Culture
Proverbs
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Zulu proverb: Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu
Foundational Ubuntu proverb: a person is a person through other people.
Country:South Africa
Language:Zulu; English
Published:2025-11-12
Audience:Language learners, cultural studies
Zulu: "Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu."
English literal: "A person is a person through other people."
Meaning: Our humanity is realised through our connections with others. This is the foundational expression of the Ubuntu philosophy and is one of the best-known African proverbs worldwide.
Keywords
Zulu proverb
Ubuntu
community
Southern Africa
Source & licence
Source: Wikipedia
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
No Wikiquote page exists for Zulu proverbs at this time; the proverb is widely documented in academic and folkloric literature on isiZulu. The Wikipedia article on the Zulu language is cited as the canonical source for the language itself under CC BY-SA 4.0; the proverb text itself is oral tradition.
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