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Tsotsonyo akazvara tiwu

Shona Definition

Zviri nani kurega kutadzira munhu nyangwe napadoko nokuti zvinokonzera kuzotsividza kwake kukuru. Kana ukadenha munhu iye anokudzorera nokurwadzisa kwakanyanya.

English Translation

A small poke or slight can bring a heavy retaliation; the person you needle lightly may hit back hard. Better to avoid wronging someone even in a minor way.

Cultural Context

“Cited when a serious quarrel turns out to have begun with something trivial, as when a teacher settling a fight finds it started with a single insulting name.”

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