAN KAKA.

POLIS WAM TE, I NOH GO SLAP IN BOHS.

FLAI, IN YAI BROK SEHF, I NOH GO EHNTA BAKSAI.

KAKROCH NOH GEHT POWA NA FOHL KOHNTRI. The cockroach has no power in chicken country.

WE KAKROCH WAN HALAKI, I DE GO INSAI PAMAI BOHTUL [I SE I DE MARED NA FOHL KOHNTRI]. When a cockroach wants to come to grief, he goes inside a palm oil bottle [he says he will marry in chicken country].

IF KAKROCH SE I DE DANS, KOHL KAK, LEH I KAM NAK SANGBA FOH-RAM. If the cockroach says he will dance, call the cock, have him come and beat the drum for him.

SEHN KAKROCH FOH GO KOHL FOHL. Send a cockroach to go call a chicken.

TROHKI WAN BOHKS, BOHT IN HAN SHOHT (BOHT I NOH GEHT HAN). The turtle wants to box, but its arms are too short (but it has no arms.)

TOHTOIS WAN TRIMBUL, BOHT I NOH GEHT DI BOHDI. (Kono) The tortoise wants to tremble, but it doesn't have the body.

A GEHT BOHKU SINGG FOH PIKIN, BOHT A NOH GEHT PIKIN. I have a lot of songs for children, but I have no child.

AS YU SEHL YUSEHF, NA SO DI WOHL GO BAI YU.

IF YU SABI WAS YU HAN, YU KIN IT WIT BIG PIPUL DEHN.

DAT REN WE BIT BITA-LIF SOTE I BITA, NA-IN BIT SUGA KEN SOTE I SWIT.

"NO YUSEHF" NOHTO KOHS.

YU NA WET BIG FOHL, YU NOH NO YU WET NA OHKROH SUP.

IF DEHN TEHL YU SE YU NA EHLIFANT, NOH PAS PAN ARATA ROD. (Kono)

A BIN MIN SE NA EHLIFANT (KOW), BIHOL, NA SHIP (GOT). (Mende)

CHEHR-CHEHR TROSIS SE I NOH DE GO NA TOHN, IN MASTA NOH REHDI YET.

FOHL-KUP SE I NOH DE GO NA FAM, IN ONA NOH REHDI. (Kono).

A-LEHK SEHF YU GET POWA SOTE, YU NOH GO PAS KAKA, BIKOHS NA-IN DE PUL TROHSIS PAN KWIN [PUL YU OHNDA REN].

WE PUS NOH DE, ARATA TEK CHAJ. When the cat's away, the rat takes charge.

WE LEPEHT DAI, IN BOHDI SOHFA. (Kono) When the leopard dies, his body suffers.

HOS TAIT SOTE, FOHL MOHS LE EG.

UDAT DI KIAP FIT, NA-IN GO WEHR AM.

MAMI NOH DE DU NA DOH MOHT, BOHT WE WA KAM, I DE KOHMOHT NA BAK DOH (I DE PAS NA WINDA). (Kono)

KOW WE NOH GEHT TEL, NA GOHD GO DREHB IN FLAI.

IF YU TROWE ASIS, ASIS GO FALA YU. If you throw ashes, ashes will follow you. If you try to make trouble for others, you will bring it upon yourself.

MAN WE BOHN IN BIABIA, NA-IN FOHS GO SMEHL AM.

KAKA GO FALA FAT.

PIKIN WE SE IN MAMA NOH GO SLIP, INSEHF NOH GO SLIP.

IF LOHS NOH DOHN NA HED, BLOHD NOH GO DOHN NA FINGGA.

UDAT TAI OHKPOHLOH NA IN FUT, NA-IN SNEK GO FALA.

IF YU NOH WANT LEH MOHNKI TEL TOHCH YU, NOH GO NA MOHNKI (IN) DANS. (Kono)

IF YU NOH WANT PALAVA, NOH PLE WIT PIKIN.

NYANGGA DE SLIP, TROHBUL DE GO WEK AM.

NA TROHBUL MED MOHNKI IT PEHPEH.

IF YU SI FROHG DE JOHMP-JOHMP SANTEHM, NA SOHMTIN DE BIEHN AM.

