On this page, you will find Xitsonga Idioms and Proverbs translated into English for easy understanding.
Welcome to our resource page dedicated to Xitsonga idioms and proverbs. Here, you will find a curated collection of these traditional sayings, thoughtfully translated into English for easy understanding. Whether you’re a student, educator, or simply a lover of language and culture, this page serves as a gateway to the wisdom and poetic expression embedded in Xitsonga heritage. Explore these translations and enrich your comprehension of this vibrant language and its profound cultural insights.
| A ndzi ku hi laha ku nga na mpfula ku sala ndzhongo | Direct – I thought it is where the rain has poured and left fertile soil ground Meaning – I thought it was good things |
| Baji ri talele hi moya | Direct – The jacket is full of air Meaning – Someone has passed away |
| Dyondzo i xitlhangu xa vutomi | Direct – Education is the key to a good life |
| Emahlweni ka nghala ku fambiwa na xisana | Direct – When you go in front of a lion you must take a fire Meaning – You must be prepared when you approach a difficult target |
| Fuwa hlolwa u tsema ndleve | Direct – When you domesticate a wild dog you must cut its ear Meaning – When you help someone and he or she later turns against you |
| Hambi wo famba enkoveni lundza ri ta vonaka | Direct – Even if you walk in a valley your head will be visible Meaning – There are no secrets |
| Hi ta ku i timangwa loko hi vona mavala | Direct – We will say it’s zebras when we see the stripes Meaning – I will believe something when I see it |
| Homu yo famba hi ndlela a yi heti nsimu | Direct – A cattle which eats as it moves by the roadside does not finish a field Meaning – A visitor will not finish your food |
| Huma mhiri se ku nghena mamba | Direct – A python should leave for the black mamba to go in Meaning – When you beat someone at something very important |
| Humba yi olele nkuma | Direct – The snail has collected ashes Meaning – Someone passed away |
| I kwakwa ra sekwa ma vonela e kule | Direct – The blessings of a duck is that it can see things which are far |
| I malebvu ya nghala | Direct – It is a lion’s beard Meaning – Something that is not as scary as it looks |
| I matutu vana va tavasi | Direct – It is plenty |
| I tihomu ta ka Sono ti gomolana exivaleni | Direct – Cattle fighting in a kraal Meaning – A family discussing family matters |
| Ku ba mati tingwenya ti tlela | Direct – To beat the water and the crocodiles sleep Meaning – To give a bribe |
| Ku dya ngopfu a hi ku hlula ndlala | Direct – Eating too is not to defeat hunger Meaning – Eating too much doesn’t defeat hunger |
| Ku pfuxiwa leyi ti pfuxaka | Direct – People only wake those who wake themselves Meaning – People only help those who help themselves |
| Ku tlula ka mhala swi letela n’wana wa le ndzeni | Direct – The way an impala jumps influences its unborn child Meaning – A child often takes after their mother |
| Ku tshama hi mavoko swi chela vusiwana | Direct – Lazy hands make a man poor |
| Kuwa ra le tshyakeni u dyisa hi n’wana | Direct – Only your child can feed you a dirty fig fruit |
| Kuwa ro tshwuka ri na xivungu endzeni | Direct – A fig fruit which is pink has a worm inside Meaning – A beautiful woman tends to have bad deeds |
| Kwembe ro hiwa a ri na murhu | Direct – A pumpkin which is given to you or you didn’t prepare yourself is usually dry |
| Laha ku nga ni tinhongani ku borile xilo | Direct – Where there are flies there’s something rotten |
| Laha ndlati yi nga ba kona yi tlhela yi vuya | Direct – Lighting will struck when it has struck in the past |
| Lexi xi nga heriku xa hlola | Direct – What doesn’t end is taboo Meaning – Everything has an end |
| Loko u nga fambi u ta teka makwavo | Direct – If you don’t travel you’ll marry your sibling |
| Loko u tsundzuka mhelembe khandziya nsinya | Direct – When you think of a rhino immediately climb a tree Meaning – When you remember something do it immediately |
| Mahlo ya kwahle ya tiva hi muyevuri | Direct – The eyes of lizard are only seen by the hunter who kills it Meaning – You don’t know something until you experience it |
| Makondlo ma mbirhi a ya celi mbovo wun’we | Direct – Two rats cannot dig the same hole |
| Mangwa yi pfumale timondzo hi ku rhumisa | Direct – A zebra doesn’t have horn because of sending others to do its work |
Source
https://www.xitsonga.org/proverbs