Xitsonga.

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A free dictionary with thousands of words Issue: Mon, 17 Apr 2017

To: Guest user

List of proverbs translated from Xitsonga to English

1. A ndzi ku hi laha ku nga na mpfula ku sala ndzhongo

- I thought is where the rain has poured and left fertile soil. ( I thought it was good things )

2. Baji ri talele hi moya

- Jacket is full of air ( Someone has passed away )

3. Emahlweni ka nghala ku fambiwa na xisana

- In front of a lion you take a fire. Be prepared when you approach a difficult target

4. Hambi wo famba enkoveni lundza ri ta vonaka

- Even if you walk in a valley, your head will be visible. ( There are no secrets )

5. Hi ta ku i timangwa loko hi vona mavala

- We will say it's zebras when we see the stripes ( I will believe it when I see it )

6. Huma mhiri se ku nghena mamba

- A python should leave for the black mamba to go in - Change is often good

7. Humba yi olele nkuma

- The snail has collected ashes ( Someone has passed away )

8. I kwakwa ra sekwa mavonela ekule

- The blessings of a duck is that it can see things which are far

9. I malebvu ya nghala

- It is a lion's beard

10. I matutu vana va tavasi

- It is plenty

11. I tihomu ta ka Sono ti gomolana exivaleni

- Cattle fighting in a kraal ( A family is discussing family matters )

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 Xitsonga.org
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12. Ku ba mati tingwenya ti tlela

- To give a bride. To beat the water and the crocodile sleep. Ku humesa swo nkarhi (ngopfu ngopfu mali) ku papalata

xigwevo (xupulo) lowu a wu ta wu kuma.

13. Ku dya ngopfu a hi ku hlula ndlala

- Eating too much doesn't defeat hunger

14. Ku tlula ka mhala swi letela n'wana wa le ndzeni

- The way an impala jumps, it influences its unborn child. ( A child often takes after their mother )

15. Kuwa ra le tshyakeni u dyisa hi n'wana

--

16. Kuwa ro tshwuka ri na xivungu endzeni

- A fig fruit which is pink, it has a worm inside( Wansati wo saseka u tala ku va na swiendlo swo biha/ a beautiful

woman tends to have bad deeds/behaviour/habits)

17. Kwembe ra ku hiwa a ri na murhu

- A pumpkin which is given to you or you didn't prepare yourself is usually dry.

18. Laha ku nga ni tinhongani ku borile xilo

- Where there are flies there's a rotten thing

19. Lexi xi nga heriku xa hlola

- Everything has an end (What doesn't end is taboo)

20. Loko u tsundzuka mhelembe khandziya ehenla/ensinyeni

- When you think of a rhino, immediately climb a tree

21. Mahlo ya kwahle ya tiva hi muyevuri

- You don't know something until you experience it

22. Makondlo mabirhi a ya celi mbovo wun'we

- Two rats cannot dig the same hole

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 Xitsonga.org
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23. Masasani u fele enhoveni

- Those who help others in need normally do not get help when they themselves are in need

24. Masiku i tinguluve

- Days are pigs. It means days are plenty

25. Mavala ya mangwa i man'we

- Stripes of a zebra are all the same ( Mintirho ya vavasati ya fana/ Women's deeds are normally the same)

26. Mavoko ya munhu a ma mili nhova/byanyi

- Grass cannot grow on a human beings hands.

27. Maxinjani a xi khani ka mbiri

- Present success/luck makes it more unlikely to obtain a similar success/luck in future.

28. Mbita ya vovo yi dlele tingengendze

- A person who is always sick tend to live longer than those who are more often in good health

29. Mbuti ya xihaha a yi tswaleli entlhambini

- A secretive goat does not give birth in a midst ( timhaka to lava xihundla a ti vulavuleriwa evanhwini/ matters

which requires diplomacy should not be discussed in the presence of the public)

30. Mbuti yi dya laha yi nga bohiwa kona

- A goat eats where it is tied.

31. Mbyana leyi hanyaka yi tlula nghala leyi feke

- A living dog is better than a dead lion

32. Mbyana loko yi lava ku ku luma ya n'wayitela

- A dog smiles when it intends to bite something.

33. Mfenhe a yi tivoni makovo

- A baboon can't see if he's ugly.

34. Mfenhe loko yi khome vulombe yi famba hi milenge yinharhu

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- A baboon with honey walks on three legs

35. Mhisi ya mikoka yi mbirhi yin'we yi phatluka nyonga

- A hyena with 3 trails or foot prints will break it's leg

36. Mhisi yi tlakule ntshuri

- A hyena stole a food basket ( Ndlala yi nghenile emuntini/emutini - hunger has just attacked a family)

37. Mhunti yi biwa ya ha ri na mahika

- An Antelope is killed while is sighing (Mhaka yi tengiwa/sengiwa/endliwa ya ha hisa - a matter is adressed whilst

it is still hot)

38. Mhunti yo tlulatlula Mangulwe u ta yi khoma

- An Antelope which is jumping around next to Mangulwe (dogs name), he will catch it.

39. Mintirho ya vulavula

- A persons deed speak louder than their words

40. Mpfundla wa rivala cucululu

--

41. Muhloti wa tinyarhi tivuya hi yena

- Buffalos are chasing a hunter

42. Mundzuku i siku

- Tomorrow is a day

43. Mutlhontlhi wa tinyarhi ti vuya hi yena

- The one who challenges buffaloes they will chase him.

44. N'hwari mbirhi yin'we yi ta tshwa nkanga

- If one tries to do more than one thing at the same time, one might not prosper.

