Proverbs

The proverb library

Find words, their meaning and context in the available sources.

29 proverbs

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

Bakubaka mu koko, uguluka, kansi mu nwa kigonsa

French translation

On te saisit par la main, tu te sauves, mais le danger menace la bouche

English translation

Translation pending
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Sources

  1. Butaye, RenéTranslation pending — Dictionnaire kikongo-français, français-kikongoTranslation pending (1910), p. 91

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

Bu ukuenda kuna kanda, ku kitata k'ufusi ntoto ko

French translation

Quand tu pars pour ta kanda, ne te brouilles pas avec ta kitata

English translation

Translation pending
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Sources

  1. Butaye, RenéTranslation pending — Dictionnaire kikongo-français, français-kikongoTranslation pending (1910), p. 54

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

Diaki di sisidi ngumbi, nkanga k'alendi teta ko

French translation

Un œuf laissé par un perdreau, la caille ne peut le faire éclore

English translation

Translation pending
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Sources

  1. Butaye, RenéTranslation pending — Dictionnaire kikongo-français, français-kikongoTranslation pending (1910), p. 24

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

Diambu di gogele mbuta, mu nwa nleke ditukidi

French translation

Ce que dit un chef se trahit dans le langage de ses hommes

English translation

Translation pending
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Sources

  1. Butaye, RenéTranslation pending — Dictionnaire kikongo-français, français-kikongoTranslation pending (1910), p. 152

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

e diambu diadi e mbula ye mbasa ina

French translation

cette affaire demande une explication plus poussée ; elle n'est pas suffisamment claire

English translation

that matter requires further explanation; that is not sufficiently clear

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Sources

  1. Bentley, William HolmanTranslation pending — Appendix to the Dictionary and Grammar of the Kongo LanguageTranslation pending (1895), p. 870

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

Funda nkanu ye mbuta, k'ufundi nkanu ye nleke ko

French translation

Réglez un procès devant un ancien, ne le réglez pas devant un plus jeune

English translation

Translation pending
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Sources

  1. Butaye, RenéTranslation pending — Dictionnaire kikongo-français, français-kikongoTranslation pending (1910), p. 36

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

Go ufongele, fwa ku taba; go ulengele, kuzinga ku nlele

French translation

À se tenir assis le pagne s'use, à être en mouvement le pagne dure

English translation

Translation pending
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Sources

  1. Butaye, RenéTranslation pending — Dictionnaire kikongo-français, français-kikongoTranslation pending (1910), p. 34

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

Kodila ku nlangi bola, muna kati ntutu

French translation

Cueille une tige d'oignon, au milieu c'est creux

English translation

Translation pending
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Sources

  1. Butaye, RenéTranslation pending — Dictionnaire kikongo-français, français-kikongoTranslation pending (1910), p. 13

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

kuviki landa diambu ko yavana kilunga etatu; kosi, susi; kole, tundangana; kutatu, kana kakana dio

French translation

ne te hâte pas trop de poursuivre une offense avant qu'elle ne se soit produite une troisième fois ; la première fois, prends-la pour un accident ; la deuxième, pour une erreur ; la troisième fois, c'était intentionnel

English translation

do not be in too great haste to follow up an offence until it has happened a third time; firstly, take it for an accident; secondly, for a mistake; the third time it was intended

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Sources

  1. Bentley, William HolmanTranslation pending — Appendix to the Dictionary and Grammar of the Kongo LanguageTranslation pending (1895), p. 917

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

Kwakia se kufukila

French translation

tu commences à te couvrir au point du jour

English translation

you begin to cover yourself at daybreak

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Sources

  1. Bentley, William HolmanTranslation pending — Dictionary and Grammar of the Kongo Language, as Spoken at San Salvador, the Ancient Capital of the Old Kongo Empire, West AfricaTranslation pending (1887), p. 315

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

Makutu kana ukudidi, ka maluta ntu ko

French translation

Même quand tu auras grandi, jamais tes oreilles ne dépasseront la tête

English translation

Translation pending
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Sources

  1. Butaye, RenéTranslation pending — Dictionnaire kikongo-français, français-kikongoTranslation pending (1910), p. 135

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

Mavwata batanga, ngoga ka batanga ko

French translation

On compte les brasses (d'étoffes payées), on ne compte pas les paroles

English translation

Translation pending
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Sources

  1. Butaye, RenéTranslation pending — Dictionnaire kikongo-français, français-kikongoTranslation pending (1910), p. 254

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

Muana nsa ukilongila muna muinga

French translation

Une jeune antilope apprend à force de courir dans les herbes

English translation

Translation pending
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Sources

  1. Butaye, RenéTranslation pending — Dictionnaire kikongo-français, français-kikongoTranslation pending (1910), p. 70

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

Muana ufwila muna nkata ngudi, ninga zindwelo

French translation

L'enfant qui meurt sur le sein de sa mère provoque peu de larmes

English translation

Translation pending
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Sources

  1. Butaye, RenéTranslation pending — Dictionnaire kikongo-français, français-kikongoTranslation pending (1910), p. 167

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

mwana a kinsamuna kakala mpasi ko

French translation

l'enfant du récit n'est pas en peine

English translation

the child of the story is not in trouble

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Sources

  1. Bentley, William HolmanTranslation pending — Appendix to the Dictionary and Grammar of the Kongo LanguageTranslation pending (1895), p. 848
    mwana a kinsamuna kakala mpasi ko (Proverb), to make a long story short

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

  2. Bentley, William HolmanTranslation pending — Dictionary and Grammar of the Kongo Language, as Spoken at San Salvador, the Ancient Capital of the Old Kongo Empire, West AfricaTranslation pending (1887), p. 362
    Mwana, 1, n., child, offspring, son or

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

  3. Bentley, William HolmanTranslation pending — Dictionary and Grammar of the Kongo Language, as Spoken at San Salvador, the Ancient Capital of the Old Kongo Empire, West AfricaTranslation pending (1887), p. 391
    Nsamuna, 2, n., relation, narration.

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

  4. Bentley, William HolmanTranslation pending — Appendix to the Dictionary and Grammar of the Kongo LanguageTranslation pending (1895), p. 873
    Mpasi, 2, n., trouble.

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

Nkento ubuta, ngununu muana

French translation

Pour femme accouchée l'enfant est un sujet de prétextes, de mensonges

English translation

Translation pending
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Sources

  1. Butaye, RenéTranslation pending — Dictionnaire kikongo-français, français-kikongoTranslation pending (1910), p. 197

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

nkixi ampa mumbana makazu

French translation

un nouveau fétiche prend beaucoup de noix de kola

English translation

a new fetish takes a lot of kola nut

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Sources

  1. Bentley, William HolmanTranslation pending — Dictionary and Grammar of the Kongo Language, as Spoken at San Salvador, the Ancient Capital of the Old Kongo Empire, West AfricaTranslation pending (1887), p. 383

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

kng · kongo

Original text · kng

Nsusu bagunina kiteke

French translation

Poule sous prétexte de sacrifice

English translation

Translation pending
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Sources

  1. Butaye, RenéTranslation pending — Dictionnaire kikongo-français, français-kikongoTranslation pending (1910), p. 49

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

  2. Butaye, RenéTranslation pending — Dictionnaire kikongo-français, français-kikongoTranslation pending (1910), p. 84

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.

  3. Butaye, RenéTranslation pending — Dictionnaire kikongo-français, français-kikongoTranslation pending (1910), p. 216

    Source context : auteur missionnaire, période colonialeTranslation pending

    Reading guidance : Source produced in a colonial or missionary context: read with critical distance.