EB3 or TWI PROVERBS, ASANTE TWI PROVERBS YOU SHOULD KNOW... 10 Asante Twi Proverbs You Should Know

As you learn how to speak the Twi language it is also very imperative that you learn a few Twi proverbs. A good Twi language speaker should be able to intersperse his or her sentences with on the spot witty proverbs to add colour and better understanding to what they are saying. Ultimately, learning Twi proverbs is an excellent way to increase your understanding of the Asante and Akan culture and the way Asantes think. Today, I have put together 10 interesting Twi proverbs for you to practice. Each proverb is in Twi, followed by its literal translation and then the English meaning. Try to memorize them and impress your Twi speaking friends!


Nea ɔforo dua pa na wɔpia no...

TRANSLATION: The one who climbs a good tree is the one who is helped...

MEANING: If you set your eyes on a good course you will get helpers...


Adeε nyinaa dan osuahunu...

TRANSLATION: Experience is the best teacher...

MEANING: If you learn patiently you’ll succeed...


Berε annuru annuru a, εtra...

TRANSLATION: Procrastination is the thief of time..

MEANING: Procrastination destroys things...


Dua baako gye mframa a εbu...

TRANSLATION: If one tree stands in the path of the wind, it falls...

MEANING: One person should not take on everybody’s responsibility...


Nea wɔnom hɔ no wɔnnware hɔ...

TRANSLATION: One should not bathe in the water others drink...

MEANING: Do what is right...


Ɛpare wo a, wosua nyansa...

TRANSLATION: One should learn from a near miss...

MEANING: If you come out of a trouble you learn from it...


Dwaman so wɔ mmara...

TRANSLATION: There are rules governing every market...

MEANING: Everywhere has it own rules and regulations...


Honam panin ne etire...

TRANSLATION: The head is the crown of the human body...

MEANING: A person’s glory is his or her head...


Kokora firi bamfo yam...

TRANSLATION: All things have their origin...

MEANING: Everything has its kind here on Earth...


Nea aba pεn na εsane ba...

TRANSLATION: History repeats itself...

MEANING: Everything has happened before...


If your pronunciations don’t quite sound like the native speaker’s, go over the proverbs again until you get them right. I hope you enjoyed this short article. Please look for books on Twi proverbs and try to learn more from them.

proverbs are encoded language that take a lot if meta-cognition to gain understanding... sometimes what it says means a lot than how u will understand it... cos I tink a situation might call for more than two proverbs... i really like the African proverbs...cos it reads and sounds original to me

A proverb is a simple and concrete saying, popularly known and repeated, that expresses a truth based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical, ie. a figure of speech that identifies something as being the same as some unrelated thing, thus highlighting the similarities between the two.....

African Proverbs are rich and are used mainly by elders to communicate thoughts in a witty way. Sometimes you can decipher their meanings by mere logic, at other times you need a guide....

African proverbs like all other proverbs are a rhetorical and effective way of communicating. It contains everyday experiences packaged in a concise manner that makes the point it is trying to communicate easy to remember...

For example

One falsehood spoils a Thousand truths - An Ashanti proverb

Interpreted meaning: One mistake could undo series of good work....

This proverbs basically elaborates on Friendship... In the case where one mistake in a good friendship/relationship could just end that friendship/relation, the knowledge of this proverb can be applied... Yet difficult to decipher if you have no clue or whatsoever..