Proverbs & sayings
The Fulɓe carry their values in short sayings — about patience, cattle, kinship, and the weight of words. Each is shown in ADLaM, in romanized Fulfulde, and in English.
𞤺𞤢𞤲𞤴𞤮 𞤥𞤢𞤢 𞤳𞤮 𞤲𞤫𞤯𞤯𞤮, 𞤱𞤢𞤲𞤢𞤢 𞤥𞤦𞤫𞤫𞤱𞤢.
Ganyo maa ko neɗɗo, wanaa mbeewa.
“Your enemy is a person, not a goat.”
𞤥𞤵𞤲𞤴𞤢𞤤 𞤣𞤫𞤬𞤢𞤲 𞤸𞤢𞤢𞤴𞤪𞤫.
Munyal defan haayre.
“Patience can cook a stone.”
𞤲𞤢𞤺𞤺𞤫 𞤸𞤫𞤫𞤱𞤲𞤺𞤫 𞤳𞤮𞤧𞤢𞤥 𞤴𞤫𞤫𞤱𞤢𞤼𞤢𞤢.
Nagge heewnge kosam yeewataa.
“A cow with much milk is never sold cheaply.”
𞤩𞤭𞤯𞤯𞤮 𞤥𞤮 𞤴𞤭𞤴𞤢𞤢𞤲𞤭 𞤦𞤢𞤢𞤦𞤢 𞤥𞤵𞤥, 𞤱𞤭𞤴𞤢 𞤦𞤢𞤢𞤦𞤢 𞤶𞤵𞤵𞤼𞤢𞤢𞤲𞤭.
Ɓiɗɗo mo yiyaani baaba mum, wiya baaba juutaani.
“A child who never saw its father says the father was not tall.”
𞤯𞤫𞤥𞤲𞤺𞤢𞤤 𞤳𞤮 𞤤𞤢𞤱𞤯𞤮, 𞤺𞤢𞤢𞤻𞤢𞤢𞤲𞤭 𞤱𞤵𞤪𞤢𞤧.
Ɗemngal ko lawɗo, gaañaani wuras.
“The tongue is soft, yet it can cut.”
𞤶𞤮𞤳𞤳𞤫𞤪𞤫 𞤫𞤲𞤯𞤢𞤥 𞤩𞤵𞤪𞤭 𞤶𞤢𞤱𞤣𞤭.
Jokkere enɗam ɓuri jawdi.
“Keeping kinship ties is worth more than wealth.”
Fulfulde spellings and translations are provisional teaching aids — under review with native speakers. Corrections are welcome.