AFRICAN PROVERBS

1. A man who has one finger pointing at another has three pointing towards himself.

2. Rain beats a leopard's skin, but it does not wash out the spots (Ashanti)

3. Wood already touched by fire is not hard to set alight (Ashanti)

4. You do not teach the paths of the forest to an old gorilla (Congo)

5. He who is bitten by a snake fears a lizard (Uganda)

6. Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it (Akan and Ewe)

7. He who asks questions, cannot avoid the answers (Cameroon)

8. Because a man has injured your goat, do not go out and kill his bull (Kenya)

9. The dog's bark is not might, but fright (Liberia)

10. A tree is known by its fruit (Zulu)

AFRICAN GREETINGS-"I LOVE YOU"

Botswana
Setswana: Ke a go rata
English: Hello

Burkina Faso
French: Je t'aime
Dioula: m'bi fê

Cameroon
French: Je t'aime
English: I love you (in the west of Cameroon)

Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
French: Je t'aime
Dioula: m'bi fê

Egypt
Arabic: Ana Behibak (to a male) Ana Behibek (to a female)
English: I love you

Ethiopia
Amharic: Afekrishalehou
English: I love you

Gabon
French: Je t'aime

Ghana
Twi: Me dowapaa
Hausa: Ina sonki (spoken in northern Ghana)
English: I love you

Kenya
Swahili: Nakupenda
English: I love you

Lesotho
South Sotho: Ke a mo rata
English: I love you

Libya
Arabic: Ana Behibak (to a male) Ana Behibek (to a female)

Madagascar
Malagasy: tiako ianao
French: Je t'aime

Malawi
Chichewa: Ndimakukonda
English: I love you

Mali
French: Je t'aime
Bambara: né bi fè

Mauritania
Arabic: Ana Behibak (to a male) Ana Behibek (to a female)

Morocco
Arabic: Ana Behibak (to a male) Ana Behibek (to a female)
French: Je t'aime

Mozambique
Portuguese: Eu amo-te

Namibia
Damara/Nama: INam tsi ta ge a (from Female to Male) INam si ta ge a (From Male to Female)
Herero: Mbeku suvera
Oshivambo: Ondiku hole
Afrikaans: Ek is lief vir jou
German: Ich liebe dich
English: I love you

Nigeria
Hausa: Ina sonki
Igbo: A hurum gi nanya(southeastern Nigeria)
Yoruba: Mo ni ife re
English: I love you
French: Je t'aime

Rwanda
French: Je t'aime

Senegal
French: Je t'aime
Wolof:Da ma la nope

Sierra Leone
Krio: Ar lek you

South Africa
Zulu: Mena tanda wena
Xhosa: ndiyakuthanda
Afrikaans: Ek is lief vir jou
English: I love you

Sudan
Arabic: Ana Behibak (to a male) Ana Behibek (to a female)

Swaziland
Swati: Ngiyakutsandza
English: I love you

Tanzania
Swahili: Nakupenda
English: I love you

Togo
French: Je t'aime

Tunisia
French: Je t'aime
Arabic: Ana Behibak (to a male) Ana Behibek (to a female)

Uganda
Swahili: Nakupenda
Luganda: Nkwagala
English: I love you

Zambia
English: I love you
Bemba: Ndikufuna

Zimbabwe
English: I love you
Shona: Ndinokuda
Ndebele: Ngiyakuthanda

AFRICAN GREETINGS-"THANK-YOU"

Angola
Portuguese: Obrigado/a (male/female)

Botswana
Setswana: Kea leboga
English: Thank you

Burkina Faso
French: Merci
Dioula: i-ni-che/bah-si-tay (no problem)

Cameroon
French: Merci
English: Thank you (in the west of Cameroon)

Cape Verde
Crioulo: ob-ree-gah-doh
Portuguese: Obrigado/a (male/female)

Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
French: Merci
Dioula: i-ni-che/bah-si-tay (no problem)

