Methali

Methali (kutoka neno la Kiarabu مثل mathal) ni usemi mfupi wa mapokeo wenye mpangilio maalumu wa maneno unaodokeza kwa muhtasari fikra au mafunzo mazito yatokanayo na uzoefu wa maisha ya jamii husika. Ni kauli fupi yenye pande mbili za fikra, ambazo upande wa kwanza huanza upande wa pili humaliza. Kwa mfano: Mficha ugonjwa, kifo humuumbua na mcheza kwao hutunzwa. Haraka haraka haina baraka. mkono mtupu haulambwi. Mkamia maji hayanywi.

Kila taifa na kila kabila lina methali zake.

Methali za Kiswahili

Baadhi ya methali za Kiswahili ni kama:

Methali	Maana/Matumizi	Tafsiri ya Kiingereza
Asiyesikia la mkuu, huvunjika guu.	Asiyefuata ushauri wa wakuu wake, mabaya humpata.	He that does not heed the elderly advice, evil befalls him.
Aisifiaye mvua, ujue imemnyeshea.	Mtu asifiaye jambo fulani, bila shaka ameshatambua utamu wake.	He that praises rain,has seen it.
Aliye juu, mngojee chini.	Anayejitapa ameshafaulu maishani, punde atafeli.	Pride comes before the fall.
Usimwamshe aliyelala, utalala wewe.	Usimkumbushe aliyesahau kufanya jambo fulani, maana utalisahau wewe.	Do not wake one who is sleeping; you will fall asleep yourself.
Adhabu ya kaburi, aijuaye maiti.	Taabu na dhiki ya kaburini,aijuaye ni maiti. Aijuaye taabu na dhiki ya jambo lolote ni yule aliyehusika nalo.	The discomfort of the grave is only known by the deceased.
Kitanda usichokilalia hujui kunguni wake.	Kitanda ambacho hujalala juu yake huwezi kujua kama kina kunguni wengi au kidogo, yule anachokilalia kitanda hicho ndiye ajuaye hasa adhabu ya kunguni wake. Shida inayompata mwenzio huwezi kujua taabu yake maana haikukufika wewe.	You can't judge how many bugs are in a bed that you're not sleeping in.
Afadhali dooteni, kama ambari kutanda.	Afadhali kibaya kidogo ulichonacho, kuliko kingi kizuri usichonacho wala huna njia ya kukipata. Hutumiwa kumnasihi mtu akinai na atoshelezeke na alichonacho, ingawaje kidogo.	Better the little you own than a lot that you don't or can't archieve.

Viungo vya nje (Methali za Kiswahili)

• http://www.mwambao.com/methali.htm
• http://kiswahili.de/modules.php?name=SwahiliProverbs
• http://mwanasimba.free.fr/E_methali_01.htm
• http://www.angelfire.com/yt/chibilamsane/methali.html