Chura kugara mumvura handi kunwa

Usafuririke nezvaunenge waona, wokurumidza kushoropodza kana kufarira usati wanyatsoziva maitiro kana mamiriro echinhu.

While frogs may live in water, this does not mean they drink water.

One must not be misled by appearances into making rash judgements.

The Frog is an amphibian - a cold blooded vertebrate creature that can live both in water and outside of water. Due to their capability to reside in water it is easily assumed that frogs drink water. However, Frogs do not drink in the same manner as humans or other mammals - they absorb water through their skin in an area known as the 'drinking patch' located on their belly and the underside of their thighs. It is this observation that led our elders to conclude that not everything may be what it seems. Hence the lesson is to not judge things face value.

The proverb is used to caution people against making rash judgements based purely on appearances without fully accessing the situation or the person. The proverb can also be used to admonish someone who has judged wrongly and based on what they thought they could see.