What does Mari iri muhomwe, hana iri muguva mean?

A Shona proverb meaning 'money is in the pocket, but the heart is in the grave.' Used to describe someone who got rich but is anxious or in danger (perhaps from how they got the money). It's a warning about ill-gotten gains. For example: "That smuggler lives large but always looks over his shoulder – mari iri muhomwe, hana iri muguva situation. (Meaning: That smuggler lives lavishly but is always worried – a case of having money in the pocket but heart in the grave.)"

Where does the slang word Mari iri muhomwe, hana iri muguva come from?

Mari iri muhomwe, hana iri muguva is a slang term from Zimbabwe. It is part of the rich slang vocabulary used in Zimbabwe and across Africa.

Mari iri muhomwe, hana iri muguva

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe Slang

Added Aug 02, 2025 · 1 definition

TOP DEFINITION

Mari iri muhomwe, hana iri muguva — definition 1

A Shona proverb meaning 'money is in the pocket, but the heart is in the grave.' Used to describe someone who got rich but is anxious or in danger (perhaps from how they got the money). It's a warning about ill-gotten gains.

"That smuggler lives large but always looks over his shoulder – mari iri muhomwe, hana iri muguva situation. (Meaning: That smuggler lives lavishly but is always worried – a case of having money in the pocket but heart in the grave.)"

by Khulekani Dladla Elder · Aug 02, 2025

↻ Similar Words

Mari 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

Money

"Handina mari (I don't have money)"

market 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

Market (Marketplace)

"Market yakanaka (Good market)"

🇿🇼 About Zimbabwe Slang

Mari iri muhomwe, hana iri muguva is part of the everyday slang used in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe slang draws from local languages, history, and street culture to create an expressive voice that is uniquely its own. KASINARY has 964 Zimbabwe slang words collected from native speakers.

Browse all Zimbabwe slang (964 words)