45. N'wana u tseme mubya

- A disobedient child.

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46. N'wana wa mfenhe a nga tsandziwi hi rhavi

- The child of baboon does not fail a branch

47. N'wana wa nyoka i nyoka

- The child of snake is a snake.

48. N'wana wo ka a nga rili u ta fela a dzobyeni

- A child who does not cry will die unnoticed at the back of his mother.

49. Nchindzu makukulela ekule

- Munhu wo tirhela ehandle a tshika ekaya

50. Ndlela ya khale yi hava muntwa

- An old path doesn't have thorns

51. Ndlopfu a yi fi hi rivambu rinwe

- An elephant does not die of one (broken) rib. ( Wanuna a nga heli matimba hi khombo rin'we - a man shouldnt give

up because of one adversity)

52. Ndzi nge dyeriwi hi ti mpfuvu ndzi nga rimangi e nhlalukweni

- I will not allow hippos to eat my produce when I didn't even plough by the marshes

53. Ndzi ta ku komba xancila wa bulubulu

- I will show you a mythical creature

54. Nghala yi etlele ni khwiri ra yona

- A lion sleeps with its stomach

55. Nghala yi vomba exihlahleni

- A lion roars in the bush ( munhu u tiya loko a ri na ka va vona -a person is stronger when he/she is with her own

people)

56. Ngoma ayi tichayi

- An expert does not boast or talk about his skills, the skills talk for him

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57. Ngwenya nkelenge xivutla ni mindzeko

- -imunhu wokarhata ngopfu. A very aggressive difficult to deal with person

58. Nhenha yi vonaka enyimpini

- A person should display their strength and/or skills against their counterparts ,instead of boasting about them.

59. Njiya a yi fani na murhoho

- A locust is not the same as a vegetable. Little is better than nothing

60. Nkondzo i malahla

- Help a stranger who bewilds into your home, tomorrow you may bewild into their home.

61. Nomu a wu taleriwi hi nambu

- A mouth can cross any river.

62. Nsinya wa le ndzelekanini a wu na n'winyi

- A tree grown in the boundaries have no owner

63. Nyoka yo yi vona a yi lumi

- A snake which you can see can't bite you

64. Nyuku wa mbyana wu helela a voyeni

- The sweat of a dog finishes in it's fur. To work for no reward

65. Rintiho rin'we a ri nusi hove.

- One finger cannot pick a grain

66. Risokoti ri dlele ndlopfu

- An ant killed an elephant

67. Sasela vanungu

- Helping others

68. Siku ra ngati a ri tshuki

- A day of blood is never red

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69. Timpfuvu timbirhi a ti tshami xidziveni xinwe

- Two hippos cannot stay in the same deep water.

70. Tinghala timbirhi ta chavana

- Two lions fear each other

71. Tinhlanga ta le ndzhaku ti tiviwa hi mutlhaveri wa tona.

- The tattooing marks made on the back are known by the tattooer (not by the tattooed)

72. Tolo a nga ha vuyi

- Yesterday will not come back

73. U nga dlayi nyoka u yi ndzuluta, ta micele ta ku vona

- Do not kill a snake and swing it, the ones inside the holes are watching you

74. U nga hlawuli nkuku wa mhangele

- One must not choose the male of the guinea-fowl.

75. U nga sahi nsinya hi vuxika, u ta tshwa hi mumu hi malanga

- Do not cut the tree in winter, you will burn by sun in summer.

76. U nga teki mali u bohela enengeni wa mpfuvu

- Do not tie money in the leg of hippopotamus

77. U nga teki sava u ba ngwenya

- Don't take sand and hit a crocodile. U nga teki leswi ntsongo leswi u nga na swona u nyika loyi a nga na swotala

78. Vana va munhu va tsemelana nhloko ya njiya

- Siblings are sharing the head of locust

79. Vuhosi a byi peli nambu

- Chiefdom does not cross the river

80. Vukati va kandza hi mbilu

- A strong heart is necessary to make a marriage work

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81. Vukosi i mberha

- Beautiful things end

82. Vusiwana byi na xilandzu

--

83. Vusiwana i vuloyi

- Poverty is often from witchcraft

84. Vutlhari bya mhangele i ku hubuta

- The wisdom of a guinea fowl is being early

85. Vutomi

- Life is a wheel

86. Xandla famba, xandla vuya.

- Let the hand go and let the hand come back.

87. Xibodze xa mughana a xi chayeriwi noti

- Don't whistle to a friend's tortoise. Unga tshembi swilo swa un'wana

88. Xihlovo a xi dungiwi loko u heta ku nwa mati

- Do not close the well after having drunk.

89. Xihlovo xa le mahlweni i madlayisa torha

- Leave for today as tomorrow is not guaranteed,never assume that tomorrow will be better than today.

90. Xikomu xi vuyela mbhinyini

--

91. Xikomu xo lomba axina ndzima

- The strength of a crocodile is water ( Munhu u tiya hi loko a ri na va ka vona/ a person is stronger when his or

her own people are around)

92. Xilandza nsati a va hleki

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- A man who goes to get his wife back, shouldn't be made fun of

93. Ximinta ntsengele xi tshemba nkolo

- He who swallows a large stone has confidence in the size of his throat

94. Xinamu xi dlele nkwahle

--

95. Xirhami xi vuyisa na n'wana evukatini

- Chillness causes a girl to come back to her parents house from her husbands house

96. Xisuti xa mbuti xi tiva hi n'wini wa xona

- The waist of a goat is known by the owner.

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