IF YU SI MAN DE ROHN INSAI IN DRAI REHS, IF NOHTO IN DE ROHN AFTA SOHMTIN, WEHL NA SOHMTIN DE ROHN AFTA-RAM. (Mende)

TWENTI DE FOH TIFMAN, WAN DE FOH MASTA-OS (ONA).

GO INSAI KWIK, KOHMOHT KWIK: IF MOHTA-MAN NOH SI YU, NA GOST DEHN GO SE YU. (Kono)

TIFMAN IN MEHREHSIN NOH HAT FOH GEHT, NA IN HAT TROHNG. (Kono)

BAD MAN BEHTEH PAS EMHTI BED. A bad husband is better than an empty bed.

SHUB LILIBIT PAS EHMTI BED. "Move over a little" is better than an empty bed.

MAN WE GEHT WUMAN, I BEHTEH PAS PALAMPO. A man with a wife is better off than a bachelor.

DRINKMAN IN WALEHT NA BOHTUL. A drunkard's wallet is a bottle.

A NOH DE BAI KOW PAN IN VOIS. (Kono)

LAIMAN SE, IN WEHF DOHN GO NA FAM. (Kono)

YU GEHT TU YES, BOHT YU NOH YEHRI TU WOHD TUGEHDA. (Kono)

TOHK TOHMTIN TU YES, LEH I YEHRI, BOHT WE YU DE TOHK AM, I DE KOHMOHT NA DI OHDA SAI. (Kono)

DI WATA WE YU TEK FOH WAS, NOHTO OHL DE GO PAN YU. (Kono)

USAI YU TIT KOHMOHT, YU TOHNG NOH GO KOHMOHT DE. (Kono)

YAI NOH DE KOHMOHT BAD PLES (SAI).

DANS WE DE MEK POHSIN POH, YU NOH GO FOHGEHT IN SINGG.

TU MASTA NOH DE ROHN WAN SHAP. (Kono)

YU KUK BIF, I NOH SWIT; NA BON YU GO KUK WE GO SWIT?

IF JEHNTRI DE NA HEHVIN, DEHN GO SABI AM PAN DI SIKMAN IN FES. (Kono)

IF YU PUT TIK NA HOL, I KIN LAI FOH YU, BOHT IF YU PUT YU HAN INSAI, I NOH GO LAI. (Mende)

TING WE YU NOH TOHK EHN DU, NA-IN NA SIKRIT. (Mende)

SNEK NOH DE BEHT POHSIN BIKOHS I DE TINAP BIFO. (Mende)

WAN PLAIA NOH GO EBUL TEK TU AIEHN TUGEHDA NA FAIA. (Mende)

FOHL NOH LE EG, I SE I DE GO HACH AM. (Mende) The chicken hasn't laid an egg, it says it's going to hatch it.

LEH WI KLEM HIL, LEH WE IT KANYA. (Kono and Mende) Let's climb the hill and eat kanya. Then what will give us the strength to climb the hill? "Putting the cart before the horse."

EHMTI BOHKIT, NA-IN DE MEK PLEHNTI NOIS. (Mende)

YU GO SABI POHSIN IN TRAIB BAI DE WE I DE KRAI. (Mende)

FOHL DE TEK FROM IN KOHMPIN FOHL. [FOHL DE PUL FROHM IN KOHMPIN FOHL IN MOHT.] (Mende)

YU NOH SIDOHN, YU WAN LEDOHN; YU GO FOHDOHN. (Mende)

FROHG NOH GEHT WES WE I YOHNG: WE I OL, I GO GEHT?

MARED WE GO SWIT, NA FROHM DI BACHLOH'S IV YU GO NO.

WAN TIK NOH DE MEK FOHREHST. (Mende) One tree doesn't make a forest.

IF YU NOH LEHK DI FRUT, YU NOH FOH LEHK DI SID. (Mende) If you don't like the fruit, you shouldn't like the seed.

IF YU WAN FOH FAIN, DEHN DE BOHN YU WIT AM. (Mende)

NOHBOHDI NOH DE WAS WATA. (Mende) Nobody washes water.

YAI NA WATA: A NOH DE FRED YU BIKOHS YU DE LUK MI. (Mende)

LEHPEHT, I DE MEHMBA IN BAD WAN, NA-IN MEK I NOH DE LEDOHN NA GROHN. (Mende)