Proverbs and Idioms in Fufulde: A Griot's Wisdom
This piece presents a curated selection of proverbs and idioms from Fufulde, the language of the Fulani people of West and Central Africa, organized with their English translations. Drawing on the griot tradition—where historians and storytellers preserve cultural knowledge through language and performance—the collection illustrates how Fufulde speakers encode practical and philosophical wisdom into memorable linguistic forms.
Fufulde is a language spoken mainly by the fulani people of west and central Africa. An estimated 27 million people speak the language worldwide.
Griots are a staple in the Fulani culture. Griots serve as historians, storytellers, praise singers, poets and/or musicians. They are also generally lovers of words and tend to have a good command of languages. Visiting families throughout the town, griots recite family histories through poetry, song, and music. They use a lot of proverbs and idioms. We have gathered a few for you.
PROVERBS
F: Andougo beldoum beldoum, soynde andougo beldoum bo beldou E: Being conscious of and having a good life is enjoyable but ignorance of a good life is also enjoyable
F: ɓaŋaado e mo fowru nanngi ngalaa bojji gooti E: The bride and the victim of the hyena don’t have the same tears
F: Gido kam wartata ganyo E: A friend does not become an enemy
F: Goɗo to wi ma o moɗan gellere, yi mo be gite forondu maako o nyayri E: If someone tells you he can swallow a whole coconut, just watch because he/she trusts his anus
F: Haɓere ɓuri ginnawol E: Intentions are worse than madness
F: Lingu bundu andaa jaajerka maayo E: The fish that dwells in a well does not know the length of the river
F: Munyal deefan hayre E: Patience can cook a stone
F: No a wanyiri nyiiwa fuu, ta wi’u a heebintaa fayaande E: Whatever hatred you have for the elephant, do not say it cannot fill a pot
F: Ta waɗou mboondi nde ɗiɗi, to a waɗi mboondi nde woore he’I, amma to a waɗi nde ɗiɗi be takke ginawol; be moure; be ngartire ba bombom. E: Do not be good twice; once is enough because if you are good twice , one will disrespect you and suck you as a sweet.
F: Taa yaawu kuboɗaa ɓonngu fe’irde: nyiwa e don nyaari wara E: Do not rush to throw your hatchet on a mosquito: the elephant comes running
F: To a andaa haa njahta, andu haa iwda E: If you do not know where you are going, know where you come from
F: To a andi a anda a andan, to a anda a anda a andata e to a andi bo andin E: If you know you don’t know you will know; if you don’t know that you don’t know you will never know, and if you know let others know
F: To a don wasa ngaska ngayandi ta luggin E: If you dig a hole of wickedness, do not dig deep
IDIOMS
F: A chikay na ? E: Aren’t you enough? Question which asks if someone is in his right senses
F: Bi Aadama E: Son of Adam Man or human being
F: Doole ko dow E: The must is above Authority belongs to the person on top
F: Jartougo bandou E: Heat up someone’s body To give someone serious beatings
F: Takkougo goɗo ginnaaji E: Stick madness to a person Do something that would make a person react in an irrational manner.
F: Waɗougo wootere doobal E: To lay the doobal bird’s only egg To do something you’ll never do again
F: Wooro woulli E: The town is on fire A serious situation
- Astha Djam
The post emerges from a moment of growing interest in African linguistic and cultural documentation, particularly the preservation of oral traditions threatened by language shift and urbanization. Griots have long served as living archives of Fulani history and values, and their work with proverbs and idioms represents a fundamental technology of cultural memory across West and Central Africa.
This archival work honors the intellectual sophistication embedded in Fufulde and resists the erasure of non-European knowledge systems. The proverbs themselves—on patience, humility, self-knowledge, and social restraint—offer enduring reflections on human behavior that remain relevant precisely because they address timeless tensions. For readers now, the piece is a quiet testament to linguistic diversity and the specific wisdom traditions that shape how different communities understand the world.