Aachaye kweli huirudia
He who leaves truth behind, returns to it
(i.e. A person who does something good somewhere, people receive him/her with gladness when he comes back)

Achanikaye kwenye mpini, hafi na njaa
He who struggles with the hoe, does not die of hunger

Achekaye kilema, hata kwao hipo
He who laughs at a cripple has one at home

Ada ya mja hunena, muungwana ni kitendo
A man talks but a gentleman acts
Actions speak louder than words

Adhabu ya kaburi aijua maiti
Only the corpse knows the punishment of the grave

Adhihakiye kovu, hajaona jeraha
He who trivialises a scar hasn't been injured

Adui aangukapo, mnyanyue (muinue)
When an enemy falls, lift him up

Adui mpende
Love your enemy

Adui ya mtu ni mtu
The enemy of man is man

Afadhali akutembeleaye kuliko akutumiaye salaam
The one who visits you is better than the one who sends you greetings

Afadhali kuaibika kuliko kufa
Better ashamed than dead

Afadhali kufa kuliko kuaibika
Better dead than ashamed

Afadhali kuwa jirani wa mbuga kuliko kuwa jirani wa mwenye mdomo mrefu
It is better to be a neighbour of a steppe than to be a neighbour of one who speaks badly

Afadhali mchawi
A witch is better
(i.e. The enemy you know is better than a friend you don't)

Afua ni mbili, kufa na kupona
Relief comes in two ways, dying or healing

Ahadi ni deni
A promise is a debt

Aibu ya maiti, aijuaye mwosha
The shame of the corpse is known to the mortician

Aisifuye mvua imemnyea
He who praises the rain, it has rained on him

Ajali haina kinga (haikingiki)
An accident cannot be averted
(i.e. Whatever can go wrong will)

Ajidhanie kasimama, aangalie asianguke
One who thinks he is standing, should beware of falling

Ajuaye mengi, hasemi mengi
Who knows more speaks less
Empty vessels make the loudest noise

Akiba haiozi
savings will not decay
Put something away for a rainy day

Akili ni mali
Intelligence is an asset

Akili nyingi huondoa maarifa
Great wit drives away wisdom
Too many cooks spoil the broth

Akufaaye kwa dhiki ndiye rafiki
A friend in need is a friend indeed

Akufukuzaye hakwambii toka
He who chucks you out doesn't tell you to go away
(i.e. A person may use indirect signs to tell you you are not welcome)

Aliye juu, mngojee chini
Wait at the bottom for the one who is at the top
What goes up, must go down

Anayefikiri amesimama, aangalie asianguke
He who thinks he is standing, should be on his guard not to fall down

Apandaye haba, huvuna haba
He who farms little harvests less

Asifuye mvua imemnyea
He who praises rain has been rained upon

Asiyefunzwa na mamae hufunzwa na ulimwengu
He/she who is not taught by his/her mother will be taught my the world

Asiyekubali kushindwa si mshindani
He who does not accept defeat is no sportsman

Asiyekuwepo na lake halipo
If you are absent you lose your share
Out of sight, out of mind

Asiyesikia mkuu huvunjika mguu
He who doesn't heed the chief's advice breaks his leg
Don't be reckless

Atangaye na jua hujua
He who wanders in the sun, knows

Avumaye baharini papa kumbe wengine wapo
Shark is the famous one in the sea but there are many others

Baada ya dhiki faraja
After hardship comes relief
Every cloud has a silver lining

Baba wa kambo si baba
An adoptive father is not a father

Bahati mbaya haiji peke yake
Misfortune doesn't come alone

Bahati ya mwenzio usiilalie mlango wazi
Don't leave your front door open because someone was lucky that nothing happened when he did it
Don't be reckless just because others were lucky

Bandu bandu humaliza gogo
An incessant hacking of the log finishes the log
(i.e. If you keep nibbling, you will eat into your capital)

Bendera hufuata upepo
A flag follows the direction of the wind

Bilisi wa mtu ni mtu
The evil spirit of man is a man

Cha mlevi huliwa na mgema
The drunkard's money is eaten by the palm-wine tapper

Chanda chema huvikwa pete
A handsome finger gets the ring

Chema chajiuza, kibaya chajitembeza
A good thing sells itself, a bad thing advertises itself for sale

