Haitian Proverbs Flashcards
Dèyè mòn, gen mòn.
Behind the mountains, there are mountains.
If it’s not one thing, it’s another. There’s more than meets the eye.
Bondye bon.
God is good.
(Whatever god does is best. It’s gods will.
Pale franse pa di lespri.
Speaking French doesn’t mean you’re smart.
Kreyòl pale, Kreyòl konprann.
Creole spoken is creole understood.
Haitian means straight talk
Santi bon koute chè.
Smelling good is expensive.
A big front doesn’t come cheaply
Bay kou bliye, pote mak sonje.
The giver of the blow forgets, the bearer of the scar remembers.
Wòch nan dlo pa konnen doulè wòch nan solèy.
The rock in the water does not know the pain of the rock in the sun.
(There is no way fully to comprehend another’s pain)
Sak vid pa kanpe
Empty bags don’t stand up.
No work gets done on an empty stomach. / you get out if something what you put into it.
Bwè dlo nan vè, respekte vè.
(If you) drink water in the glass, respect the glass.
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you
Si se Bondye ki voye, Li peye Frè ou.
If it’s god who sends (you), he’ll pay your expenses.
The Lord will provide
Sa ou fè, Se li ou wè.
What you do is what you see.
Se mèt kò ki veye kò.
It is the owner of the body who looks out for the body.
Take care of yourself./ take care of that which is yours
Bondye di ou: fè pa ou, m a fè pa m
God says to you : do your part, I’ll do my part.
Ou wè sa ou genyen, ou pa konn sa ou rete.
You know what you’ve got, you don’t know what’s waiting for you.
Kreyon Bondye pa gen gòm.
Gods pencil has no eraser.
God makes no mistakes, / what god promises, he will give.
Fanm Se kajou: plis li vye, plis li bon.
Woman is like mahogany: the older the better.
Fanm pou yon tan, manman pou tout tan.
Wife for a time, mother for all time.
Nèg di San fè, Bondye fè San di.
Man talks without doing, God does without talking.
Lanne pase toujou pi bon.
Past years are always better.
Sa k rive koukouloukou a, ka rive kakalanga tou.
What happens to the turkey, can happen to the rooster too.
What happens to the dumb guy, can happen to the smart guy too
Nanpwen lapriyè ki pa gen “amen”
There is no prayer which does not have an “amen”
There is an end to everything