Egypt
Arabic: shukran (ga-zee-lan) (very much)
English: Thank you

Ethiopia
Amharic: (betam) amesege'nallo' (very much)
English: Thank you

Gabon
French: Merci

Ghana
Twi: may-dah-say
Ga: oh-yeh-rah-don (spoken in the capital Accra)
Hausa: naa goodee (spoken in northern Ghana)
English: Thank you

Kenya
Swahili: Asante, Asante sana (thank you very much)
English: Thank you

Lesotho
South Sotho: kea leboha
English: Thank you

Libya
Arabic: shukran

Madagascar
Malagasy: Misaotra
French: Thank you

Malawi
Chichewa: Zikomo, Zikomo Kwambiri (thank you very much)
English: Thank you

Mali
French: Merci
Bambara: i-ni-cheh/bah-si-tay (no problem)
Tamashek: tan-oo-mert (Tuareg language)

Mauritania
Arabic: shukran
Hassaniya: shu-krahn

Morocco
Arabic: shukran (bezzef) (very much)
French: Merci

Mozambique
Portuguese: Obrigado/a (male/female)

Namibia
Afrikaans: Dankie, Goed Dankie (well, thank you)
Owambo: Tangi (widely spoken as a second language)
Damara/Nama: eio (spoken in the south and southeast)
Herero/Himba: Okuhepa (spoken in the north central and northwest)
English: Thank you

Nigeria
Hausa: naa goodee
Igbo: ee-may-nah (southeastern Nigeria)
Yoruba: eh-sheh-wuh
English: Thank you
French: Merci

Rwanda
Kinyarwanda: Murakoze
French: Merci

Senegal
French: Merci
Fulfulde: a jaaraama (singular), on jaaraama (pl)
Wolof: jerejef

Sierra Leone
Krio: tenk-kee

South Africa
Zulu: Ngiyabonga
Xhosa: Enkosi
Afrikaans: Dankie, Goed Dankie (well, thank you)
English: Thank you

Sudan
Arabic: shukran

Swaziland
Swati: Ngiyabonga (I thank you), Siyabonga (we thank you)
English: Thank you

Tanzania
Swahili: Asante, Asante sana (thank you very much)
English: Thank you

Togo
French: Merci

Tunisia
French: Merci
Arabic: barkallaoo feek

Uganda
Swahili: Asante, Asante sana (thank you very much)
English: Thank you

Zambia
English: Thank you
Nyanja: Zikomo, Zikomo Kwambiri (thank you very much)
Lozi: N'itumezi (spoken in Western Zambia)
Bemba: Zikomo

Zimbabwe
English: Thank you
Shona: Ndatenda/Masvita
Ndebele: Siyabonga kakulu

AFRICAN GREETINGS-"GOODBYE"

Botswana
Setswana: sala sentle/tsamaya sentle
English: Goodbye

Burkina Faso
French: Au revoir
Dioula: an-beng

Cameroon
French: Au revoir
English: Good bye (in the west of Cameroon)

Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
French: Au revoir
Dioula: an-beng

Egypt
Arabic: bessalama
English: Goodbye

Ethiopia
Amharic: teanastellen
English: Goodbye

Gabon
French: Au revoir

Ghana
Twi: mah krow
Ga: bye bye (spoken in the capital Accra)
Hausa: sai wani lookachi (spoken in northern Ghana)
English: Goodbye

Kenya
Swahili: Kwaheri
English: Goodbye

Lesotho
South Sotho: Tsamaea hantle
English: Goodbye

Libya
Arabic: bessalama

Madagascar
Malagasy: Veloma
French: Au revoir

Malawi
Chichewa: Pitani bwino/tionana
English: Goodbye

Mali
French: Au revoir
Bambara: kan-beng
Tamashek: harr sad(Tuareg language)

