Traditional Curaçao Wisdom

Mihó lat ku nunka.

“Better late than never.”

Acting late is still worth more than never acting at all.

Bo ta bomba awa di renbak.

“You sing so badly you have spoiled the water.”

Said to someone singing badly out of tune — a light-hearted way of mocking a poor performance.

Den dos man funchi no por sali papa.

“With only two hands, the funchi cannot come out right.”

A single pair of hands is rarely enough — real work goes better with the help of others.

Galiña ta laba ku e awa ku e tin.

“The chicken washes with the water it has.”

Make do with what is available to you rather than waiting for ideal conditions.

Un konsenshi limpi ta e mihó kusinchi.

“A clean conscience is the best pillow.”

Living honestly brings peace of mind and untroubled sleep.

Sali fo'i panchi kai den kandela.

“To jump out of the pot and fall into the fire.”

Escaping one bad situation only to land in a worse one.

Pushi ku hanskun no por kohe raton.

“A cat wearing gloves cannot catch mice.”

Being overly careful or restrained can stop you from getting anything done.

Muchu amèn ta daña misa.

“Too many amens spoil the mass.”

Even a good thing becomes harmful when there is too much of it.

Bai gaña baka.

“Go and tell that to a cow.”

Said to dismiss a claim that is too far-fetched to be believed by anyone sensible.

Un kabuya ta corta dos biaha.

“A rope cuts twice.”

A shortcut taken carelessly tends to cause trouble a second time.

Kabes ta traha otro.

“One head puts another to work.”

Two minds working together accomplish more than one working alone.

Es ku yega promé ta bebe awa limpi.

“Whoever arrives first drinks the clean water.”

Being early or acting first brings the best opportunities.

Sòpi purá ta sali salu.

“Soup made in a hurry turns out salty.”

Rushing a task usually spoils the result; care takes time.

Kada kosa i su turno.

“Everything has its own turn.”

All things happen in their proper time; patience is rewarded.

Esun ku kana lo kontra.

“The one who walks will find.”

Persistence and effort eventually lead to discovery and success.

Kara di angel, kurason di diabel.

“The face of an angel, the heart of the devil.”

A warning that someone who looks innocent or sweet can hide a cruel or dishonest nature.

Bo no por kome karni, nenga wesu.

“You cannot eat the meat and refuse the bone.”

You cannot enjoy the good parts of a situation while refusing to accept the responsibilities that come with it.

No por planta ku su awa.

“You cannot plant with his water.”

A warning that a particular person cannot be relied upon or trusted to follow through.

Pampuna no sa pari kalbas.

“A pumpkin does not give birth to a calabash.”

Children take after their parents in nature and character.

Cada wea tin su tapadera.

“Every pot has its lid.”

Every person or problem eventually finds the match or solution that fits it.

Ora bo ta di malu, papel muhá mes ta kòrt'abo.

“When luck is against you, even wet paper can cut you.”

Misfortunes often do not come alone; once luck turns bad, even harmless things go wrong.

Den tempu di gera no tin misa.

“In times of war there is no mass.”

Normal courtesies and rules are suspended during a real crisis or conflict.

Kani mi pa mi kani bo.

“Scratch me so that I scratch you.”

Favors are traded mutually — help me now and I will help you later.

Makaku sa kua palu e ta subi.

“The monkey knows which tree to climb.”

Those looking to exploit others know exactly whom they can target.

Bos di buriku no ta yega shelu.

“The voice of the donkey does not reach heaven.”

The complaints of the poor or powerless are often ignored by those in power.

Pos a seka, baka a muri.

“The well dried up, and the cow died.”

Friends and helpers vanish once your wealth or usefulness has dried up.

E kos a kaba na aros i koko.

“The thing ended in rice and coconut.”

Something that began with great promise fizzled into an ordinary, disappointing result.

Karga di tur kunuku ta yega Punda.

“The produce of every farm reaches Punda.”

Small contributions from many sources add up to something substantial in the end.

Pa dal kachó nunka ta falta palu.

“To beat a dog, a stick is never lacking.”

Someone determined to find fault with another will always invent an excuse.

Komedó di webu no sa ku galiña su atras ta hasi due.

“The one who eats the egg does not know that the hen's backside hurts.”

Those who enjoy the fruits of hard work rarely understand what it cost to produce them.

Un man ta laba otro.

“One hand washes the other.”

People who help each other accomplish far more together than alone.

Manera tambú ta bai, asina e sanka tambe mester bai.

“As the tambú drum goes, so must the hips go.”

One must adapt and move in step with the rhythm of life, just as dancers follow the beat of the tambú drum.

No sende lus na kas di otro i laga di bo sukú.

“Don't turn on the light in someone else's house while you leave your own dark.”

Fix your own faults and improve yourself before trying to correct or criticize others.

Awa no ta muha makaku dos bes.

“Water does not wet a monkey twice.”

A person who has learned from a painful mistake will not let the same thing catch them off guard again.

Yuana ku kome leu for di kas ta muri mal morto.

“The iguana that goes far from home to eat dies a bad death.”

Wandering too far from safety in search of gain invites danger and ruin.

Mas skuma ku chukulati.

“More foam than chocolate.”

Said of someone who talks and boasts a great deal but delivers little of real substance.

Pushi chikitu tambe sa nister.

“A small kitten can sneeze too.”

Even the smallest or youngest among us deserves to be taken seriously and given attention.

No duna e yiu nòmber promé ku e nase.

“Don't give the child a name before it is born.”

Don't celebrate or make firm plans around an outcome before it has actually happened.

Traha manera buriku.

“To work like a donkey.”

Describes someone laboring extremely hard, often without rest.

Warda te ora baka hoga na pos.

“To wait until the cow drowns in the well.”

Taking action only after it is already too late for it to do any good.

Afèr di kabritu no ta afèr di karné.

“Goat matters are not sheep matters.”

Do not meddle in business or affairs that do not concern you.

Mas mòfi, ménos maishi.

“More grassfinches, less corn.”

The more people there are to share something, the smaller each person's portion becomes.

Si bo subi kabai, bo mester sa unda bo ta bai.

“If you mount a horse, you must know where you are going.”

Know your goal and plan your course before you commit to an undertaking.

Kohe un pieu hasi un baka.

“To catch a louse and turn it into a cow.”

To blow a small, trivial problem far out of proportion.