Tukuk-OS🗣️ Proverbs of the World
65 traditional sayings · 39 countries · original text, translation & meaning
A proverb is a short, traditional saying that packs a piece of practical wisdom into a single line — passed down by word of mouth long before it was ever written. Because every culture has learned the same hard lessons about patience, work, friendship and pride, you will often find the same idea phrased in wonderfully different images from Japan to Nigeria. Below are proverbs from 65 traditions across 39 countries, each shown in its original language with a romanisation, a plain-English translation and a note on what it actually means. Pick a country to read its sayings together, or follow any line to its own page.
A taste from the collection
石の上にも三年
ishi no ue ni mo san nen
“Even on a stone, three years”
Sit on a cold stone for three years and it will warm — patience and persistence turn even the most uncomfortable start into success.
Umntu ngumntu ngabantu.
umntu ngumntu ngabantu
“A person is a person through other people”
The heart of ubuntu: our humanity is made in community — we exist through and because of one another.
الصديق وقت الضيق
aṣ-ṣadīqu waqta ḍ-ḍīq
“A friend is (known) at the time of hardship”
A friend in need is a friend indeed — real friendship is proven in trouble, not in good times.