Kwaunobva
Tsumo

Unhu.

Character and how a person carries themselves

Tsvaga tsumo

Unhu

Character and how a person carries themselves

Chirema ndechina mazano chinotamba chakazendama kumadziro.Anyone who knows they have a weakness, in body or in mind, finds their own ways of working around it so that they are not laughed at or defeated in life.Tenda muchero wadya zvinotenza mwoyo.One should give thanks for something's success only once they have seen its reward.Nhava yebenzi haitani kusakara.Someone who does not look after their belongings properly finds they wear out quickly.Chivendekete anoseka chimedure.A person doing wrong often likes pointing at others' faults without considering their own.Chafamba kamwe hachiteyiwi.When someone commits an offence for the first time, they are usually forgiven, in the expectation that they will not repeat such an offence again.Kuzengurira izwi romukuru kuramba mhangwa.When an elder gives you a warning, accept it, because you might otherwise reject good advice that could help you.Rega kubvunza nyama kuti ndeyokugocha ive muto uchiuona.It is thoughtless to ask how something happened when you can clearly see for yourself what caused it; it would be embarrassing to ask 'has someone died here?' while watching people mourning at a grave.Rega kuvera nyoka negavi iyo iripo.A snake frightens people even when it is dead, so nobody wants to handle one, yet a man who boasts of courage is dared to measure it with his hands rather than a string. In the same way, when a matter comes to a real dispute, one must speak the plain truth directly, even at some risk.Mazvokuda kufa namaronda enyora.People do not feel sympathy for someone who brings danger or death upon themselves by their own choice.Ndomene haichemedzi.Trouble you bring on yourself gives you no grounds to complain; if your own doing hurts you, there is no one else to blame.Munhu - munhu hazvienzani nembwa.A person, however disabled or blind, is still a person and deserves to be treated as one.(Chinhu) chinodyiwa chino murandu.It is Shona custom that food, such as beer, must first be formally offered before being given to people; it is not proper for someone to simply help themselves to something not yet offered to them.Chomukuru hachikumbirwi.Elders are rarely asked for things; rather, they are the ones who give to the young unprompted. It is not good practice for the young to get into the habit of asking their elders for things, even food.Chirozva mauya ndicho chiumza mavi.A person who enjoys destroying good things is often the same one who brings about bad things.Imbwa yavata yatya.Someone who kneels and begs for forgiveness should be forgiven, because this shows they are afraid and remorseful.Chitende chinorema ndechine mhodzi.A person is given respect when they have good character or something else that shapes good conduct and supports them; such a person is admired by many.Mukadzi womumwe ndimbuya.Another man's wife should be respected like a mother-in-law, because getting too familiar with her could tempt you into wanting her and land you in trouble; a wise man does not flirt with other men's wives.Apotanechuru avanda.When a wrongdoer flees and hides, even behind someone who cannot protect them, they should be forgiven, because hiding shows they know they did wrong.Kurebesa muromo unodya chedemo chebanga hauchiwani.An axe chopping wood makes noise that draws people to it, but a knife cutting makes no sound unless someone is told. A person who cannot keep a secret is not invited to things done in private, and only gets to share in what is done openly.Dai pasina nyimo makunguo aizodyei?If there were no kind-hearted people, who would help those in need? God made every person knowing how they would live, so even the disabled and the blind survive with help from the generous.Kureva chikwereti kumurombo kunema Mwari.To demand repayment of a debt from someone who has nothing is like insulting and disrespecting God, since it was God who created that person.Aguta haaoneki.When someone has been treated well enough to feel fully satisfied, they usually leave quietly, as if they want nothing more; but someone who is not satisfied lingers, hoping to be given more.Chitsva-chitsva munamba wejenachena.Whenever a person gets something new, they think everything else has become old and no longer want it.Ane jira ndeane