Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa having never been colonized. Here are some of Ethiopia's proverbs for you to enjoy.


He who does not know the extent of his power falls and is bruised. ~Ethiopian Proverb

Saying that it's for her child, she gets herself a loaf of bread. ~Ethiopian Proverb

A silly daughter teaches her mother how to bear children. ~Ethiopian Proverb

Elephants do not beat each other. ~Ethiopian Proverb

One person alone cannot rule the country. ~Ethiopian Proverb

Dine with a stranger, but save your love for your family. ~Ethiopian Proverb

He who has power and falls will be bruised. ~Ethiopian Proverb

The voice of a strong person is obeyed immediately. ~Ethiopian Proverb

What is inflated too much will break into fragments. ~Ethiopian Proverb

One who recovers from sickness, forgets about God. ~Ethiopian Proverb

The mouse is silent while laboring, but when the baby is conceived, she cries. ~Ethiopian Proverb

When one is in love, a cliff becomes a meadow. ~Ethiopian Proverb

The foot disdains the head and the head, the foot. ~Ethiopian Proverb

When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion. ~Ethiopian Proverb

The sheep with a strong master sleeps with his tail outside the house. ~Ethiopian Proverb

One’s strength in conflict comes from one’s verbal skills. ~Ethiopian Proverb

Eat when the food is ready; speak when the time is right. ~Ethiopian Proverb

Because he lost his reputation, he lost a kingdom. ~Ethiopian Proverb

A home without a woman is like a barn without cattle. ~Ethiopian Proverb

Unless you call out, who will open the door? ~Ethiopian Proverb

Evil enters like a needle and spreads like an oak tree. ~Ethiopian Proverb

One does not cut the tusks of an elephant. ~Ethiopian Proverb

A donkey which goes to grow horns returns with its ears cut off. ~Ethiopian Proverb

He who learns, teaches. ~Ethiopian Proverb

To kill a lion is to be ready for war. ~Ethiopian Proverb

Move your neck according to the music. ~Ethiopian Proverb

You cannot build a house for last year's summer. ~Ethiopian Proverb

One who runs alone cannot be outrun. ~Ethiopian Proverb

Better a single decision maker than a thousand advisors. ~Ethiopian Proverb

The strong bull is overcome when it limps. ~Ethiopian Proverb

Listening accumulates power. ~Ethiopian Proverb

Coffee and love taste best when hot. ~Ethiopian Proverb

Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors. ~Ethiopian Proverb

An elephant with a bad leg limps along. ~Ethiopian Proverb

Singing "Alleluia" everywhere does not prove piety. ~Ethiopian Proverb

A bull does not bellow in a foreign country. ~Ethiopian Proverb

A wise man cannot save a decaying country as manure cannot save an eroding land. ~Ethiopian Proverb

In the house he is a leaf; outside, a camel. ~Ethiopian Proverb

Where there is no shame, there is no honor. ~Ethiopian Proverb

When the heart overflows, it comes out through the mouth. ~Ethiopian Proverb

The fool speaks, the wise man listens. ~Ethiopian Proverb

Great men have big hearts. ~Ethiopian Proverb

One should punish a child the first time he comes home with a stolen egg. Otherwise, the day he returns home with a stolen ox, it will be too late. ~Ethiopian Proverb

When the shepherd comes home in peace, the milk is sweet. ~Ethiopian Proverb

The witness of a rat is another rat. ~Ethiopian Proverb

The weaver must be patient because the weak threads break easily. ~Ethiopian Proverb

The elephant does not limp when walking on thorns. ~Ethiopian Proverb

The best of mankind is a farmer; the best food is fruit. ~Ethiopian Proverb

When a strong man sends a message, he sends it with a weak man. ~Ethiopian Proverb

Where a woman rules, stream run uphill. ~Ethiopian Proverb


African Proverbs for Weddings, Marriage and Love
This eBook contains many African proverbs on love and marriage. Some proverbs are very sweet and romantic while others are tongue in cheek and almost making fun of love and romance.