Kabra ten barba, má é baka ki é grandi.
“The goat has a beard, but it is the cow that is big.”
Looking venerable or important on the surface is not the same as having real size, strength, or substance.
— Traditional Cape Verde Wisdom, Cape Verde
Source: Traditional Cape Verde proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Cape Verde
What you eat, you pay for.
Every action returns to the one who committed it; consequences always catch up with you.
The eyes are bigger than the belly.
People often want or claim more than they can actually use or handle.
The dog that barks does not bite.
Loud threats and complaints are often empty; the real danger comes from those who stay quiet.
A bad path does not lead to a good place.
Wrong methods and dishonest means do not produce a good outcome, however tempting the shortcut.
Worse than the deaf is the one who does not want to listen.
Willful ignorance is more damaging than any physical limitation; refusing to listen is a choice.
An empty sack cannot stand up straight.
A person without food, rest, or resources lacks the strength to carry on; needs must be met before effort.