rukunara (rusakara) ane idzva akariwana meso atsvuka.Someone who gets something new today should not look down on someone with something old, because the one with the old thing once had something too, when the other had nothing; getting something new often comes only after suffering.Usiku humwe chete hahupedzi ushe.Struggling with hardship for a short time does not change who you fundamentally are or take away your standing; a dignified person is not shamed just because they slept in poor conditions for one night.Ushe ukokwa kuna vamwe.Good manners, good character, and humility earn a person the respect of others.Anonyumwa bere kurira ndouya akazora manda.Just as someone guilty of an offence flinches with fear when it is discussed, a wrongdoer is the one who reacts nervously whenever the crime is mentioned, especially if they panic on seeing a police officer, showing they have something to hide.Iringa nameso muchero wenhundurwa.However much someone desires something, they must not take it if it is forbidden by custom; a person should not want what they cannot rightfully have.Chinonzi rega ndechiri mumaoko chiri mumwoyo hachikandwe pasi.When someone grows up with a bad habit, such as drinking or smoking, they may eventually give it up; but it is rare for someone born with a violent or bad-tempered nature to ever fully let it go.Tendai muchero ugowisa.When someone gives you something, show your gratitude, so that in future they will be glad to give to you again.Hapana mvura isina chura.There is no homestead or country without wrongdoers; wherever people live, there will be troublemakers. Likewise, no person can ever be called entirely faultless, without something they could be blamed for.Akura arehwa.Whoever a person is, once grown and made a leader or head of the family, they no longer fear being talked about or criticised by others.Utsva hworurimi hahuna marapiro.However badly someone has wronged you, it is better to hold back from retaliating so the matter can be properly resolved; the wrongdoer, too, should be patient until both parties' feelings have settled.Muroyi munhu kubayiwa anochemawo.A person who habitually wrongs and angers others also feels pain when they themselves are wronged, just like anyone else.Zongororo kugonya haro asi shungu rinadzo.You might see someone being quiet, but they carry deep feelings within their heart. Some people cannot express what is inside them, and often choose to just stay silent, even while carrying great turmoil.Rutsva runovira nokuona rumwe.Trading insults back and forth stirs up more anger; if someone insults you and you stay quiet, they too will quickly quieten down.Uranda ndohwepfuma (zvipfuwo) hwomunhu hunozvirwira.A person can think for themselves, and so should not be treated like an animal; they should be allowed to choose what they want and refuse what they do not, without being forced.Muromo haupi chinopa maoko.It is easy to make promises with words, but words alone do not give anything; it is only when the hands actually act that the promise is fulfilled.Tenda nyakusvitsa mupi haalpotsera.Thank the one who delivers a gift to you as much as the one who sent it, since the deliverer also helped you.Shungu dzembwa dziri mumwoyo kuhukura ndiko kududza.Everyone carries things in their heart that trouble them, even while appearing happy all the time; they may hold onto these grievances for a while, but eventually they end up speaking about them.Igonyodzo kudya chegadzingani.People show kindness to a stubborn or stingy person while secretly trying to expose their true character; seeing that person mistreat others, they act kindly while actually trying to provoke them into revealing themselves.Muromo unodavidza nomuroyi.A mouth holds no grudge against anyone; it speaks to everyone, even to your own enemy.Imbwa inohukura haina ngozi.A person who talks a lot lets out their anger at once and is done with it, but the quiet person is the one to fear, since once angered, such a person may take revenge without a word.Chayambuka chaoneka tsiga rakasiya mbare pagumbo.Wronging someone, even if they lack the power to retaliate immediately, still leaves behind a lasting hurt or a remark that continues to pain their heart for a long time.Tsvaru anodana tivhu.It is better not to wrong someone even slightly, because it can provoke a much greater retaliation