Botswana Proverbs (24)

Traditional proverbs of Botswana in Khmer and English — each with its meaning and source.

Kgomo e tshwarwa ka dinaka, motho ka mafoko.

“A bull is caught by its horns, but a person is caught by their words.”

A person's own words reveal their true character and can bind them just as surely as an animal is restrained by its horns.

Traditional Botswana Wisdom

Source: Traditional Setswana (Botswana) proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Mmangwana o tshwara thipa ka fa bogaleng.

“A mother holds the knife by its sharp edge for the sake of her child.”

A mother will endure pain or danger herself rather than let harm reach her child.

Traditional Botswana Wisdom

Source: Traditional Setswana (Botswana) proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Motho ke motho ka batho.

“A person is a person because of other people.”

No one becomes fully human alone; identity, dignity, and worth are formed through relationships with others.

Traditional Botswana Wisdom

Source: Traditional Setswana (Botswana) proverb, public-domain oral tradition, shared with the wider Ubuntu philosophy of Southern African Bantu-speaking peoples

Kgetsi ya tsie e kgonwa ke go tshwaraganelwa.

“A basket of locusts is only filled by people working together.”

Large or difficult tasks, including raising a child or building a community, are accomplished through shared effort, not by any one person alone.

Traditional Botswana Wisdom

Source: Traditional Setswana (Botswana) proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Kgosi ke Kgosi ka morafe.

“A chief is chief only because of the tribe.”

A leader's authority comes from the people they serve, not from themselves; leadership without the people's support is empty.

Traditional Botswana Wisdom

Source: Traditional Setswana (Botswana) proverb, public-domain oral tradition, rooted in the kgotla tradition of accountable chieftainship

Diselammapa ga di ratane.

“Traders in the same goods do not love one another.”

People competing in the same trade or pursuit rarely stay on friendly terms with each other.

Traditional Botswana Wisdom

Source: Traditional Setswana (Botswana) proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Ngwedi a tshega letsatsi a re, o mosweu.

“The Moon laughs at the Sun, saying, "You are white."”

Before criticizing someone else's fault, look honestly at yourself; you may share the very flaw you mock.

Traditional Botswana Wisdom

Source: Traditional Setswana (Botswana) proverb, public-domain oral tradition

Manong a ja ka ditshika.

“Vultures eat according to their kinship.”

Those bound by family or kinship ties share what they have and look out for one another before others.

Traditional Botswana Wisdom

Source: Reginald B. Monyai, "The Proverb manong a ja ka ditshika as an Embodiment of the Principle of Unity", Culture and Identity, IntechOpen (2018)

Sejo sennye ga se fete molomo.

“A small portion of food still passes the mouth.”

A small share or a modest gift is still worth accepting with gratitude; something is always better than nothing.

Traditional Botswana Wisdom

Source: Reginald B. Monyai, "The Proverb manong a ja ka ditshika as an Embodiment of the Principle of Unity", Culture and Identity, IntechOpen (2018)

Sedikwa ke ntšwa-pedi ga se thata.

“What is tackled by two is not difficult.”

A hard task becomes manageable when it is shared between two or more people working together.

Traditional Botswana Wisdom

Source: Reginald B. Monyai, "The Proverb manong a ja ka ditshika as an Embodiment of the Principle of Unity", Culture and Identity, IntechOpen (2018)

Ga ke thata ke le nosi, ke thata ka ba bangwe.

“I am not strong alone; I am strong because of others.”

Individual strength is limited; real strength and resilience come from community and mutual support.

Traditional Botswana Wisdom

Source: Reginald B. Monyai, "The Proverb manong a ja ka ditshika as an Embodiment of the Principle of Unity", Culture and Identity, IntechOpen (2018)

Bophokojwe ba ba nkgwe ba itsanye ka mebala.

“Jackals of a kind know one another by their markings.”

Like recognizes like; people of similar character or background naturally find and understand one another.

Traditional Botswana Wisdom

Source: Reginald B. Monyai, "The Proverb manong a ja ka ditshika as an Embodiment of the Principle of Unity", Culture and Identity, IntechOpen (2018)

Motho ga a iphetse.

“A person cannot sustain himself alone.”

No individual is truly self-sufficient; everyone depends on others to survive and thrive.

Traditional Botswana Wisdom

Source: Reginald B. Monyai, "The Proverb manong a ja ka ditshika as an Embodiment of the Principle of Unity", Culture and Identity, IntechOpen (2018)

“Eating without sharing is like swearing with your mouth.”

Enjoying food or good fortune without sharing it with others is treated as a kind of wrongdoing in Batswana community life.

Traditional Botswana Wisdom