20 Haitian Creole Proverbs with Audio and English Translations

Hello, lovely people!

We’re back again for some more proverbs fun, and this time we’ll be looking at some Haitian Creole proverbs.

As soon as we stumbled upon them, we just knew we had to share them with you. These are such a treat. Haitians certainly do have a colourful way of expressing themselves.

We’ve got 20 of those bad boys, complete with English translations (and their meanings, as many of them are pretty obscure).

Enjoy!

Haitian Creole proverbs 1-4

Haitian Creole	English
Bourik mèt mete chapo, se pou de zorèy-li parèt.	Even if a donkey wears a hat, his ears still show. Meaning: You can’t hide your true origins.
Lè nen pran kou, se je ki kouri dlo.	When the nose takes a hit, it’s the eyes that cry. Meaning: Sometimes you suffer because of what someone else does.
Aprè dans, tambou lou.	After the dance, the drum is heavy. Meaning: Good times leave behind problems, and those who give advice don’t deal with the mess.
Se rat kay kap manje pay kay.	It’s the house rat that eats the roof straw. Meaning: Trouble often comes from inside, not outside.

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Haitian Creole proverbs 5-8

Haitian Creole	English
Bosi pa bwè kokoye kanpe.	The hunchback can’t drink coconut water standing up. Meaning: You’ve got to adapt to your situation.
Touttan ou sòti pi wo ou pran pi gwo so.	The higher you climb, the harder you fall. Meaning: When powerful people fall, it’s always brutal.
Fok ou chache konn chemen avan ou pran rout pou ou kouri.	You need to know the road before you start running. Meaning: Plan ahead if you want to make it.
Ti pwason swiv kouran.	The little fish follows the current. Meaning: People are shaped by the world around them.

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Haitian Creole proverbs 9-12

Haitian Creole	English
Ou chita sou po bèf-la wap pale-l mal.	You sit on the cow’s skin and still talk bad about it. Meaning: The ungrateful insult the very ones who help them.
Bon bouch ap pale, move zorèy ap koute.	A good mouth speaks, bad ears listen. Meaning: Be careful what you say, because some folks twist your words.
Piti pa janm grandi anba gwo.	The small never grow in the shadow of the great. Meaning: The strong always win, the weak stay small.
Menne koulèv lekol se youn, men fèl chita se de.	Bringing a snake to school is one thing, making it sit is another. Meaning: Saying something is easy, proving it is harder.

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Haitian Creole proverbs 13-16

Haitian Creole	English
Foumi pa janm mouri anba barik siro.	The ant never dies under a barrel of syrup. Meaning: However small, a woman can still take care of her family.
Lagè avèti pa tye kokobe.	The warned war doesn’t kill the cripple. Meaning: Being prepared saves you.
Tete pa janm trò lou pou mèt-li kouri.	Breasts are never too heavy for their owner to run. Meaning: Everyone has to carry their own load in life.
Kou toti wè lajan, li vire soudo.	When the turtle sees money, it flips on its back. Meaning: People will do anything for money.

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Haitian Creole proverbs 17 – 20

Haitian Creole	English
Saki nan kè yanm se kouto ki konnenn.	What’s in the heart of the yam, only the knife knows. Meaning: Everyone carries secrets no one else can see.
Tro prese pakab fè jou rive.	Rushing won’t make the day come faster. Meaning: You can’t force time – patience wins.
Wi pa monte mòn.	“Yes” doesn’t climb the mountain. Meaning: Saying it doesn’t mean doing it.
Chen mete de pat-li nan lestomak moun li konnen, si non se baton ka korije-l.	The dog only puts its two paws on the chest of those it knows, otherwise it’s beaten with a stick. Meaning: Don’t act too familiar with strangers, it’ll backfire.

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