later; if you provoke someone, they will repay you with even greater pain.Chinokanganwa idemo chitsiga hachikanganwe.The one who wronged someone quickly forgets their offence, but the one who was wronged carries the pain in their heart for a long time.Samwoyochena ndiye nyamutsvirwa nemba.A kind-hearted person is rarely thanked by everyone; such a person is often the one who suffers, criticised or wronged because of their good deeds.Kutsenga muriwo hudzidzisana.For someone to treat others well or badly, it is usually because they saw others behaving that way first; people learn from and copy one another.Potsi haarwiwi tinorwira piri.Someone who errs for the first time should be forgiven, but if they repeat the same offence, they may then be punished for it.Chomungazva chinodyiwa nowabata mwana.Those who serve or stay close to someone are the ones who share in what they have: a visitor who holds a new mother's baby, as custom expects, is given the food set aside for her, and a man who has helped with the work eats with the workers.Chinoziva ivhu kuti mwana wembeva anorwara.No one can know what is in another person's heart except that person themselves; everyone has their own private troubles that others cannot know about.Chirungurira ndechowadya maradzwa chowerinopisa isvoto.When someone has been only slightly wronged, they get moderately upset; but if provoked further, they will retaliate.Maronda asiri ako anonhuhwa.A person cannot see their own faults, only those of others.Chikomo shata divi rimwe ritambire pwere.Even a person who does bad things should also have some good qualities, so that they can still be liked by others.Wavengwa anhuhwa.A person who is hated by others comes to be regarded as something disgusting.Muromo itsvimbo unozvidzivirira.The mouth can defend a person against an accusation through speech; even a truth known in the heart still has to be spoken aloud by the mouth to be affirmed.Ane benzi ndeane rake, kudzana unopururudza.When you know the failings of someone of your own, you are not surprised when they behave badly; you accept them as they are, and even cheer them on.Chisi hachiyeri musi wacharimwa.The consequences of bad behaviour are not immediate, but they will come.Chidamoyo hamba yakada makwati.People have the freedom to choose what they want.Chiri mumoyo chiri muninga.What's in the heart is hidden.Gudo guru peta muswe kuti vaduku vakutye.Elders should carry themselves with dignity so as to be respected by the young.Kuipa kuipa zvaro bveni, asi haridyi chakafa choga.However fierce someone's reputation is, there are still lines even they will not cross.Kuzeza chati kwati hunge uine katurike.When you overreact to small things, you probably have something to hide.Mazvokuda mavanga enyora.Suffering you bring on yourself by choice, like the scars of decorative cuts, is not for others to mourn.Makadzi munaku kusaba anoroya.A woman should conduct herself well, so that she is not wrongly suspected of witchcraft.Mwana asingachemi anofira mumbereko.If you don't cry out for help, no one will know, and you may perish in your distress.Takabva neko kumhunga hakuna ipwa.One should remember one's humble origins rather than growing arrogant.Nzou hairemerwi nenyanga dzayo.A person has the strength to carry their own burdens.Seka urema wafa.Do not mock others' misfortunes, because they may come upon you too.Vasikana kudada kudada zvenyu, tichaonana magaro pakuyambuka.You may reject people when things are easy, but you will need them when times get hard.Aita chake ndihombarume.True manliness is shown by carrying out one's duty fully, not by empty boasting.Avengwa anhuhwa.Once a person is disliked, even innocent things they do are viewed as offensive; hatred colours how they are seen.Chako ndechako kuseva unosiya muto.Even when enjoying what belongs to you, show restraint and leave some for others; do not consume everything greedily.Chekuba hachigari.Ill-gotten gains never last; what is stolen brings no lasting benefit.Chembere masikati, usiku imvana.Said of someone with two faces, appearing harmless and ordinary by day while acting very differently, often deceptively, once night falls and no one is watching.Chembere ndeyembwa yomurume, ndibaba wavanhu.Only an old dog is written off as old; an old man is still honoured as father of the people. Age does not make a person worthless, and