Jamaican Proverbs
and Sayings

There are many timeless Jamaican proverbs and Jamaican sayings that have been handed down through generations. Here you will find some of the more popular proverbs, along with a few priceless, more obscure sayings. After each, I have attempted to give an equivalent English proverb, or an explanation.

Please forgive me if the translations sound clumsy - some things just can't be expressed well in standard English!

Jamaican Proverbs

When trouble ketch yu pickney shut fit yu
Any port in a storm. A person in trouble will undertake menial actions that he/she would not do otherwise

What a fi yu, cyaan be un fi yu
What is meant to be yours will always be yours

Di higher monkey climb, di more him expose
The higher your status, the more your vulnerabilities are exposed

When puss belly full him seh rat batty bitter
When people rise in status they often forget their humble backgrounds

If fish deh a river bottom an tell yu seh alligator have gum boil, believe him!
Listen to the voice of experience

Cockroach nuh business inna fowl fight
Don't meddle in things that don't concern you

Young bud nuh know storm
Experience teaches wisdom

One one coco full basket
Every little bit adds up to a whole lot

Wha sweet nanny goat a go run him belly
You can have too much of a good thing

Play wid puppy, puppy lick yu mout/nose
Familiarity breeds contempt

Who born fi heng cyaan drown
You can't escape or control destiny

Man nuh dead nuh call dem duppy
Never underestimate people, even when they are down

Every dawg have him day an every puss him 4 o'clock
Every dog has his day

Dawg a sweat an long hair hide it
All that glitters is not gold. You can't judge someone's troubles by her/his positive appearance.

Rock stone a river bottom cyaan know sun hot
Who feels it knows it

Every hoe ha dem tick a bush
There's a perfect mate out there for everyone, even the most unlikely person

Puss and dawg nuh have di same luck
Some people are luckier than others

Chicken merry, hawk deh near
Danger is often looming when you're having fun

Duppy know who fi frighten
People tend to take advantage of those who will allow it

Ole fire stick easy fi ketch
It's easy to rekindle an old romance

This list of proverbs is just a drop in the bucket. Rest assured we have one to fit nearly every situation! If you want to get up to date on the latest in Jamaican talk, check out our page on Jamaican Slang.

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