Chombo cha kuzama hakina usukani
A sinking vessel needs no navigation

Chovya-chovya yamaliza buyu la asali
Constant dipping will empty the gourd of honey

Dalili ya mvua mawingu
Clouds are the sign of rain

Damu nzito kuliko maji
Blood is thicker than water
(i.e. family ties are stronger than marital ties)

Dawa ya moto ni moto
The remedy to fire is fire
Send a thief to catch a thief

Debe tupu haliachi kuvuma
An empty "debe" doesn't stop making noise
empty vessels make the most noise

Dua la kuku halimpati mwewe
The prayer of the fowl does not bother the hawk
It is no use to swear at the mighty

Elimu haina mwisho
Education has no ending
You are never too old to learn

Embe dodo sawa sawa na kisukari
A "dodo" (kind of mango) is like a "kisukari" (sweet banana)
Something is better than nothing

Fadhila ya punda ni mateke
The gratitude of a donkey is a kick

Fimbo la mnyonge halina nguvu
A feeble man's stick has no strength
Might is right

Fimbo ya mbali haiui nyoka
A weapon thrown from far won't kill a snake
(i.e. You must be on the spot to put your affairs in order)

Fuata nyuki ule asali
Follow the bees and you will get honey

Fumbo humfumba mjinga
A parable mystifies a simpleton

Fumbo mfumbe mjinga mwerevu huligangua
Put a riddle to a fool a clever person will solve it

Ganda la mua la jana chungu kaona kivuno
The skin of yesterday's sugarcane is a harvest to an ant

Haba na haba hujaza kibaba
Little by little fills up the measure

Hakuna masika yasiyokuwa na mbu
There is no rain season without mosquitoes

Hakuna msiba usio na mwenziwe
Misfortune never comes alone

Hakuna siri ya watu wawili
A secret is no secret when it is shared by two persons

Hakuna ukuu wa kunguru panzi zikianguka
Raven's age matters not when there are grasshoppers

Hapana maji yasiyo na mawimbi
There is no water without waves

Hapana marefu yasio na mwisho
There is no distance that has no end

Haraka haraka haina baraka
Hurry hurry has no blessings
Haste makes waste

Hasira, hasara
Anger brings loss

Hasira ya mkizi ni furaha ya mvuvi
The rage of a cuttlefish is joy for the fisherman

Hata paka ana visharubu
Even a cat has whiskers
(i.e. Having whiskers is not a guarantee of masculinity)

Hebu kiishe, huchoma mkia
He who waits until the whole animal is visible spears its tail

Heri kufa macho kuliko kufa moyo
It is better to lose your eyes than to lose your heart

Heri kenda shika, kama kumi nenda uje
Better is nine "take-it" than ten "go-and-come"
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Heri kujikwa kidole kuliko ulimi
Better to stumble with the toe than with the tongue

Hiari ya shinda utumwa
Voluntary is better than force

Hucheka kovu asiye kuwa na jeraha
He laughs at scar who has received no wound

Huwezi kula ng'ombe mzima halafu ukasema mkia umekushinda
You cannot eat a whole cow then say you can't finish the tail

Ihsani (hisani) haiozi
Kindness does not go rotten

Ikiwa hujui kufa, tazama kaburi
If you don't know death look at the grave

Jembe na mundu ni baba na mama
Hoe and sickle are your father and mother

Jina jema hungara gizani
A good name shines in the dark

Jino la pembe si dawa ya pengo
An ivory tooth is not cure for the lost tooth.

Jitihadi haiondoi kudura
Effort will not counter faith

Jogoo la shamba haliwiki mjini
The village cock does not crow in town

Kaa akiinua gando mambo yamekatika
When the crab raises his claw, there is an end of the matter

Kafiri akufaaye si Mwislamu asiyekufaa
An infidel who does you a good turn is not like a Muslim who does not

Kamba hukatika pabovu
A rope parts where it is thinnest

Kanga hazai ugenini
A guinea-fowl does not lay eggs in strange places

Kawaida ni kama sheria
a custom is like a law
Habit is second nature

Kawia ufike
Delay in order to arrive
Better late than never

Kazana kulima, usione wanakula
Struggle farming, don't see them eating