elders keep their standing.Chidembo hachinzwi kunhuhwa kwacho.A person often cannot perceive their own faults the way others clearly can.China manenji hachifambisi, chinomirira kuti mavara acho aonekwe.Someone of genuine good character or quality does not rush to hide; they let others take the time to see their true worth.Chinogova ruoko, muromo haugovi.Real generosity comes from action, not from mere talk or promises.Chinokanganwa idemo, asi chitsiga hachikanganwe.The one who causes harm may forget doing it, but the one who was harmed never forgets.Chinonzi regedza ndechiri mumaoko, chiri mumoyo unofa nacho.What you hold in your hands can easily be let go, but what is held in the heart, deep feelings and convictions, stays with a person until death.Chomukuru anopa omene.What belongs to an elder is theirs to give out personally; no one else should distribute it without their say.Dare harizondi munhu, rinozonda mhosva.Justice is directed at the wrongdoing, not at the person as an individual; judgment need not carry personal hatred.Gudo guru peta muswe, vapwere vagokuremekedza.An elder should carry themselves with dignity and restraint so that the young will respect them.Gudo kuipa kuipa zvaro asi haridyi chakafa choga.Even someone with a bad reputation still has certain limits they will not cross.Hurudza inofa ichinzi inodya.A master farmer dies still spoken of as one who eats well: the name for plenty that hard work earns stays with a person to the end.Imbwa nyoro ndidzo tsengi dzematowo.Those who seem gentle and harmless on the surface can be the very ones causing mischief behind the scenes.Inotanda yomunyepi, younyerere haitandi.Lying and loose talk are what drive people apart; staying quiet does not cause the same harm.Isimba kaviri kurwa nemukadzi weasipo.There is no courage in confronting or wronging the family of someone who is not present to defend them; it is simply bullying the defenseless.Kuba ngoma kuri nyore, pokuiridzira ndipo panonetsa kuvanda.Doing something wrong can be easy; it is getting away with it undetected that is the hard part.Kudada kwavari mugomo kukumbira vari pasi mapfiwa.It is arrogance for those who live among the rocks to ask people on the plain for hearthstones: the wealthy begging from the poor only mocks their poverty.Kudya chevapfupi nekureba.Someone uses an advantage they have over others to take more than their fair share.Kufa kwemurume kubuda ura.A real man does not give up at the first setback; he keeps fighting until he is truly beaten.Kukonwa kwedare kukonwa kwamambo.When those below fail to resolve a matter, responsibility ultimately falls on the leader above them.Kukurukura hunge vapotsva.You can only tell the tale once you have survived the near miss.Kupotsera dope, rimwe rinosara mumaoko.Slinging insults or dirt at others leaves some of it on you as well.Kurayira kunoda pwere mukuru ndimambo.Elders should be consulted and shown respect, not given orders the way children are.Kurumwa nechekuchera.Bringing trouble on yourself by going after something you did not fully understand the risk of.Kuseka nhamo kunga rugare.Mocking someone else's misfortune can invite the very same misfortune on yourself.Kusekana kwaanakamba.People who share the very same flaw have no business mocking each other over it.Kusimbirira kurapa mhopo kumusana iwe une ziso rine mbonje.Before rushing to fix someone else's smaller problem, first deal with the bigger one you are ignoring in yourself.Kutaura kudzikisira kuita makata.Talking is easy compared with doing: promises cost little, while deeds take real effort.Kutenda kwakitsi kuri mumwoyo.Some show their gratitude only inwardly, without ever displaying it openly.Kuvhunduka chati kwata hunge une katurike.Someone with a guilty conscience tends to be startled by the smallest things.Kwadzinorohwa matumbu ndiko kwadzinomhanyira.People are often driven by their own basic needs, going wherever those needs can be met.Kwave kusakara kwedowo serisakadyiwa nyama.Once a person or thing has outlived its usefulness, people quickly forget the good it once did.Machongwe maviri haakukuridze pamutanda mumwe.Two people of equal standing rarely coexist peacefully in the same position; one must eventually give way.Mangachena inoparira parere nhema.Blame often lands on someone innocent simply because they were near where the real wrongdoing