Mauritania
Arabic: bessalama
Hassaniya: sa-la-mah ah-lay-kum

Morocco
Arabic: bessalama
French: Au revoir

Mozambique
Portuguese: Adeus/Tchau

Namibia
Afrikaans: Totsiens
Damara/Nama: !gaise hare'!gure (spoken in the south and southeast)
Himba: Kara/kari nawa (spoken in the north central and northwest)
English: Goodbye

Nigeria
Hausa: sai wani lookachi
Igbo: kay may see ah(southeastern Nigeria)
Yoruba: oh dah-boh
English: Goodbye
French: Au revoir

Rwanda
French: Au revoir

Senegal
French: Au revoir
Fulfulde: nalleen e jamm
Diola: ukatura
Wolof: ba beneen

Sierra Leone
Krio: We go si bak

South Africa
Zulu: Sala kahle
Xhosa: Sala kakuhle
Afrikaans: Totsiens
English: Goodbye

Sudan
Arabic: bessalama

Swaziland
Swati: Sala kahle
English: Goodbye

Tanzania
Swahili: Kwaheri
English: Goodbye

Togo
French: Au revoir

Tunisia
French: Au revoir
Arabic: bessalama

Uganda
Swahili: Kwaheri
English: Goodbye

Zambia
English: Goodbye
Bemba: Shalapo

Zimbabwe
English: Goodbye
Shona: Chisarai zvakanaka
Ndebele: Lisale kuhle

AFRICAN GREETINGS-"HELLO"

Angola
Portuguese: Bom Dia (Good Morning), Boa tarde(Good afternoon), Boa noite (Good evening)

Botswana
Setswana: Dumela mma/rra (to woman/man)
English: Hello

Burkina Faso
French: Bonjour
Dioula: in-i-che

Cameroon
French: Bonjour
English: Hello (in the west of Cameroon)

Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
French: Bonjour
Dioula: in-i-che

Egypt
Arabic: salaam aleikum
English: Hello

Ethiopia
Amharic: teanastellen
English: Hello

Gabon
French: Bonjour

Ghana
Twi: ete-sen
Ga: meeng-gah-bou (spoken in the capital Accra)
Hausa: sannu (spoken in northern Ghana)
English: Hello

Kenya
Swahili: Salama/Jambo
English: Hello

Lesotho
South Sotho: Lumela
English: Hello

Libya
Arabic: salaam aleikum

Madagascar
Malagasy: Salama
French: Bonjour

Malawi
Chichewa: Moni
English: Hello

Mali
French: Bonjour
Bambara: i-ni-cheh
Tamashek: met-al-ee-khah(Tuareg language)

Mauritania
Arabic: salaam aleikum
Hassaniya: sa-la-mah ah-lay-kum

Morocco
Arabic: salaam aleikum
French: Bonjour

Mozambique
Portuguese: Bom Dia (Good Morning), Boa tarde (Good afternoon), Boa noite (Good evening)

Namibia
Afrikaans: Hallo
Damara/Nama: !gai//oas (spoken in the south and southeast)
Herero/Himba: Tjike (spoken in the north central and northwest)
English: Hello

Nigeria
Hausa: sannu
Igbo: ee-bow-lah-chee(southeastern Nigeria)
Yoruba: bah-oh
English: Hello
French: Bonjour

Rwanda
French: Bonjour

Senegal
French: Bonjour
Fulfulde: no ngoolu daa
Wolof: na nga def

Sierra Leone
Krio: How de body?

South Africa
Zulu: Sawubona
Xhosa: Molo
Afrikaans: Hallo
English: Hello

Sudan
Arabic: salaam aleikum

Swaziland
Swati: Sawubona
English: Hello

Tanzania
Swahili: Salama/Jambo
English: Hello

Togo
French: Bonjour

Tunisia
French: Bonjour
Arabic: salaam aleikum

Uganda
Swahili: Salama/Jambo
English: Hello

Zambia
English: Hello
Bemba: Muli shani

Zimbabwe
English: Hello
Shona: Mhoroi
Ndebele: Sawubona