As the world celebrates Valentine’s day – Chocolate day – the day of love, most of us naturally begin to think about what love really means. African proverbs, which are old-age adages often referring to the earth, animals, and everyday activities, convey life lessons. These punchy quotes inspire, illuminate, and humor as they teach.
Although love is hard to define, these 20 African proverbs on love give some insights on what the emotion and idea mean.
Love is important
1. Bread without sauce and a home without a wife are meaningless. – Ethiopia
2. It is better to be loved than feared. – Sierra Leone
Love takes sacrifice
3. If you do not travel, you will marry your own sister. – Mozambique
4. If a woman doesn’t love you, she calls you “brother.” – Côte d’Ivoire
5. You know who you love but you can’t know who loves you. – Nigeria
But love is not perfect
6. A married couple is neither enemies nor friends. – Somalia
7. He who loves you, loves you with your dirt. – Uganda (Ganda)
8. A man that does not lie shall never marry. – Zimbabwe
9. A good wife is easy to find, but suitable in-laws are rare. – Malagasy
10. One who marries for love alone will have bad days but good nights. – Egypt
Sometimes, you will love the wrong person
11. If you marry a monkey for his wealth, the money goes and the monkey remains as is. – Egypt
12. Don’t try to make someone hate the person he loves. For he will go on loving but he will hate you. – Senegal
13. If anyone makes you laugh, it is not always because they love you. – Kenya
14. To love someone who does not love you is like shaking a tree to make the dew drops fall. – Congo
But love endures
15. The house of a person we love is never far. – Kenya (Kikuyu)
16. If there is cause to hate someone, the cause to love has just begun. – Wolof
17. Talking with one another is loving one another. – Kenya
18. One who loves you, warns you. – Uganda (Baganda)
19. The quarrel of lovers is the renewal of love. – Morocco
20. Let your love be like the misty rain, coming softly but flooding the river. – Liberia