happened.Manzwi induru inouraya.Being loudly and publicly accused often wounds a person more deeply than the wrongdoing itself.Matanda makuru mazunguniswa.Whoever or whatever holds real importance tends to attract far more disturbance and challenge than the insignificant.Matsotsi haagerani.There is no real trust among wrongdoers; they do not look out for one another the way true friends would.Mbavha imbatwa, mbavha-rutsoka ishamwari.Only whoever gets caught actually bears the blame; those who slip away are treated as if innocent.Mboko chena yakaparira parere mhema.Blame often lands on someone innocent simply because they were near where the real wrongdoing happened.Mbudzi yazvarira pavanhu yati nditandirwe’mbwa.Someone in a vulnerable position is right to ask those around them for protection and help.Mhosva haiori.A wrongdoing never simply fades away; it eventually catches up with the one who did it.Mhosva inorondwa hakuna mhosva yakaita honye.Every wrongdoing can be traced to its cause and its culprit if it is properly looked into.Mhuno hainwi mvura muromo usina kunwa.Things should be done in their proper order; the lesser should not go ahead of what comes first.Minwe misiyanwa.People naturally differ from one another in ability and fortune, and that is simply the way of life.Miromo yavakuru haiviri pasi.What elders say tends to come true; their words carry weight and should not be dismissed.Moyo chena unobayisa.Being too kind and trusting can leave a person open to being taken advantage of.Mudzimu vakupa ronda vati nhunzi dzikudye.Misfortune comes because a person's protecting spirits have allowed it: if the spirits let you be wounded, they have also let the flies at you, so one trouble follows another.Mugoti unopiwa anyerere.Good things come to those who wait quietly: the stirring stick, with the sadza left on it, is given to the child who does not pester.Munhu akatsiga anozviganhura pakunwa hwahwa.A steady, sensible person sets their own limit when drinking beer.Munongedzo hauzvinongedzi.It is easy to be quick to criticise others' faults while overlooking your own.Murombo haarovi chine nguo.Someone of low standing is careful not to confront those with greater wealth or status.Murombo munhu.Poverty does not strip a person of their worth; they deserve the same respect and dignity as everyone else.Muroyi royera kure ugowana anokuviga.A warning against wronging your own people close to home: keep their support, or you may find no one left to see you buried.Mutsa worutsoka kuperekedza ziso.Good intentions need to be followed through with action, not left as mere observation.Muzvimbirwi ndiye nyakurwa nesasa.The one who has overeaten is the one who wrestles the door open: the person who is suffering is the one who must go and seek the remedy.Mwana washe muranda kumwe.Status held in one place does not automatically carry over anywhere else; standing is not absolute.Mwana washe ndishewo, womuranda anochemberera muuranda.A person's social standing often follows directly from the family they were born into.Mwoyochena weyi bere kugarira munhu akafa.Someone can put on a show of sympathy while really just waiting to profit from another's misfortune.N’ai kwadzo ndedzomucheche dzomukuru dzinoreva kudya.A small child's yawn means nothing more than a yawn, but when an adult yawns or sighs, there is a request behind it, usually for food.N’anga hadzifarirani.People in the same trade often struggle to get along, rivalry taking the place of cooperation.Natsa kwavabva kwaunoenda husiku.Leave the place you came from on good terms, since where you are going is dark to you: you may need to go back.Ndakazvida haichemedzi.You cannot fairly complain about the consequences of a choice you freely made for yourself.Ndezvehuru, doko dzinonyika miswe.Certain privileges belong to those with seniority or power; the lesser must simply defer.Nhamo yemombe kunyima mashanga iriyo yakarima gombo.It is real ingratitude when the one who did the hard work is the very one denied the reward for it.Nhamo yomumwe hairambirwi sadza.Even while sympathising with someone else's misfortune, you should not stop tending to your own needs.Nyadzi dzinokunda rufu.Public humiliation can feel like a heavier burden to carry than death itself.Nyamunatsi ndiye nyamutsigwa nebonda.Someone who does good by others tends to find support of their own when they need it in return.Nzanga seka dumba, dumba seka nzanga.Things that share the very same nature or flaw have no real grounds to mock one another.Nzou mutupo pana vanhu paseri ava machikichori.A person's grandeur often only shows itself in company; alone, that same standing can mean far less.Pane danga pane mombe, pane hundi pagara hurudza.A cattle pen means there are cattle, and heaps of chaff mean a master farmer lives there: what a person has shows in the signs around them.Rombe pakata hana mukaka ndowavaridzi.A poor labourer may do the work, but the reward for it often goes to those who own the resources, not to the one who laboured.Shanje dzinodya muridzi.Jealousy tends to harm the person who carries it more than the one it is aimed at.Tenda muchero ugowisa.Showing gratitude for what you have received tends to open the way for even more to come.Tenda muchero wadya zvinogadza mwoyo.Expressing gratitude for what you have received brings a sense of peace and contentment.Tenda wakohwa zvemunda wezunde.A good harvest calls for gratitude in return for the blessing received.Totenda dzanwa mombe dzaswera nebenzi.Even when things were left in imperfect hands, a good outcome is still worth being grateful for.Totenda maruva tadya chakata.We give thanks for the blossoms only once we have eaten the chakata fruit: praise a promise once it has borne fruit, not before.Totenda nyemba tanwira mvura.Even a simple meal is worth being genuinely thankful for.Totenda yabikwa imba yepwere.Food prepared and set aside for the children is something the family is right to be grateful for.Totenda yavira tsambakodzi yedemhe.Something that has finally come to its proper, finished state after a long wait is worth giving thanks for.Umambo hutambidzwana.Positions of leadership are not held by one person forever; they pass on from one to the next.Umba hwehosi husina marevere.Someone of real seniority does not need to explain themselves; their standing speaks for itself.Usarume muromo wenzombe inopura zviyo.Do not withhold reward from someone who is doing productive work for your benefit.Ushe hauzvitongi.Leadership cannot function alone; it needs the counsel and cooperation of others to work at all.Ushe hukokwa, hunotokokwa kune vamwe.A position of leadership does not stay with one person forever; it eventually passes on to someone else.Ushe hunonyangira rema.A true leader looks after all of their people, including the weak and vulnerable.Ushe husiirwana.Leadership is handed down from one person to the next as part of an ongoing succession.Ushe idova hunoparara.Power and position do not last forever; they fade away much like morning dew.Ushe imhute hunoparara zuva rabuda.Authority can disappear as quickly as morning mist once conditions change.Ushe madzoro hunoravanwa.In some traditions, leadership rotates between different families or houses in turn.Ushe vuranda.True leadership is really a form of service to one's people, not simply a privilege to enjoy.Vagere pachavo vangonyinda.People among their own are at ease: those who keep company together are confident and look after one another.Vakadyara tsvina vachakohwa hundi muchamupupuri.Wrongdoing eventually catches up with the one who did it, often coming back even worse than it started.Vataitururira matohwe nhasi ndivo votiseka maparapadzwa.Sometimes the very people we once helped are the ones who mock us when we later fall on hard times.Waita womutorwa kuti kumwe kwakaoma kumwe kunyoro.Someone acting like they have no stake in a matter often ends up judging it unfairly, favouring one side over the other.Warara warara nemuromo wake.Trouble often comes about because of what a person themselves said, brought on by their own words.Watungamira haatori nzira.A true leader makes room for others to follow, rather than claiming the whole way forward for themselves.Ziso haribi chomunhu.Merely looking at or admiring what someone else has does not actually take anything away from them.Zongororo kugonya zvaro asi shungu rinadzo.Someone's quiet or passive appearance does not mean they lack ambitions or feelings underneath.Zhundu kugara mudanga zvanzi ndava mombe.Someone who stays close to people of high status wants to be seen as important too, like the kraal worm that lives in the cattle pen and thinks it has become a cow.
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